Bracon (Lucobracon) curculiovorus sp. nov. Figs 17, 18

Type material.

Holotype. ♀, China, Neimenggu Prov., West area, 17.V.1985, Wu Mingzhuo, No. 853213 (host Curculio spp.) (ZJUH). Paratypes. 2♀♀9♂♂, same data as holotype, No. 853213 (2 specimens), 853214 (9 specimens) (host Curculio spp.) (ZJUH).

Diagnosis.

This new species is very similar to B. (L.) histeromeroides Sarhan & Quicke, 1990, but can be separated from the latter by the following characters: temples slightly convex behind eyes (approximately parallel-sided behind eyes in B. (L.) histeromeroides); metasomal tergites yellow, second to seventh tergites with blackish-brown spots (entirely dark brown); fore wing vein SR1 1.7 × longer than vein 3-SR (2.0 times); propodeum without medio-longitudinal carina (with short medio-longitudinal carina posteriorly and with striae laterally); setose part of ovipositor sheath about 2/3 the length of metasoma (half as long as metasoma).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 5.0 mm, of fore wing 4.0 mm, of ovipositor sheath 1.8 mm.

Head. Antenna short, approximately as long as head and mesosoma combined, with 22 segments; apical antennal segment slightly acute, 1.8 × longer than its maximum width (Fig. 18k); first flagellomere 1.4 × longer than wide, 1.1 and 1.2 × longer than second and third, respectively, the latter being 1.1 × longer than wide; malar suture rather weak, with dense short setae; clypeus height: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 3: 14: 5; clypeus sparsely short setose; eye not emarginate (Fig. 18g); face largely smooth except for a few weak punctures and with long setae especially laterally (Fig. 18g); eye height: shortest distance between eyes: head width = 12: 19: 34; frons smooth, nearly not concave behind antennal sockets, median groove strongly reduced (Fig. 18h); vertex smooth, with sparse short setae; shortest distance between posterior ocelli: minimum diameter of elliptical posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 3: 3: 8; temples weakly expanded behind eyes (Fig. 18h).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height (Fig. 18c); notauli impressed anteriorly, shallow posteriorly (Fig. 18d); mesoscutum smooth, with dense long setae along notaulic courses (Fig. 18d); scutellar sulcus deep, moderately wide, with crenulae (Fig. 18d); scutellum smooth, with dense short setae posteriorly; metanotum moderately convex medially (Fig. 18d); propodeum smooth, without medio-longitudinal carina posteriorly and sparsely setose medially, with dense long setae laterally (Fig. 18d).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 18a): damaged apically; SR1 not reaching tip of wing; SR1: 3-SR: r = 40: 24: 15; 1-SR+M more or less straight, 1.4 × longer than 1-M; 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 22: 24: 15; m-cu straight, 2.1 × longer than 2-SR+M; angle between 1-SR and C+SC+R about 80°; cu-a weakly postfurcal. Hind wing (Fig. 18b): SC+R1: 2-SC+R: 1r-m = 14: 3: 7.

Legs. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 16: 20: 25; length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 25: 42: 14; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 2.3, 7.0 and 4.0 × their maximum width, respectively; hind tibial spurs 0.3 and 0.4 × as long as hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.4 × its apical width; first tergite concave medio-basally, median area convex and smooth (Fig. 18e); lateral grooves of first tergite narrow, only with a few weak crenulae medially (Fig. 18e); median length of second and third tergites about equal; second metasomal suture narrow and shallow, without crenulate, straight medially (Fig. 18e); second to seventh tergites smooth, with some short setae posteriorly and laterally (Fig. 18e); setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.5 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Head and mesosoma largely reddish-brown (Fig. 17); antenna, eyes, mandible apically, stemmaticum, middle lobe of mesoscutum anteriorly, lateral lobes, median area of metanotum, propodeum medially blackish-brown (Fig. 18c, d, g, h); legs largely yellow, claws, middle and hind femur (but apically yellow), hind tibia apically dark brown (Figs 17, 18f); metasomal tergites largely yellow, first tergite medio-basally, second tergite (but medio-basally yellow), third to sixth tergites laterally and posteriorly, seventh tergite posteriorly blackish-brown (Fig. 18e); ovipositor sheath blackish-brown (Fig. 17); wing membrane pale yellow, pterostigma and veins yellowish-brown (Fig. 18a, b).

Variation. Length of body of female 4.8-5.5 mm, of fore wing of female 3.9-4.5 mm, and of ovipositor sheath 1.8-2.0 mm; antenna with 22-26 segments; fore wing vein m-cu 1.7-2.1 × longer than vein 2-SR+M; fore wing vein cu-a interstitial or weakly postfurcal; third-seventh segments of antenna sometimes paler than of holotype.

Male. Length of body of male 3.9-4.5 mm, of fore wing of male 3.1-3.5 mm; antenna relatively longer, with 38-40 segments, uniformly black brown; head dorsally largely blackish-brown; scutellum, metanotum and propodeum uniformly blackish-brown; second metasomal tergite sometimes without blackish-brown spot; blackish-brown spots of third to sixth tergites sometimes relatively small.

Biology.

The type series has been reared from Curculio spp. ( Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Distribution.

China (Neimenggu).

Etymology.

Named after the generic name of the host ( Curculio spp.) and “voro” (Latin for “devour”).