Cratocentrus tomentosus, : Steffan, 1957

Abul-Sood, Medhat I., Gadallah, Neveen S., Hossni, Mohammed T. & Delvare, Gérard, 2018, The subfamily Cratocentrinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae): reappraisal of their morphological characters and review of the West Palaearctic species, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4377 (4), pp. 490-516 : 505

Cratocentrus tomentosus (Nikol'skaya, 1952)

( Figs 49‒56 )

Lepidochalcis tomentosa Nikol'skaya, 1952: 92. Original description ♀. Iran. Cratocentrus tomentosus: Steffan, 1957: 239 ; Narendran, 1989: 211 –212.

Type material. Syntype ♀ labelled ' Gurmuk , border between Persica [= Iran] , Afghanistan and Balutshestan [= Pakistan]' [in Russian] / 11.vi.1898 Zarudni' [in Russian] ; syntype ♂ labelled ' Kucha-Liarumba , Bampur [in Russian ] / Iran South East , 06-10.v.1901 / Zarudni [in Russian] ( ZIN) .

Other material. INDIA: 'Deesa, Bombay, C.G. Nurse 1913 ‒ 139' / ' Deesa' / ' ♀ Cratocentrus tomentosus (Nik.) det Z. Bouček 1979' (1 ♀) ( NMP) .

Comment. The female from India was examined by Narendran (1989).

Diagnosis. Setation silvery on whole body ( Fig. 49 ). Frons and gena with long adpressed setation completely covering integument and mixed with few suberect setae dorsally ( Figs 50, 51 ). Teeth on vertex vestigial, appearing as low bumps (fig. 50). Antenna black, all funiculars slightly longer than wide ( Fig. 52 ). Pronotal carina vestigial, visible laterally only ( Fig. 49, 53 ). Pronotal collum with long and dense setation, still denser mesally ( Fig. 53 ). Dorsum of pronotum with 3 transverse rows of large areoles mesally having their anterior margins raised into crests ( Fig. 54 ). Mesoscutal fasciae well expanded along anterior half of notauli ( Fig. 49 ). Setation on posterior slope of axillae quite dense ( Fig. 49 ). Mid lobe of mesoscutum with large areoles posteriorly. GT5 and GT6 with well expanded and well delimited fasciae, those on GT5 widely separated ( Figs 49, 55, 56 ). Basal stripe of syntergum with two projections on hind margin ( Figs 55, 56 ). Ovipositor sheaths long, 4.35× as long as the carinate dorsal edge of syntergum ( Fig. 49 ).

Recognition. Cratrocentrus tomentosus can be separated from all other species of the genus by the presence of projections on the hind margin of the basal part of the syntergum ( Figs 49, 55, 56 ). In addition it is distinguished from all Afrotropical species by the entirely silvery setation of the body ( Fig. 49 ). The dense adpressed setation of the frons, the absence of teeth on the vertex ( Fig. 50 ), the dark antenna ( Fig. 52 ) and the long ovipositor sheaths ( Fig. 49 ) separate it from C. fastuosus .

Distribution. The species is known from South East Iran towards the border with Pakistan (type series) and from India ( Narendran 1989).

Host (s). Unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 49–56. Cratocentrus tomentosus, ♀. 49. Habitus in dorsal view. 50–51. Head in frontal and anterolateral views respectively. 52. Antenna. 53. Head and pronotum in anterodorsal view. 54. Head and mesosoma in lateral view. 55–56. Metasomalapex in dorsal and posterodorsal views respectively.