Pholetesor flavigleba Liu & Chen

Liu, Zhen, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2016, The genus Pholetesor Mason, 1981 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from China, with descriptions of eleven new species, Zootaxa 4150 (4), pp. 351-387 : 355-357

Pholetesor flavigleba Liu & Chen , sp. n.

Figures 2 , 18

Description. Female. Body length ca. 1.7–1.8 mm, fore wing length ca. 1.9 mm.

Head. A little rounded in dorsal view, 1.7–1.8× wider than long and as wide as mesoscutum. Eye in dorsal view (1.4×) longer than temple. Temple less shiny and weakly, shallowly punctate, not constricted. Face subquadrate, 0.9 as high as wide, relatively dull, weakly bulging medially, with minute punctures, pubescent, inner margin of eyes parallel. Ocelli relatively small, distance between fore and a hind ocellus not smaller than diameter of hind ocellus, POL:OD:OOL=3.0:1.5:3.0. A sulcus reaching from hind of anterior ocellus to polished zone of vertex. Antenna 1.2× longer than body, penultimate antennomere 1.5× longer than wide.

Mesosoma. Length: breadth: height=32.5:20.0:20.5. Disc of mesonotum dull with somewhat satin-like sheen posteriorly, and fine, small punctures anteriorly, interspaces larger than diameter of punctures. Scutellar sulcus slightly curved, narrow with reduced carinae in between. Scutellum relatively polished with shallow, weak punctures all over. Postscutellum with weak emargination between its middle point and forwarding-pointing projection, phragma only slightly exposed. Propodeum shiny, relatively to highly polished, with obsolescent punctures anteriorly, posterolateral fields highly smooth and polished. Mesopleuron highly polished, its anterior half with superficial setaceous punctuation. A distinct yellow tubercle under tegula.

Legs. Spines on outer side of hind tibia scattered. Spurs of hind tibia of subequal size, inner spur 2/5× length of basitarsus, outer spur 1/3× length of basitarsus. Hind basitarsus as long as tarsal segments 2–4 combined.

Wings. Pterostigma 2.8× as long as its widest part. Vein 1-R1 (metacarp) 1.2× longer than pterostigma, 4× as long as its distance from apex of marginal cell. Vein r arising from middle of pterostigma, almost as long as width of pterostigma, vein r slightly shorter than vein 2-SR, both veins weakly angled at their meeting, vein 2-M almost half length of vein 2-SR. 1st discal cell 1.2× wider than high. 1st submarginal cell of hind wing 2.3× wider than high. Vein cu-a straight, perpendicular to vein 1-1A.

Metasoma. As long as thorax. T1 distinctly but not strongly narrowing towards apex, and almost 2× longer than hind broad, basal width 1.4× hind width, weakly concave at base, shiny, faintly uneven with small obsolescent punctures. T2 trapezoidal, straight apically, 2.5× wider than long in the middle. T3 1.5× as long as T2. Tergites after T2 relatively shiny, smooth, less pubescent. Hypopygium distinctly longer than apex of abdomen. Ovipositor sheath almost as long as hind basitarsus, relatively thin and parallel-sided.

Colour. Body black, except T1 to anterior half of T4 and hind corners of mesonotum bright yellow and propodeum somewhat yellowish. Palpi white. Tegula and spurs of hind tibia pale yellow. Antenna uneven yellowish brown. Labrum and mandible reddish yellow. Legs whitish yellow to reddish yellow, except hind of hind tibia and tarsus somewhat brownish. Wing membrane hyaline, vein 1-R1, r and 2-SR yellowish brown, pterostigma, vein C+SC+R and other alar veins pale yellow.

Variation. Specimens from Liaoning seems to be darker; T1 blackish, T2+T3 reddish yellow; and T1 more weakly rugulose.

Male. Unknown.

Host. According to the label, Lithocolletis ringoniella Mats. ( Gracilariidae ).

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, Mt. Xiaowutai , Hebei, 2005 . VIII.20, Zhang Hongying, No. 200611819. Paratypes: 1♀, West Mt. Tianmu (light trap), Linan , Zhejiang, 1998 . VII.28, Zhao Mingshui, No. 20000241; 2♀♀, Dalian, Liaoning, 1991. IX.4, Lou Juxian , Nos. 975852, 975957 ; 1♀, Lishui (light trap), Zhejiang, 1981.VIII, Zhu Kunyan , No. 815474 ; 2♀♀, Yangling, Shaanxi, 1976. VII.2, Sun Yizhi , No. 830126, ex. Lithocolletis ringoniella Mats.

Distribution. China (Hebei, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Zhejiang).

Etymology. The specific name “ flavigleba ” is Latin adjective “flavus” and noun “gleba”, referring to the distinct yellow tubercle under tegula.

Remarks. This species is similar to P. l a e t u s (Marshall), but can be distinguished from the latter by the following: phragma only slightly exposed (the latter freely exposed); apical T1 and T2 mostly smooth (the latter strongly rugose); and body markedly smaller in size than the latter.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pholetesor flavigleba Liu & Chen, sp. n. a habitus, lateral view; b propodeum and T 1 – 3, dorsal view; c fore wing; d hind wing; e mesopleuron, lateral view; f head, frontal view; g mesonotum and scutellum, dorsal view; h head, dorsal view. Scale line = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 18. Distribution map of bedelliae - group of Pholetesor species in China.: • Pholetesor artusisulcus Liu & Chen, sp. n.; ■: Pholetesor flavigleba Liu & Chen, sp. n.; Δ: Pholetesor maritimus (Wilkinson, 1941); Ŧ: Pholetesor spinadensus Liu & Chen, sp. n.; Ɨ: Pholetesor taiwanensis Liu & Chen, sp. n.; ♥: Pholetesor viminetorum (Wesmael, 1837).