Foersteria xinjiangensis Yan & Chen

Yan, Cheng-Jin, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2013, Two genera Foersteria Szépligeti, 1896 and Polydegmon Foerster, 1862 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) from China, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3683 (2), pp. 178-184 : 179-181

Foersteria xinjiangensis Yan & Chen , sp. nov.

( Figure 1 )

Material examined. Holotype, Ƥ, China, Xinjiang Prov., Hami, V–VI.2002, Hongying Hu, No. 20036490. Paratype: 1♂, China, Xinjiang Prov., Hami, V–VI.2002, Hongying Hu, No. 20036507.

Holotype. Female, length of body 4.5 mm, of fore wing 4.2 mm.

Head. Antenna as long as fore wing, with 29 segments, third segment 0.9 times as long as fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.2, 3.6 and 1.7 times their width, respectively, subapical segments comparatively robust, submoniliform; scape punctate. Length of maxillary palp 0.6 times height of head. POL: OD: OOL=9: 6: 15. Occipital carina reduced ventrally and far removed from hypostomal carina. Frons slightly concave and largely coarsely punctate-rugose, with distinct a median carina. Length of eye in dorsal view 1.3 times temple. Vertex convex, punctate ( Figure 1 , g.). Temple subparallel-sided behind eyes, punctate ( Figure 1 , k.). Face very coarsely transversely rugose ( Figure 1 , h.). Clypeus transverse, flat, truncate apically, largely smooth and its apical rim not distinctly differentiated. Malar suture complete. Length of malar space almost equal to basal width of mandible. Mandible mainly rugose.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.3 times its height. Pronope deep, elliptical. Side of pronotum medially coarsely crenulate, ventrally and dorsally densely punctulate. Mesosternal suture rather deep, narrow and smooth ( Figure 1 , i.). Prepectal carina complete, strong. Precoxal sulcus absent. Mesopleuron largely smooth. Mesoscutum punctate. Notauli narrow, crenulate, without a medial carina posteriorly. Scutellar sulcus deep, wide, with one carina and several lateral crenulae. Scutellum convex and punctate. Surface of propodeum coarsely reticulaterugose.

Wing. Fore wing, distance from apex of marginal cell of fore wing to apex of wing 0.5 times vein 1-R1. 1-SR absent. r: 3-SR+SR1: 2-SR=9: 68: 19. 1-M smoothly curved. SR1 curved. cu-a postfurcal, oblique. 1-CU1 short. m-cu distinctly antefurcal, straight. Hind wing, 1-M: 1r-m=27: 16. M+CU: 1-M=37: 23. cu-a weakly curved and subvertical.

Legs. Hind legs of female missing. Fore coxa rugose. Tarsal claws simple, without acute lobe ventrally. Middle femur swollen, rugose ventrally, with a strongly longitudinal carina.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 0.5 times its apical width, its surface reticulate-rugose, slightly convex and dorsal carinae nearly reaching to apex of tergite. Second and third tergites densely reticulate-rugose. Epipleuron of metasomal tergites densely punctate, ventro-posterior rim of third tergite with fine striae. Medio-posterior of third tergite with transverse and longitudinal lamellate protrusions dorsally ( Figure 1 , j.).

Colour. Black. Mandible yellow, except apex black. Palpi and tegulae yellowish brown. Pronotum ventrally, propodeum, dorsal surface of metasomal tergites and tarsi dark yellowish brown. Femora, tibiae and epipleuron of metasomal tergites yellowing brown. Trochanters, fore and middle femora dark reddish brown. Pterostigma brown, veins from brown to light brown, wing membrane pale brown.

Male ( Figure 1 , a–f.). Antenna with 28 segments, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 2.6, 3.0 and 1.3 times their width, respectively. Length of maxillary palp 0.8 times height of head. POL: OD: OOL=9: 5: 13. Frons slightly concave and largely coarsely transversely striated medially, with distinct a median carina, laterally punctate-rugose. Length of eye in dorsal view 1.2 times temple. Pronope deep, nearly round. Side of pronotum medially and posteriorly coarsely crenulate, ventrally rugose, dorsally punctulate. Fore wing ( Figure 1 , c.), distance from apex of marginal cell of fore wing to apex of wing 0.4 times vein 1-R1. 1-SR absent. r: 3-SR+SR1: 2-SR=7: 48: 11. Hind coxa largely rugose-punctate. Middle femur swollen, rugose ventrally, with a strongly longitudinal carina ( Figure 1 , f.). Hind femora swollen, rugose ventrally, with a longitudinal lamellate protrusion. Length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.0, 8.3 and 4.6 times their width, respectively. Length of both hind tibial spurs 0.4 times basitarsus. Length of ovipositor sheath almost equal to fore wing, 4.7 times hind tibia. Pronotum ventrally, propodeum and dorsal surface of metasomal tergites black. Tibia and tarsi dark yellowish brown. Hind femur (except ventrally) yellowing brown.

Diagnosis. Foersteria xinjiangensis sp. nov. is similar to F. laeviuscula Szépligeti , but differs in having the face very coarsely transversely rugose (the latter coarsely punctate); second tergite densely reticulate-rugose (the latter only finely punctate) and medio-posterior of third tergite with lamellate protrusions dorsally (the latter without lamellate protrusions dorsally).

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Xinjiang Province, China.

Etymology. It is named after the type locality of the species, Xinjiang Province, China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Foersteria xinjiangensis, sp. nov. a. habitus, lateral aspect; b. mesosoma, lateral aspect; c. fore wing; d. 1 st- 3 rd abdominal tergites, dorsal aspect; e. posterior of third tergite, lateral aspect; f. hind femur and tibia, lateral aspect; g. head, dorsal aspect; h. head, frontal aspect; i. mesosoma, dorsal aspect; j. posterior of third tergite, lateral aspect; k. head, lateral aspect. a – f male; g – k female.