Blacus (Hysterobolus) niger, Lu & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2023

Lu, Qian-Yu, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2023, The discovery of the subgenus Hysterobolus Viereck, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae, Blacini, Blacus) in China, with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 5293 (3), pp. 472-498 : 486-488

Blacus (Hysterobolus) niger sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–12 )

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, China, Yunnan, Baoshan, Gaoligongshan Nature park (24º50′N, 98º46′E), 11.V.2009, Wang Manman, No. 200904572 ( ZJUH).

Description. Female. Length of body 2.35 mm, length of fore wing 2.4 mm.

Body setosity. Body with long pubescence, pubescence on mesopleuron sparse, propodeum and side of pronotum ventrally densely setose.

Head. Antennomeres 19; length of first flagellomere 1.6 × second flagellomere; length of first, second, penultimate and terminal flagellomere 4.75, 3.0, 1.5 and 3.0 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.1 × height of head; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 20:7:9; frons smooth, with a shallow longitudinal groove in upper second; eyes with short setose, sparse; length of eye in dorsal view 1.0 × temple; occiput slightly concave; face with shallow transversely rugae; temple smooth; clypeus convex, slightly punctate, smooth; width of clypeus 2.7 × its medial height; tentorial pits large, distance between pits 1.7 × distance from pit to eye; malar suture absent, length of malar space 1.8 ×basal width of mandible, mandible with long setae.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.35 × its height; side of pronotum smooth dorsally, remainder coarsely reticulate; precoxal sulcus wide, with some medium-sized striae, only one stria reaching the anterior edge of mesopleuron; notauli complete and crenulate; mesoscutal lobes rather convex, with long and soft pubescence; scutellar sulcus with distinct median carina and two weakly developed carinae ( Fig. 12D ); scutellum reticulate, its lateral carina lamelliform; propodeal tubercles small, slightly acute apically, lateral apical angle slightly less than 90°; surface of propodeum rugulose.

Wings. Fore wing: parastigma small; length of pterostigma 3.5 × its maximum width; length of vein r 1.1 × width of pterostigma; vein r arising from apical of pterostigma; 1-CU1:2-CU1 = 2:3. Hind wing: 1r-m:1-M = 4:7; M+CU slightly less than 1-M; 2-1A absent.

Legs. Hind coxa coarsely rugose dorsally, with distinct dorsal carina; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 5.55, 9.6 and 7.1 × their width, respectively; fore tarsal claws with blackish bristles.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.8 × its apical width, widened apically, longitudinally rugose, dorsal carinae distinct in basal 0.5; remainder of tergites smooth; length of ovipositor sheath 0.23 × length of fore wing.

Colour. Dark reddish-brown; dorsal head black; palpi, tegulae, ovipositor, fore and middle legs yellow; scape, clypeus reddish-brown; several basal flagellomeres yellowish-brown, gradually paler towards apex, but several subapical flagellomeres brown; mandible yellow; parastigma and base of pterostigma white; most of mesonotum black; metasomal tergite (except first) brown; ovipositor sheath, veins and pterostigma reddish-brown; hind legs coxa brown, femur and tibia blackish-brown; all apical basitarsus (basal yellow) and claws brown; wing membrane slightly infuscate.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan)

Etymology. The specific name refers to the black mesonotum and is derived from “ niger ” (Latin for black).

Notes. The new species is similar to B. (H.) fuscitibialis van Achterberg,1988 because the scutellum is coarsely rugose, the malar suture absent, the hind tibia infuscated medially, the first metasomal tergite widened apically, the face transversely rugose, and the precoxal sulcus with medium-sized striae, but differs by having the fore claw with blackish bristles (brownish), dorsal carinae distinct in basal 0.5 (0.7), length of ovipositor sheath 0.23 × length of fore wing (0.18 ×), and the mesonotum black (mesoscutum reddish-brown).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Hysterobolus niger sp. nov. (body, lateral aspect). Scale bar: 1 mm

FIGURE 12. Hysterobolus niger sp. nov. A. head, dorsal aspect; B. head, anterior aspect; C. antenna; D. mesopleuron; E. mesosoma, dorsal aspect; F. propodeum and metasoma, dorsal aspect; G. propodeum, dorsal aspect; H. wings; I. fore claw; J. ovipositor and ovipositor sheath; K. hind leg.