Chelonus Panzer, 1806

Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Kees Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2022, A new subgenus of Chelonus Panzer, 1806 (Braconidae: Cheloninae) from China, Zootaxa 5115 (2), pp. 288-294 : 289

Key to subgenera of Chelonus Panzer

1 Temple strongly swollen and with three distinct ridge-like rugae........ Scabrichelonus He, Chen & van Acheterberg, 1997

- Temple hardly or not swollen and without distinct ridge-like rugae.............................................. 2

2 Metasomal carapace open ventro-apically (thus ventral opening reaching apex of carapace) and protruding apically, at least as long as combined length of head and metasoma........................................ Arichelonus Viereck, 1913

- Metasomal carapace more or less closed apically............................................................ 3

3 Metasomal carapace with one or two apical teeth............................................................ 4

- Metasomal carapace rounded dorso-apically (but minute apical tooth often present in Stylochelonus)................... 5

4 Metasomal carapace with a dorso-apical spine-like protuberance; vein SR1 of fore wing sometimes incomplete; carapace with narrow straight lamella ventrally; [apical half of antenna widened]............................ Areselonus Braet, 1999

- Metasomal carapace with two ventro-apical tooth-like protuberances; vein SR1 of fore wing complete; carapace with undulating lamella ventrally; [apical half of antenna distinctly widened and antennomeres longer than wide; antenna of female with 16 antennomeres]................................................................... Megachelonus Baker, 1926

5 Head cubical; in dorsal view interocular width slightly more than width of eye and distinctly convexly extended beyond eyes; posterior face of propodeum not separated from anterior face by a transverse rim.............. Cubochelonus Baker, 1926

- Head distinctly transverse; in dorsal view interocular width always distinctly greater than width of eye and at most slightly extended beyond eyes; posterior face of propodeum always separated from anterior face by a transverse rim............. 6

6 Third–fifth antennomeres of female 6.0–7.0 × longer than wide; frons without distinct curved lateral carina; scutellum more or less protuberant above level of mesoscutum; vein 1-M usually comparatively close to vein C+SC+R); [female with 16 antennomeres]............................................................ Baculonus Braet & van Achterberg, 2001

- Third–fifth antennomeres of female distinctly less than 5.0 × longer than wide, if about 5.0 × then frons with distinct curved lateral carina; scutellum not protruding above level of mesoscutum; vein 1-M usually more removed from vein C+SC+R.... ................................................................................................... 7

7 Frons deeply excavated posteriorly and smooth; carapace very broadly truncate apically and ventral opening slightly longer than half length of carapace, opening surrounded by a lamelliform carina................... Carinichelonus Tobias, 2000

- Frons shallowly excavated posteriorly, and more or less sculptured; carapace more or less narrowed apically and ventral opening usually distinctly longer than half length of carapace, and opening usually without a lamelliform carina.............. 8

8 Third tergite of metasomal carapace almost straightly narrowed posteriorly in dorsal view ( Fig. 2E ); apex of metasomal carapace of both sexes truncate and narrow in dorsal view ( Figs 2E , 4E ) and oblique in lateral view ( Figs 2D , 4D ); carapace of male deeply incurved (about one fourth of total length of carapace) in lateral view ( Fig. 4D )......... Mirachelonus subgen. nov.

- Third tergite of metasomal carapace hardly or not narrowed posteriorly in dorsal view; apex of metasomal carapace round posteriorly or nearly so in dorsal and lateral view; carapace of male gradually rounded in lateral view.................. 9

9 Antennomeres of female 16; carapace of male with apical opening.................................................................................................................... Microchelonus Szépligeti, 1908 s. str. Notes. Tobias (2011) introduced a new monotypic subgenus Rasnichelonus for Microchelonus elongatus Papp, 1971 , because of its elongate body, head expanding behind eyes and shallow apical aperture of male metasoma. In our opinion the differences with other species are too variable to deserve a subgeneric status.

- Antennomeres of female more than 16; carapace of male variable, usually without distinct opening................... 10

10 Antennomeres of female 30–32; carapace of male with deep apical opening; body at least 5.0 mm long................................................................................................ Parachelonus Tobias, 1995

- Antennomeres of both sexes 17–26; carapace of male variable, often closed; length of body variable.................. 11

11 Metasomal carapace of male with small apical opening, which may be filled by point-like sclerite; carapace of female usually with an apical tooth; [mesosoma at least 1.5 × longer than high]........................... Stylochelonus Hellén, 1958

- Metasomal carapace of male closed apically and without opening or point-like sclerite posteriorly; carapace of female without apical tooth.................................................................... Chelonus Panzer, 1806 s. str.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Chelonus (Mirachelonus) miraventris sp. nov., female, holotype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesoscutum, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, metasoma, dorsal aspect; F, head, anterior aspect; G, head, dorsal aspect; H, head, lateral aspect; I, hind leg, lateral aspect; J, metasoma, posterior aspect.

FIGURE 4. Chelonus (Mirachelonus) miraventris sp. nov., male, paratype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesoscutum, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, metasoma, dorsal aspect; F, head, anterior aspect; G, head, dorsal aspect; H, head, lateral aspect; I, hind leg, lateral aspect; J, metasoma, posterior aspect.