Cornutorogas, Chen & Belokobylskij & Van achterberg & Whitfield, 2004

Chen, Xuexin, Belokobylskij, S. A., Van achterberg, C. & Whitfield, J. B., 2004, Cornutorogas, a new genus with four new species of the subfamily Rogadinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from the Oriental region, Journal of Natural History 38 (17), pp. 2211-2223 : 2212-2219

Cornutorogas gen. nov.

( figures 1–31 )

Type species. Cornutorogas orientalis Chen and Belokobylskij , sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Antenna with 57–64 segments; scape robust, sharply slanted apically; apical segment of antenna with spine apically; occipital carina strong and either complete, or obsolescent or weakly developed dorsally, joining hypostomal carina ventrally; eyes large, weakly emarginate at the side opposite antennal sockets; frons flat; antennal tubercles distinctly protruding; epistomal suture weak; ventral margin of clypeus concave; hypoclypeal depression present; malar suture absent; mandibles robust, wide at base, ventrally with ridge, lower tooth shorter and smaller than upper tooth; maxillary palp six-segmented; labial palp four-segmented; dorsal face of pronotum long, with protruding antero-lateral corners, with medio-basal convexity (sometimes barely convex), pronope present, but varying from shallow to deep; propleuron with postero-lateral flange large; prepectal carina strong and complete; precoxal sulcus present and at least medially crenulate; postpectal carina absent; metapleural flange large, thumb-shaped; middle lobe of mesoscutum slightly convex and higher than lateral lobes; antescutal depression distinct; large; notauli distinct, rather narrow and deep, crenulate; axilla with ‘wing-like’ lamella–axillar anterolateral lobe (at latero-posterior corner of mesoscutum near the wing base); scutellar sulcus wide and deep; scutellum small, without lateral carinae; metanotum with median carina; propodeum coarsely irregularly rugose with irregular longitudinal median carina, sometimes basally only, postero-laterally with a pair of very long horns; propodeal spiracles oval; veins 1-SR and 2-R1 of fore wing short; second submarginal cell subquadrate; 1-SRzM weakly sinuate; MzCU1 completely sclerotized; m-cu long and weakly curved, merging into 2-CU1; 3-M basally sclerotized; CU1a sclerotized at basal 0.4; CU1b present and distinctly reclivous; 3A present as a trace; 2A absent; hind wing with three hamuli; vein MzCU of hind wing shorter than vein 1-M; vein m-cu absent; vein 2-SCzR subquadrate; marginal cell parallelsided or weakly narrowed submedially; cu-a long and reclivous; legs slender; tarsal claws slender, with small basal lobe, without distinct comb; hind tibial spurs straight and setose, subequal in length; hind tibia with an apical comb of thick setae at inner side; three basal tarsal segments with a distinct thin ventral carina that has a row of dense fine setae; basal two segments of tarsus with a row of long spines at inner side of ventral carina; five metasomal tergites visible; dorsope and laterope of first tergite large and deep, dorsal carinae present on basal 0.36–0.5 or complete; first tergite near dorsope somewhat truncately protruding laterally, but not ‘wing’-like; second tergite with a distinct medio-basal area and depressed antero-laterally; second and third (and sometimes fourth) tergites with longitudinal median carina; second to fifth tergites with sharp lateral crease; fifth tergite convex, apically rounded, with distinct thin margin continuing from lateral crease, covered following tergites; all spiracles on the side of tergites; hypopygium medium-sized, less sclerotized, ventrally straight; ovipositor sheath short, slender (but apical half moderately widened) and setose, apically round and slightly widened; ovipositor slender, slightly curved downwards, without dorsal nodus.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Oriental Region ( China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia — Sumatra, Java); four species known.

