Neoneurus clypeatus ( Foerster, 1863 )

Li, Jun, Achterberg, Cornelis van, Zheng, Minlin & Chen, Jiahua, 2020, Review of Neoneurini Bengtsson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) from China, Zoological Systematics 45 (4), pp. 281-289 : 283-285

Neoneurus clypeatus ( Foerster, 1863)

Ecclites clypeatus Foerster, 1863: 245 . Transferred to Neoneurus by Ashmead (1900).

Elasmosoma viennense Giraud, 1871: 301 .Transferred to Neoneurus by Bengtsson (1918).

Material examined. 2♂, NE China, Heilongjiang, Mudanjiang, Mudanfeng 17.VII.2011, Minlin Zheng ; 2♂, NE China, Heilongjiang, Mudanjiang, Mudanfeng 17.VII.2011, Yingying Zhao .

Description. Specimen from NE China, ♂, length of fore wing 1.7 mm, body 2.7 mm.

Head. Antennomeres 16, antenna 1.1 × as long as fore wing, 0.8 × as long as body, and 1.8 × as long as head and mesosoma combined ( Fig. 1 ). First flagellomere 1.2 × as long as second flagellomere; first and second flagellomere 3.0 and 2.6 × as long as wide, respectively; penultimate flagellomere shorter than other flagellomeres ( Fig. 2 ). In dorsal view, eye 2.8 × as long as temple; temples slightly linearly narrowed behind eyes ( Fig. 4 ); ocelli medium-sized, almost in right triangle, OOL: OD: POL = 5: 3: 7 ( Fig. 4 ); frons almost flat, largely rugulose; vertex granulate ( Fig. 3 ). Face 1.9 × wider than high, sparsely setose, granulate ( Fig. 3 ); clypeus smooth, 3.7 × wider than high, 0.6 × as wide as face, ventral margin straight ( Fig. 3 ); anterior tentorial pits large ( Fig. 3 ); malar suture shallow, narrow ( Fig. 3 ); mandibles stout, strongly twisted ( Fig. 3 ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 × as its height; side of pronotum coriaceous-punctate ( Fig. 7 ); propleuron largely smooth ( Fig. 7 ); mesopleuron largely granulate; prepectal carina completely present ( Fig. 7 ); episternal scrobe short, wide and deep ( Fig. 7 ); precoxal sulcus deep and wide, granulate ( Fig. 7 ); mesonotum densely setose, flat, granulate; notauli absent ( Fig. 6 ); scutellar sulcus smooth and deep with four crenulae ( Fig. 6 ); scutellum flat, granulate ( Fig. 6 ); metapleuron reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 5 ); propodeum reticulate-rugose ( Figs 6–7 ).

Wings. Fore wing ( Fig. 8 ): venation largely unpigmented; 1- R 1 nearly 0.4 × as long as pterostigma; vein r issued after middle of pterostigma; 1-M short, 1.2 × as long as 1-SR; cu-a oblique and longer than 1-CU1, cu-a: 1-CU1= 3: 2. Hind wing ( Fig. 8 ): venation unpigmented, M+CU: 1-M: 1r-m = 8: 5: 6.

Legs. Fore leg typical, tibia 4.0 × as long as wide, rather enlarged apically ( Fig. 9 ); fore tibial spur slightly curved, 0.8 × as long as basitarsus ( Fig. 9 ). Middle leg normal, tibia 6.5 × as long as wide; middle tibial spurs slightly curved. Hind leg modified, tibia 7.1 × as long as wide, larger apically; hind tibial outer spurs 0.4 × as long as basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite 1.1 × longer than its maximum width, apically 2.7 × wider than its minimum width, with spiracular tubercles medially, without dorsope, largely rugose ( Fig. 7 ); second and third tergite rugulose-rugose; first tergite with laterope, remaining segments smooth and shiny.

Colour. Mainly brown; apex of antenna, legs yellow; fore wing darkened, veins of wings yellowish brown; antenna, clypeus, mandible, metasoma yellowish brown; apex of mandible and ventral margin of clypeus reddish brown; face and mesosoma brown; vertex and propodeum black.

Biology. Parasitoid of adult worker ants of Formica rufa ( Tobias, 1976) .

Distribution. Eastern Palaearctic Region: China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan; Western Palaearctic Region: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iran, ltaly, Korea, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia.

Remarks. The species is recorded in China for the first time.

Figures

Figure 1. Neoneurus clypeatus (Foerster, 1863), ♂, habitus, lateral view. Scale bar=1.0mm.

Figures 2–9. Neoneurus clypeatus (Foerster, 1863), ♂. 2. Antenna. 3. Head, anterior view. 4. Head, dorsal view. 5. Mesosoma, lateral view. 6. Mesosoma, dorsal view. 7. First metasomal tergites, dorsal view. 8. Wings. 9. Fore leg. Scale bar=0.5mm.