Philoctetes longiflagellis Rosa, Wei & Xu

Rosa, Paolo, Wei, Na-Sen, Notton, David & Xu, Zai-Fu, 2015, The genus Philoctetes Abeille de Perrin, 1879 from China, with description of two new species (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), Zootaxa 4040 (4), pp. 433-444 : 438-441

Philoctetes longiflagellis Rosa, Wei & Xu , sp. nov.

( Figs 3 A–3F, 4A–4F)

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Inner Mongolia, Bayan Nur (40°44'23''N 107°23'09''E), 15.VII.2008, B. Qiu & H-y. Chen ( SCAU). Paratypes: 3 ♂♂ 6 ♀♀: same locality, date and collectors as holotype ( SCAU); 1 ♂ 1 ♀: same locality and collectors as holotype, 15–26.VII.2008 ( SCAU); 1 ♀: Shanxi, Xiaoyi City (37°08'41''N 111°46'44''E), VIII.2004, J-h. He ( SCAU).

Diagnosis. Male of Philoctetes longiflagellis sp. nov. is similar to that of P. c on i f e r ( Semenov, 1932) from Russia, and P. elongatus (Semenov & Nikol'skaja, 1954) from Tajikistan, but it can be easily separated from P. conifer by metanotum slightly convex (strongly projected with raised lamella in P. conifer ), whereas it can be easily separated from P. elongatus by body with white and short setae (black and long setae in P. elongatus ), apex of T3 with deep median notch (shallow in P. elongatus ). Female of P. longiflagellis sp. nov. is close to female of P. mordvilkoi ( Semenov, 1932) , but it can be separated from the latter by large punctures clumped along notauli (smaller punctures in P. mordvilkoi ), body with erected setae (inclined in P. m o rd vi l k o i), and median notch narrowly open, <90° (widely open,> 120° in P. mordvilkoi ).

Description. Male. Holotype. Body length 3.6 mm. Fore wing length 3.3 mm. OOL = 2.0 MOD; POL = 2.7 MOD; MS = 1 MOD; relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1:2:1.6:1.5.

Head. Frons, vertex, face between eye and scapal basin with large (up to 0.75 MOD) and shallow punctures ( Figs 3 B, 3C). Punctures on occipital area smaller, with two impunctate areas close to ocelli ( Fig. 3 C). Scapal basin asetose, deep and smooth ( Fig. 3 B). Gena with large punctures, without wrinkles. Genal carina relatively sharp, not bisecting MS. Ocellar triangle isosceles, with large POL (2.7 MOD). Postocellar line indistinct.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with two rows of deep pits on anterior margin, and one row of shallow pits on posterior margin ( Fig. 3 C); medially with shallow punctures surrounded by polished area, at most micro-punctate, laterally with large and deep punctures. Mesoscutum with large and shallow punctures clumped along notauli; punctures between notauli are larger, generally more than 1 MOD ( Fig. 3 D). Notauli and parapsidal furrows complete. Mesoscutellum with irregular punctures, as large as those on mesoscutum. Metanotum slightly convex, with irregular punctures. Mesopleuron with omaulus and sharp scrobal carina; punctures with increasing diameter from alar fovea to ventral margin. Tarsal claw with four teeth.

Metasoma. T1 and T2 almost impunctate medially, with fine and spare dots on lateral margins ( Fig. 3 E). T3 with lateral margins gently curved; with punctuation distinctly double. Apex of T3 with deep median notch; median notch with narrow brown rim ( Fig. 3 F).

Colouration. Body metallic green to blue ( Fig. 3 A); metasomal terga with large dark to black areas; mesoscutum posteriorly, mesoscutellum and metanotum entirely with golden reflections. Legs metallic green, with tarsi yellowish to light brown. Antenna entirely black, sometimes scape with feeble metallic reflection.

Female. Similar to male for general habitus, punctuation and colouration ( Figs 4 A–4F). However, flagellomeres from F3 to F10 subsquare (l/w = 1), whereas F11 elongated (l/w= 2); metanotum sharply conical ( Fig. 4 D).

Distribution. China (Inner Mongolia, Shanxi).

Etymology. The name longiflagellis is derived from the Latin adjective longus (=long) and the noun flagellum, both following the same declension, plurals, in the ablative case, and the gender is masculine; longis is shorten in the root longi-, the species epithet is indeclinable. It refers to the long male antennae of this species ( Fig. 3 A).

Remarks. It is the first time that sexual dimorphism in antennal length is observed and described. A revision of the Asian Philoctetes is needed to evaluate further synonyms between males with elongated flagellomeres ( P. conifer ( Semenov, 1932) , and P. stackelbergi Semenov, 1932 ) and females with shortened or subsquare flagellomeres ( P. diakonovi ( Semenov, 1932) , P. mordvilkoi ( Semenov, 1932) , and P. pylnovi (Semenov, 1932)) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Philoctetes longiflagellis sp. nov., ♂, holotype, Inner Mongolia,. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Head, frontal view; C. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view; D. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metanotum, dorsal view; E. Metasoma, dorsal view; F. Apex of T 3, posterior view.

FIGURE 4. Philoctetes longiflagellis sp. nov., ♀, paratype, Inner Mongolia,. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Head, frontal view; C. Head, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view; D. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metanotum, dorsal view; E. Metasoma, dorsal view; F. Apex of T 3, posterior view.