Chelonus (Microchelonus) melanochromus, Zhou & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2024

Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, A review of the subgenera Carinichelonus, Microchelonus, Parachelonus and Stylochelonus of the genus Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae: Cheloninae) with descriptions of twenty-one new species from China, Zootaxa 5412 (1), pp. 1-127 : 61-63

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5412.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB6DD20F-6EB7-4152-AC80-2F67EE06684B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10676072
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2B5587AD-F032-7347-FF39-6969FEB1B888
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Chelonus (Microchelonus) melanochromus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Chelonus (Microchelonus) melanochromus sp. nov.

Figs 51–54 View FIGURE 51 View FIGURE 52 View FIGURE 53 View FIGURE 54

Material examined. Holotype: female, Gaoligong Mt. , Yunnan Prov., China, 16–17.VII.2006, Jie Zeng, No. 200611340 ( ZJUH) . Paratype: 1 male, Tengchong , Yunnan Prov., China, 11–14.VII.2006, Jie Zeng, No. 200611366 .

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (M.) amurensis ( Tobias, 1986) , both species having the metasomal carapace widest after middle in dorsal view ( Figs 52E View FIGURE 52 , 54E View FIGURE 54 ), legs almost entirely black, and apical aperture of male in posterior view large, oval ( Fig. 54F View FIGURE 54 ). The two species can be separated by the following characters: temple strongly narrowed posteriorly ( Figs 52G View FIGURE 52 , 54H View FIGURE 54 ) (versus widened in C. (M.) amurensis ); lateral tubercles of propodeum weak and small ( Figs 52C View FIGURE 52 , 54C View FIGURE 54 ) (versus strongly and distinctly developed); and median process of male apical aperture horizontal and oval ( Fig. 54F View FIGURE 54 ) (versus consisting of vertical carina).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.7 mm, of fore wing 2.1 mm.

Head. Head transverse, width of head 2.7 × its dorsal length, occiput excavated; antenna slightly widened medially, antennomeres 16, length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 2.9 ×, 1.6 × their width, respectively ( Fig. 52H View FIGURE 52 ); eye in dorsal view 1.2 × as long as temple; OOL: OD: POL=20: 7: 13; temple strongly narrowed posteriorly, frons and vertex finely striate-rugose ( Fig. 52G View FIGURE 52 ); face flat, irregular punctate-rugose medially, width of face 1.7 × its height; eyes slightly converging ventrally; clypeus rather flat and dense punctulate, semicircular, 1.7 × wider than high; distance between tentorial pits 1.6 × distance between pits and eyes ( Fig. 52F View FIGURE 52 ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height, side of pronotum finely punctate, mesopleuron reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 52B View FIGURE 52 ); notauli indistinct, and its area coarsely reticulate-rugose; scutellum evenly convex, densely punctulate; scutellar suture comparatively deep and narrow, with carinae; propodeum coarsely reticulate, lateral tubercles rather weak and small ( Fig. 52C View FIGURE 52 ).

Wings. Vein r somewhat arched; marginal cell 1.1 × as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 2.7 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=14: 17: 66; SR1 straight; marginal cell 3.5 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=13: 23; 2-R1 short ( Fig. 52A View FIGURE 52 ).

Legs. Hind coxa punctate and shiny laterally; length of hind femur and tibia 3.5 × and 5.7 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.4 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of carapace 2.3 × its maximum width in dorsal view, widest after middle, apically narrowed; base of carapace striate-rugose, rugulose apically ( Fig. 52E View FIGURE 52 ); carapace in lateral view 2.7 × longer than its height, posterior height of metasoma 1.7 × its anterior height, posteriorly rounded and ventrally slightly incurved ( Fig. 52D View FIGURE 52 ).

Colour. Body black; antenna black; palpi dark brown, pterostigma dark brown; wing and its veins dark brown; legs almost entirely black but hind tibia with narrow light ring, carapace entirely black.

Male. Antennomeres 26, antenna filiform, not widened; lateral teeth of propodeum relatively strong ( Fig. 54C View FIGURE 54 ); metasomal carapace distinctly incurved in lateral view ( Fig. 54D View FIGURE 54 ); apical aperture in posterior view large, oval, 4 × wider than high and its process elliptical ( Fig. 54F View FIGURE 54 ); other characters as in female.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. Named after its black body: “ melam- ” is Greek prefix for black, dark and “ chroma ” is Greek for colour of the skin.