Eripnopelta Xiong, van Achterberg & Chen, 2017

Chen, Xue-Xin, 2017, A new genus of the tribe Cotesiini Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from China, Zootaxa 4324 (2), pp. 391-396 : 392

Eripnopelta Xiong, van Achterberg & Chen , gen. nov.

Figures 1–2

Type species: Eripnopelta ithyvena Xiong, van Achterberg & Chen , sp. nov. Gender: female.

Diagnosis. Flagellomeres of ♀ with sensilla placodea arranged in two ranks ( Fig. 2K ). Head nearly smooth and shiny. Pronotum narrow and laterally without dorsal groove. Mesopleuron without precoxal sulcus. Mesoscutum and scutellum densely punctate. Scutellum concave and steep posteriorly, strongly shiny and somewhat protruding over sculptured middle part of scutellum. Anterior margin of metanotum closely appressed to scutellum. Propodeum entirely sculptured and with distinct median carina. Wing subhyaline. Vein r-m of fore wing present, but minute and not pigmented, resulting in a minute and triangular second submarginal cell about as wide as surrounding veins ( Fig. 1B ). Vein 2-SR+M of fore wing medium-sized, vein r of fore wing long and vertical. Vein 1-SR pointing to vein 2-CU1 and oblique ( Fig. 1B ). Vein 1-M of hind wing about 1.5 × as long as vein M+CU. Hind coxa medium-sized, hind femur 1.6 × as long as hind coxa. T1 widened posteriorly and its basal half without a median groove, at most slightly impressed (Fig. 3A, B). T2 sculptured and with weakly differentiated and narrow triangular area medio-anteriorly ( Fig. 2D ). T3 wider than T2 and distinctly separated ( Fig. 2D ) and second metasomal suture straight. Hypopygium entirely sclerotized, without median crease and apically acute (Fig. 3C). Ovipositor sheath hardly protruding, without any modified bristles and subapically with some setae about as long as setae of metasomal tergites, ( Figs 2I , 3C, D). Body length: 2.1–2.5 mm.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Oriental).

Remarks. The new genus can be distinguished from similar genera by the setae of the ovipositor sheath (same size as setae on terminal metasomal segments), the small body size (2.0– 2.3mm), the apically widened T1 without a median groove, T2 with a pair of shallow depressions sublaterally and a triangular area medially and the straight ovipositor. It runs in the keys by Mason (1981) to the tribe Cotesiini because of the short ovipositor sheath and evenly sclerotized hypopygium, and within the Cotesiini to the genus Rasivalva Mason, 1981 , because most flagellomeres have two ranks of sensilla placodea. The new genus has the strongly shiny medio-posterior part of scutellum protruding above the middle level of the scutellum (scutellum medio-posteriorly not protruding, remaining below middle level of scutellum in Rasivalva ), T1 distinctly widened posteriorly (parallel-sided or narrowed posteriorly), vein 1-SR of fore wing oblique (subvertical), second metasomal suture straight (sinuate), and T3 wider than T2 (of similar width). The new genus belongs to the Protapanteles- group of genera (van Achterberg, 2002), including three genera or subgenera ( Protapanteles , Rasivalva , Sathon ). Sathon Mason, 1981 , can be distinguished by its shiny and sparsely setose ovipositor sheath, lack of vein r-m of fore wing and trapezoid median area of T2; Protapanteles Ashmead, 1898 , also lacks vein r-m of fore wing, has a more or less smooth propodeum without a median carina, and the pronotum laterally has both a dorsal and a ventral groove.

The new genus could be considered as an aberrant Diolcogaster Ashmead, 1900 , because it has no distinct grooves on the pronotal side and has a narrow median area on T2. However, the new genus differs by the protruding and strongly shiny medio-posterior part of scutellum (absent in Diolcogaster ), no modified setae of ovipositor sheath (often present), basal half of T1 without distinct median groove (present), T2 with posteriorly narrowed and weakly differentiated medio-basal triangular area (area usually parallel-sided and distinct), T3 wider than T 2 in dorsal view (similar width) and small triangular second submarginal cell of fore wing combined with a long vertical vein r (cell usually larger, if small than vein r shorter ).

Etymology. The name is derived from “eripne” (Greek for “cliff”) and “pelte”, (Greek for “small shield”) because of the protruding shiny posterior part of the scutellum. Gender: feminine.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eripnopelta ithyvena Xiong, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., ♀, holotype. A Habitus dorsal aspect B Wings. Scale line = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Eripnopelta ithyvena Xiong, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., ♀, holotype, except E and H of paratype. A mesosoma, lateral aspect B mesosoma, dorsal aspect C scutellum, lateral aspect D propodeum and T 1, dorsal aspect E T 1, basal part of metasoma, dorsal aspect F head, anterior aspect G head, dorsal aspect H metasoma, lateral aspect I hind leg J basal segments of antenna K apical segments of antenna.