Eridolius xui Reshchikov, sp. nov.

Figs 1–12

Type material. Holotype, female, CHINA: Guangdong, Huadu, Wangzishan Forest Park, 23°34'30.8"N 113°12'49.5"E, sweep net, 20.V.2006, leg. Jie Zeng, Zaifu Xu & Liqiong Weng (SCAU).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other Oriental species of the genus by the following characters: lower mandibular tooth longer than upper one (Fig. 3), malar space 0.3 × as long as basal width of mandible, face entirely black (Fig. 1), coxae, hind femur and metasoma (except yellowish posterior margins of T2– T7) reddish (Figs 5, 10, 11). This species is similar to the Palaearctic species, E. astenoctenus Kasparyan, 1984 and E. lionyx Kasparyan, 1984, but differs by longer T1 (1.6 × as long as apically broad, Fig. 7) and entirely black face and clypeus (Fig. 1).

Description. Female. Length of body 6.82 mm. Length of fore wing 5.14 mm.

Head. Flagellum with 24 flagellomeres, about as long as fore wing, its two basal flagellomeres 0.95 × as long as maximum diameter of eye; first flagellomere 5.0 × as long as wide at apex. Head not narrowed posteriorly (Fig. 2); length of gena in middle 0.84 × transverse eye diameter; cheek convex below eye; gena smooth. Face with a weak median bulge (Fig. 1), smooth and evenly covered with rather fine and sparse punctures, the average distance between punctures 3.0 × their diameter. Frons smooth, with distinct punctures that are finer and sparser than those on face. Clypeus distinctly separated from face by depression, smooth, without punctures (Fig. 1); its lower margin obtuse with a comb of setae (Fig. 3). Malar space 0.3 × as long as basal width of mandible. Upper mandibular tooth distinctly shorter than lower one (Fig. 3); mandible not swollen before base, smooth, without punctures, with defined transverse depression at base (Fig. 3). Hypostomal carina not raised behind mandibles (Fig. 6).

Mesosoma. Pronotum smooth, epomia present (Fig. 6). Mesoscutum with fine, moderately dense punctures (Fig. 8). Mesopleuron (except for speculum) with uniformly fine and moderately dense punctures (Fig. 6); speculum large, covering about 0.75 × length of mesopleuron, polished part below mesopleural pit expands to posterior corner of mesopleuron. Scutellum rather finely punctate (Fig. 6). Metapleuron smooth without punctures. Propodeum shining, rather pubescent with long, dense white setae, smooth without punctures; basal area rather short; costulae distinct; areola pentagonal, apical area 0.4 × as long as basal area and areola combined (Fig. 9). Pterostigma nearly 4.0 × as long as wide (Fig. 4). Areolet not petiolate (Fig. 4). Fore wing with cu-a postfurcal. Hind wing with cu-a intercepted below the middle. Fore claws with 7 teeth. Hind femur 4.8 × as long as wide; proportion of the length of hind tarsomeres 1 to 5: 1.9: 0.8: 0.6: 0.16: 0.6; hind claw with 5 teeth.

Metasoma. T1 1.6 × as long as apically broad with median dorsal carinae extending to 0.65 its length, the space between carinae smooth and impunctate; dorso-lateral carinae defined, up to apical 0.6 (Fig. 7). T1 (beyond spiracles) and T2 completely smooth and more or less evenly covered with distinct punctures, average distances between punctures equal to 1–2 × their diameter (Figs 11).

Color. Head black (Figs 1, 2, 6). Antenna with flagellum brown basally and reddish apically, scape yellowish (Figs 1, 5). Mandible brown, with teeth blackish-brown (Fig. 3). Mesosoma black (Figs 5, 6, 8, 9), with posterior half of scutellum yellowish-brown (Fig. 8). Tegula and suprategular edge of mesopleuron yellowish-brown (Fig. 8). Legs reddish-brown with fore and middle coxae and all trochanters yellowish-brown (Fig. 5). Metasoma reddish-brown (Figs 5, 10, 11), with anterior 3/4 of T1 black and posterior 1/4 yellowish-brown (Fig. 7).

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species named after Prof. Zaifu Xu (SCAU).

Distribution: China (Guangdong).