Blacus (Blacus) forticornis Haeselbarth, 1973

Lu, Qian-Yu, Chai, Hong-Fei, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, The first report of subgenus Blacus Nees, 1819 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) from China, Zootaxa 5471 (5), pp. 501-535 : 510-512

Blacus (Blacus) forticornis Haeselbarth, 1973

( Figs 7–8 )

Blacus forticornis Haeselbarth, 1973: 126 .

Blacus (Blacus) forticorni s: van Achterberg, 1976: 242; 1988: 65; Çetin Erdogan and Beyarslan, 2015: 965.

Material examined. 19♀♀, China, Hebei, Xiaowutai Mtn, Dongling Mtn, alt. 2100m, 21.VIII.2005, Zhang Hongying, Nos. 200608037, 200608083, 200802658; Shanjiankou , alt. 1200m, 22.VIII.2005, Zhang Hongying, Nos. 200608397, 200608489, 200608388, 200608549, 200608557, 200608502, 200608471, 200608598, 200608508, 200608647, 200608621, 200608210, 200608363, 200608566, 200608520; Jinhekou, 23.VIII.2005, Zhang Hongying, No. 200609110 ; 1♀, China, Ningxia, Jingyuan, Liupan Mtn , Wanghuanan Tree Farm, alt. 2200m, 20.VI.2008, Liu Jingxian, No. 200903100 ; 1♀, China, Taiwan, Xue Mtn , 3.VIII.2010, No. 201301054 ( ZJUH) .

Biology. Attracted to light ( Yu et al., 2016).

Distribution. China (Hebei, Ningxia, Taiwan); Czech Republic; Denmark; Hungary; Poland; Russia; Turkey; United Kingdom. New record for China.

Note. A very rarely collected species, it may occur in the Netherlands ( van Achterberg 1976). The characters are largely as described by Haeselbarth (1973), but length of first tergite 2.0–2.5 × its apical width among Chinese species, which is equal to somewhat longer than reported by Haeselbarth.

This species was reported from part of Turkey which is characterized by markedly eco-geographic continental or montane characters. A single female specimen was collected from an alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) field, with Populus sp. , Salix sp. , and Ulmus sp. around ( Çetin Erdogan and Beyarslan 2015), maybe there is some relationships between this species and these plants.

A Chinese specimen from Ningxia (No. 200903100) has slightly more slender antenna ( Fig. 8E ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Blacus forticornis Haeselbarth, 1973 (body, lateral aspect).

FIGURE 8. Blacus forticornis Haeselbarth, 1973. A. head, dorsal aspect; B. head, anterior aspect; C. antenna (typical); D. mesosoma, dorsal aspect; E. antenna (more slender); F. mesosoma, lateral aspect; G. propodeum, dorsal aspect; H. metasoma, dorsal aspect; I. hind leg; J. wings; K. ovipositor and ovipositor sheath.