Note. This new genus appears to belong to the tribe Rogadini of the subfamily Rogadinae by its possession of the following characters: eyes large, weakly emarginate at the side opposite antennal sockets; propleuron with postero-lateral flange large; prepectal carina strong and complete; precoxal sulcus present; vein m-cu of hind wing absent; tarsal claws slender, with a medium-sized basal lobe; first metasomal tergite with dorsope and laterope large and deep, dorsal carinae present; second to fourth tergites with a longitudinal median carina; all metasomal spiracles on the side of tergites; and ovipositor slender, without dorsal nodus. It appears to be most closely related to the genera Rogas Nees, 1818 , Korupia van Achterberg, 1991 and Rectivena van Achterberg, 1991 , but can be readily separated by the propodeum having a pair of long horns, axillae having an anterolateral lobe present near the wing base, malar suture absent, tarsal claw with medium-sized basal lobe, and the fifth metasomal tergite being round apically with a complete crease. This new genus is also similar to Conspinaria Schulz but differs in the propodeum possessing a pair of much longer horns, the axillae having an anterolateral lobe present near the wing base, the basal lobe of claws being medium-sized, second metasomal tergite possessing a median carina, MzCU of hind wing shorter than 1-M, and the neck of pronotum being long and with protruding antero-lateral corners.

Etymology. The genus name is derived from the Latin word ‘cornutus’ (meaning horned, because of the very distinct long horns on its propodeum) plus the generic name ‘ Rogas ’, to which it is related. Gender: masculine.

Key to species of the genus Cornutorogas nov.

1 Occipital carina strong and completely developed dorsally, lamelliform ( figures 18,

22); second hind tarsal segment ivory or white; axillar anterolateral lobes of mesonotum smaller ( figures 16, 20 ); China, Thailand and Vietnam......... 2 – Occipital carina obsolescent or weakly developed dorsally, and laterally more or

less developed but not lamelliform ( figures 26, 30 ); second hind tarsal segment dark brown; axillar anterolateral lobes of mesonotum comparatively large ( figures 24,

28); Sunda area..................... 3

2 Pronotum medio-posteriorly (in dorso-lateral view) distinctly convex ( figure 21 ), and

anteriorly with deep pronope ( figure 23 ); fifth tergite laterally coarsely punctate-rugose ( figure 15); pronotum narrower dorsally ( figures 8 , 23 ) and laterally more robust

( figure 22 ); China, Vietnam... C. orientalis Chen and Belokobylskij , sp. nov.

– Pronotum medio-posteriorly (in dorso-lateral view) rather flat ( figure 17 ), and anteriorly with indistinct pronope ( figure 19 ); fifth metasomal tergite laterally very coarsely punctate; pronotum wider dorsally ( figure 19 ) and laterally more slender ( figure 18 ); Thailand............ C. maetoi van Achterberg , sp. nov.

3 Mesosoma (except for whitish pronotum anteriorly) completely black; crests of

pronotum shorter ( figures 29, 30 ) and pronotum medio-posteriorly more narrowly convex ( figure 29 ); ivory or white ring of antenna of female consisting of about seven segments; Java .......... C. javensis van Achterberg , sp. nov.

– Mesosoma largely yellowish brown, only mesoscutum partly black; crests of pronotum longer ( figures 25, 26 ) and pronotum medio-posteriorly more widely convex ( figure 25 ); ivory or white ring of antenna of female consisting of about 13 segments; Sumatra ........... C. sumatrensis van Achterberg , sp. nov.

Cornutorogas orientalis Chen and Belokobylskij , sp. nov. ( figures 1–15 , 20–23 )

Female

Body length 5.2–6.4 mm, fore wing length 3.9–5.8 mm.

Head. Antenna with 54–64 segments; length of antenna about twice length of body and length of fore wing; scape 2.3 times as long as broad, 0.9–1.1 times as long as first flagellar segment; length of first flagellar segment 1.2–1.3 times second segment; length of first, second and penultimate flagellar segments 4.3–4.6, 3.5–3.8 and 2.0 times their widths, respectively; apical segment with spine apically; scape, pedicel and first flagellar segment without longitudinal placoid sensilla, 2nd to 26th flagellar segments with two to six placoid sensillae, 27th and following segments with 7–12 placoid sensillae; temple and vertex smooth and shiny, with remote setae; temple almost linearly narrowed behind eyes; occipital carina strongly developed; eyes large, length of eyes in dorsal view 4.0–5.6 times temple; POL:OD~0.4–0.6, OD:OOL~0.8–0.9; frons glabrous; distance between antennal sockets 0.57–0.6 times diameter of an antennal socket; face 1.25–1.30 times as broad as high, largely smooth with sparse long setae, dorso-medially or medially with some weak longitudinal rugae; clypeus 1.2–1.5 times as long as high, nearly flat and smooth with sparse long setae; distance between anterior tentorial pits 1.5–1.6 times distance between tentorial pit and inner margin of eye; length of malar space 1.4 times basal width of mandible; maxillary palp slender, third segment slightly bent and longest; labial palp with fourth segment longest; length of maxillary palp 1.7–1.8 times height of head; mandible with short ventral lamella.

