Euurobracon disparalis, Li, Yang, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2016

Li, Yang, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2016, The genus Euurobracon Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) in China, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4132 (3), pp. 383-392 : 387-388

Euurobracon disparalis sp. nov.

( Figs 2 . a–i)

Holotype: Length of body 19.5 mm, fore wing 16.5 mm, ovipositor 19.0 mm.

Head. Antennae with 64 flagellomeres, terminal flagellomere 1.5× longer than wide basally, first flagellomere 1.3 and 1.6× longer than second and third respectively, the latter being approximately as long as wide maximally. Inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 33: 18. Clypeus smooth, shiny and glabrous, and clypeal guard hairs forming a single row. Face with sparse and long setae laterally but with the raised triangular area immediately above the clypeus and the adjacent depressed areas ventrally, glabrous ( Fig. 2 h). Head widest across eyes ( Fig. 2 g). Shortest distance between eyes: width of head = 14: 25. Length of head behind eye: horizontal length of eye = 0.83: 1. Frons densely setose immediately behind the antennal sockets except for the vicinity of the mid-longitudinal sulcus. POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 15: 12: 40.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma approximately 1.67× longer than high ( Fig. 2 e). Mesosoma shiny and glabrous, with sparsely setae on basal half becoming longer setae distally, and sometimes more densely laterally. Mesoscutum strongly convex at middle, and notauli only impressed at the front part of the mesoscutum. Propodeum sparsely or densely setose ( Fig. 2 d).

Wing. Fore wing: vein SR1: 3-SR: r = 85: 64: 12; vein 1-SR+M slightly curved near middle, and approximately as long as 1-M ( Fig. 2 b); vein m-cu straight, 2.21× longer than 2-SR+M; vein 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 42: 85: 43; vein 3-CU1 usually strongly or slightly expanded along its posterior third. Hind wing: vein 2-SC+R transverse and strongly reclivous; vein 1r-m 1.40× longer than SC+R1.

Leg. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 15: 17: 21. Antero-lateral aspect of fore tibia densely and evenly covered with thick setae. Fore basitarsus 4.5× longer than maximally wide Length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 68: 106: 43. Hind basitarsus 7.82× longer than wide.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.0–1.14× longer than wide, often with a mid-longitudinal depression extending posteriorly behind the level of the dorsal carinae ( Fig. 2 i). Second metasomal tergite 1.84× wider than long, usually with a pair of well-developed or less obvious pits medially on either side of the midline, but without transverse median groove ( Fig. 2 i). Second metasomal suture rather shallow but distinct and complete. Third metasomal tergite with antero-lateral areas, the posteriorly-diverging antero-lateral grooves often only defined medially; virtually without a transverse median depression. Fourth and fifth metasomal tergites completely glabrous. Ovipositor 1.15× length of the fore wing.

Color. Body yellow brown, metasomal tergites sometimes rather reddish brown. Antennae and ovipositor sheath black. Legs ferruginous, hind tarsi rather black. Wing membrane yellow patterned distally with grey brown and brown.

Variation. Females: Length of body 15.0– 20.5 mm, fore wing 12.5–17.0 mm, ovipositor 15.5–23.0 mm. Length of head behind eye: horizontal length of eye = 0.69–0.77: 1. Mesosoma approximately 1.67–1.71× longer than high. Some specimens with propodeum densely setose while others with propodeum sparsely setose. Length fore wing vein SR1: 3-SR: r = 85: 74: 12; vein 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = (42: 104: 51)–(42: 87: 40). Hind wing vein 1r-m 1.39–1.43× longer than SC+R1. Some specimens with grey or grey-brown region at the apex of hind wing extending along the postero-distal margin of the wing as a gradually narrowing margin, while others with this region extending along the posterior margin and expanding separately into both near middle and the base. Second metasomal tergite 1.67–1.93× wider than long. Ovipositor 1.12–1.32× length of the fore wing.

Specimens examined. Holotype, ♀, Huayang, Sichuan, 1938. IV. 17, collector unknown, No. 419 (ZJUH). Paratypes: 1♀, Changxing sian, Zhejiang, 1984. V. 1, Yuan Ronglan, No. 940520 (ZJUH); 1♀, Changshan, Zhejiang, 1954. III, Agricultural Research Institute of East China, No. 5 438.50 (ZJUH); 2♀♀, Jigongshan, Henan, 1997. VII. 12, Chen Xuexin, Nos. 973921, 973958 (ZJUH).

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Henan, Sichuan, Zhejiang).

Etymology. From Latin “ disparalis ” meaning for disparate, referring to the variable grey or grey-brown region of hind wing.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to Euurobracon cephalotes cephalotes ( Smith, 1858) , but can be separated from the latter by characters listed below: length of head behind eye: horizontal length of eye = 0.69–0.87: 1 (the latter 0.9–1.1: 1); second metasomal tergite usually with a pair of well-developed or less obvious pits medially on either side of the midline ( Fig. 2 i) (the latter without a transverse median depression or submedial pits); and ovipositor relatively short, only 1.12 –1.32× length fore wing ( Fig. 2 a) (the latter longer,1.7 to 2.0× longer than fore wing).

Figures

FIGURE 2 Euurobracon disparalis sp. nov.: a. body, lateral view; b. fore wing; c. hind wing; d. metanotum and propodeum, dorsal view; e. metanotum and propodeum, lateral view; f. head, frontal view; g. head, dorsal view; h. metasomal tergites, dorsal view; i. first and second metasomal tergites, dorsal view. Scar bar 500 µm.