Alysia erecta Sohn & van Achterberg, 2023

Sohn, Ju-Hyeong, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Kim, Hyojoong, 2023, A new species and two new records of the genus Alysia Latreille (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae) from South Korea, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 95, pp. 45-58 : 45

Alysia erecta Sohn & van Achterberg sp. nov.

Fig. 1A-L

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (NIBR), South Korea, Dodae-ri, buk-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, 37°56'11.8"N, 127°28'50.2"E, 05.Ⅳ.2018, Sohn. GenBank accession no. OP391515.

Comparative diagnosis.

The new species is recognizable by its comparatively short ovipositor sheath (setose part 0.6 times longer than mesosoma versus 1.0-1.7 times in other S Korean species), the short first flagellomere (2.5 times longer than wide versus 3.0-4.5 times) and robust mandible (1.2 times longer than wide versus 1.4-1.7 times). The new species runs in the key by Zhu et al. (2018) to A. hebeiensis Zhu & van Achterberg, 2018 and differs from this species by having the first flagellomere less slender (2.5 times versus 3.8-4.0 times in A. hebeiensis ) and the first metasomal tergite shorter (1.1 times longer than its apical length versus 1.2-1.7 times).

The new species runs in the key by Belokobylskij (1998) to A. masneri Wharton, 1988 based on the colour of the clypeus, but to A. vladik Belokobylskij, 1998 if only morphological characters are used. The new species differs from A. masneri by the robust first tergite (1.1 times longer than its apical width versus 1.6 times in A. masneri ), the shorter antenna (0.9 times as long as body versus distinctly longer than body) and the shorter ovipositor sheath (0.6 times as long as mesosoma versus 0.9 times). The new species differs from A. vladik by having the first flagellomere less slender (2.5 times versus 4.0 times in A. vladik ), the hind femur less slender (3.9 times versus 4.3 times), the first metasomal tergite shorter (1.1 times longer than its apical width versus 1.2-1.3 times), the clypeus black (similar to colour of face versus yellowish, contrasting with black face).

According to the key by Wharton (1986) the new species belongs to his Alysia tipulae group of the subgenus Anarcha Anarcha Foerster. It runs in the key by Wharton (1988) to A. umbrata Stelfox, 1941 and differs by having the mandible less slender (1.2 times versus 1.6-1.7 times in A. umbrata ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 3.1 mm in lateral view, length of antenna 3.0 mm and of fore wing 3.6 mm.

Colour: Body (Fig. 1A ) black, first tergite and mesonotum entirely reddish brown; antenna dark brown; mandible pale yellow; leg yellowish brown basally, tarsus brown.

Head (Fig. 1D ): Width of head 1.9 times its median length in dorsal view. Antenna 0.9 times longer than body, 31 segmented. First flagellomere 1.3 times longer than second and 2.5 times longer than wide. Compounded eye slightly oval, in lateral view 1.6 times as long as wide. Minimum width of face (Fig. 1E ) 1.6 times its height (measured from ventral rim of antennal sockets to upper margin of clypeus); face setose, wrinkled and rather mat. Eye in dorsal view 1.4 times as long as temple. Frons nearly entirely glabrous. Ocello-ocular line (OOL) 4.1 times longer than diameter of anterior ocellus; OOL: antero-posterior ocellar line (AOL): postero-ocellar line (POL) = 24: 7: 10. Stemmaticum with deep and long median groove. Vertex smooth and with sparse setae. Mandible 1.2 times longer than wide, with three teeth; first tooth curved, with distinct incision between first and second tooth; second tooth reddish brown, narrow and sculptured; second tooth 1.5 times longer than first tooth. Maxillary palp pale yellow and 0.4 times longer than mesosoma.

Mesosoma: In dorsal view mesosoma 1.9 times longer than wide, 1.4 times longer than wide in lateral view. Mesoscutum (Fig. 1G ) with oval medio-posterior depression and with setae; notauli impressed anteriorly, not reaching medio-posterior depression; anterior mesosoma crenulated; scutellar sulcus with two carinae; in lateral view, apical part of mesopleuron and metapleuron with long setae. metanotum sculptured. Propodeum (Fig. 1G ) entirely wrinkled, 0.4 times longer than wide in maximum length; precoxal sulcus (Fig. 1F ) deep and distinct, occupying entire length of mesopleuron; propodeum curved dorsally in lateral view. Fore wing (Fig. 1C ) 2.3 times as long as wide in maximum length; pterostigma 3.9 times as long as wide; vein r of fore wing 2.6 times longer than wide and issued from distal third of pterostigma; vein 2-SR slightly bent; vein 3-SR 1.1 times longer than vein 2-SR; vein 2-SR+M and r-m not sclerotized; 2-SR: r: 3-SR = 28: 5: 25; first discal cell of fore wing approx. 0.8 times longer than wide in median length; first subdiscal cell of fore wing approx. 3.4 times as long as wide in median length. Hind wing vein M+CU: vein 1r-m = 9: 7.

Leg: Hind coxa reddish brown apically, compressed and 1.1 times longer than hind trochanter; hind femur brownish yellow, 3.9 times as long as wide and 0.7 times longer than hind tibia; hind tibia as long as hind tarsus.

Metasoma: First tergite (Fig. 1H ) striate, 1.1 times longer than its apical width and blackish. Setose part of ovipositor sheath (Fig. 1I ) 0.6 times as long as mesosoma and 0.5 times as long as hind tibia. Ovipositor without subapical dorsal notch (Fig. 1I ).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

South Korea.

Etymology.

Named after the erect setae on the flagellomeres: " erecta " is Latin for erect.

Figures

Figure 1. A-L Alysia erecta sp. nov., ♀ A habitus, lateral view B antennae C wings D head, dorsal view E head, front view F mesosoma, dorsal view G mesosoma, lateral view H anterior half of metasoma, dorsal view I ovipositor sheath, lateral view J basal part of antenna K, L mandible.