Chelonus (Arichelonus) allokotosus, Zhou & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2022

Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Kees Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2022, A review of the subgenera Arichelonus, Megachelonus and Scabrichelonus of the genus Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae: Cheloninae) with description of five new species from China, Zootaxa 5165 (4), pp. 527-547 : 528-529

Chelonus (Arichelonus) allokotosus sp. nov.

Figs 1–2

Material examined. Holotype: female, China, Zhejiang Prov., Mt. Jiulong , IV.1995, Hanlin Chen, No. 95507 ( ZJUH).

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (A.) sternalis Tobias, 1964 , but can be separated from the latter by the following characters: length of metasoma 2.3 × its height (4.0 × in C. (A.) sternalis Tobias, 1964 ); scutellum coarsely reticulate rugose and punctate medially (smooth medially); antennomeres of female 18, length of antenna distinctly shorter than body length (antenna very slender and filiform, antennomeres 38, as long as body).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.4 mm, of fore wing 2.2 mm.

Head. Antennomeres 18, basal half of left antenna distinctly broadened; third antennomere equal in length to fourth; third, fourth and terminal antennomeres 3.2 ×, 3.2 × and 2.3 × longer than wide ( Fig. 2I ); head transverse, width of head 2.6 × its dorsal length roundly contracted behind eyes; OOL: OD: POL= 9: 4: 9; longitudinal diameter of eye 1.1 × height of temples; vertex behind ocelli and temple evenly convex, transversely striate; frons distinctly concave, smooth ( Fig. 2H ); face coarsely striate-rugose; clypeus shiny, finely punctate with dense setae ( Fig. 2G ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 × its height; pronotum finely reticulate-rugose; mesoscutum evenly convex, reticulate-rugose; scutellum hardly convex, more strongly and coarsely rugose than mesoscutum, punctate medially; scutellar suture comparatively deep, narrow, with carinae; apical transverse carina of propodeum short, near posterior margin of propodeum ( Fig. 2C ); mesopleuron evenly convex, coarsely reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 2B ).

Wings. Length of fore wing 2.6 × its width; length of marginal cell 1.25 × pterostigma; vein r straight, r: 3-SR: SR1 = 7: 7: 45; 1-CU1: 2-CU1= 6: 17 ( Fig. 2A ).

Legs. Hind coxa mainly smooth and shallowly punctate; hind coxa, femur and tibia all distinctly robust; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.0 ×, 3.75 × and 3.8 × their maximum width, respectively ( Fig. 2E ).

Metasoma. Carapace elongate-oval, but distinctly contracted at the one-third of apex, two thirds of it longitudinally striate, and reticulate by weaker and transverse rugae basally; length of carapace 2.3 × its maximum width in dorsal view ( Fig. 2D ); ventrally metasoma completely open to apex of carapace; length of ovipositor projecting part 0.5 × of carapace length, and the ovipositor sheath 0.13 × as long as fore wing, 0.38 × as long as hind tibia ( Fig. 2E ).

Colour. Black; antennomeres dark brown; palp blackish-brown; pterostigma and veins yellowish-brown; pterostigma and veins light brown; wing membrane hyaline; legs almost entirely yellowish-brown, basally hind tibia light yellow and apically black; ovipositor sheath brown.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after its special abdomen: allokotos is Greek for unusual and strange.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chelonus (Arichelonus) allokotosus sp. nov., female, holotype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 2. Chelonus (Arichelonus) allokotosus sp. nov., female, holotype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, dorsal aspect; E, metasoma, lateral aspect; F, head, anterior aspect; G, head, dorsal aspect; H, head, lateral aspect; I, antenna.