Mesosoma . Length of mesosoma (without propodeal spines) 1.7 times height; dorsal face of pronotum long and rectangular; pronope deep ( figure 23 ); pronotum comparatively slender in dorsal view ( figures 8 , 23 ) and in dorso-lateral view distinctly convex medio-posteriorly ( figure 21 ); lateral portions of pronotum comparatively robust ( figure 22 ), shiny, coarsely crenulate along pronotal trough, with several longitudinal rugae ventrally, rest largely smooth; propleuron smooth; prepectus distinctly punctate; precoxal sulcus coarsely and sparsely crenulate, sometimes crenulae medially fine; mesopleuron largely smooth with moderate dense long setae, dorsally rugose-punctulate; metapleuron coarsely rugose over most of surface or in posterior one-quarter only, punctate anteriorly or largely (in anterior three-quarters); mesoscutum smooth and shiny with dense long setae; notauli posteriorly joining together to form the margins of a triangular area; scutellar sulcus with a distinct median carina; axillar anterolateral lobes comparatively short and robust ( figure 16 ); scutellum nearly flat and smooth with dense setae; length of lateral horns of propodeum equal to length of propodeum, about 0.8 times as long as first metasomal tergite; propodeum coarsely irregularly rugose-areolate, but sometimes medio-anteriorly mainly punctate; propodeal spiracles oval, 1.3–1.4 times as long as wide.

Wings. Fore wing: length of pterostigma 4.0 times as long as broad; r just greater than half as long as 3-SR; SR1 slightly more than 3 times as long as 2- SR; m-cu just over 3 times as long as 2-SRzM; second submarginal cell about 1.5 times as long as high; 1-CU1 about half as long as cu-a and cu-a at least 4 times as long as 2-CU1. Hind wing: MzCU slightly shorter than 1-M, which is in turn more than 3 times as long as 1r-m.

Legs. All legs slender; hind coxa finely punctate, nearly smooth, with dense setae; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 5.3–6.4, 10–11.5 and 8.5–12.6 times their width, respectively; hind tibial spurs 0.21–0.22 and 0.23 times as long as basitarsus.

Metasoma. Five tergites visible; first tergite 1.15–1.2 times as long as broad apically, its basal width 0.78–0.83 times as broad as apical width; length of second tergite 0.7–0.8 times as long as basal width, 1.1–1.4 times as long as third tergite; all tergites distinctly longitudinally striate with rugulosity between striae, striation on fifth tergite sometimes weak, becoming reticulate-rugose; hypopygium with sparse setae; length of ovipositor sheath 7.5–10.4 times as long as broad, 0.40–0.55 times as long as hind basitarsus, 0.09–0.14 times as long as fore wing.

Colour. Head black; antenna dark brown, 25th to 27th and 36th to 43rd flagellar segments white, basal four to nine segments yellowish or brownish yellow, scape and pedicel yellowish, but outer side with blackish or dark brown streak; palpi white; mandibles yellow, apically brown; mesosoma black, neck (pronotum and propleuron anteriorly) whitish yellow or white, metanotum, propodeum and sometimes scutellum reddish yellow or yellowish brown, propodeal horns whitish yellow; first and second or first to third metasomal tergites largely or entirely reddish yellow or reddish brown usually tinged with black medially; third or fourth to fifth tergites largely black or dark reddish brown except for third tergite basally and laterally, fourth and usually fifth tergites laterally reddish yellow; fore leg: coxa to base of femur pale yellow or white, femur largely, tibia, basal two segments of tarsus and telotarsus yellowish brown or yellow, third and fourth segments of tarsus white; middle leg: coxa to base of femur pale yellow, femur largely yellow brown, apical one-third of femur, sometimes tibia largely, basitarsus and telotarsus brown to dark brown, base of tibia and second to fourth segments of tarsus white; hind leg: coxa to femur yellowish brown or reddish brown tinged with dark brown spots, apical half to four-fifths of femur, tibia mostly, basitarsus and telotarsus dark brown; base of tibia, spurs, base of or sometimes all basitarsus and second to fourth segments of tarsus white; wing membrane subhyaline or faintly infuscate with dense brownish setae, stigma and veins brown to dark brown.

Male

Body length 4.8–5.6 mm; fore wing length 3.8–4.5 mm. Colour usually paler in general, sometimes most part of pronotum whitish yellow, brown in posterior upper corner and scutellum reddish yellow; antenna either with pale ring at 25th to 31st flagellar segments or with at least 23rd to 30th flagellar segments yellowish white (up to 26th to 34th segments), slender and longer, antenna with 52–57 segments; sometimes mesoscutum medio-posteriorly with a more or less developed short groove.

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: female, China, Guizhou province, Xishui, Changkengou , 28 September 2000, Ma Yun, No. 200 102 590 ( ZJUH) . PARATYPES: 1 male, China, Taiwan, Tao-Yuan Lalashan , 11 December 1991, L. Y. Chou ( TARI) ; 1 male, China, C. Taiwan, Wushe , 1150 m, Nantou Hsien, 14 July 1982, S. C. Lin and C. N. Lin ( RMNH) ; 1 female, China, Zhejiang Prov., Linan County, West Tianmu Mt , 16–17 September 2000, S. Belokobylskij ( ZISP) ; 1 male, Vietnam, ‘Tonkin, Hoa-Binh’ , collecting time unknown (but before 1949), A. de Cooman ( ZJUH) ; 1 male, Vietnam, prov. Ha Son Binh, Mai Chau , forest, 2 June 1990, S. Belokobylskij ( ZISP) ; 1 female, 2 males, Vietnam, prov. Ha Giang, Vi Xuyen Distr., Tay Con Linh Mt , 1400 m, 11 May 2000, Kh. D. Long ( IEBR, ZISP) ; 1 male, Vietnam, Prov. Ha Giang, Vi Xuyen Distr., Tay Con Linh Mt , 1300 m, 14 September 2000, Kh. D. Long ( IEBR) ; 1 female, Vietnam, prov. Ha Tinh, Huong Son Distr., Rao An , forest, 22 May 1998, Kh. D. Long ( IEBR) ; 2 males, Vietnam, prov. Ha Tinh, Huong Son Distr., Rao An , 1250 m, 14 May 1998, Kh. D. Long ( IEBR, ZISP) ; 1 male, Vietnam, prov. Hoa Binh, Mai Chau Distr., Pa Co , 1100 m, 22 April 2002, S. Belokobylskij ( ZISP) ; 4 females, 1 male, Vietnam, prov. Hoa Binh, Yen Thuy Distr., Lac Thinh, Cuc Phuong National Park , 2 and 5 May 2002, S. Belokobylskij ( ZISP, IEBR, ZJUH) ; 2 females, Vietnam, prov. Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong National Park , 8 May 2002, S. Belokobylskij ( ZISP) .

Figures

FIGS 1–9. Cornutorogas orientalis gen. and sp. nov., holotype. (1) Wings. (2) Head, frontal view. (3) Head, dorsal view. (4) Habitus, lateral view. (5) Mandible, frontal view. (6) Antenna, lateral view. (7) Apical three segments, lateral view. (8) Pronotum, lateral view. (9) Part of mesoscutum and scutellum, oblique-dorsal view. Scales: 2.0× scale bar (1, 4); 3.2× (2, 3); 10× (5, 7); 1.25× (6); 5.0× (8); 6.3× (9).

FIGS 16–31. (16–19) Cornutorogas maetoi sp. nov., holotype female. (20–23) C. orientalis sp. nov., paratype male, China, Taiwan, Wushe. (24–27) C. sumatrensis sp. nov., holotype female. (28–31) C. javensis sp. nov., holotype female. (16, 20, 24, 28) Detail of axillar anterolateral lobes. (17, 21, 25, 29) Pronotum, dorso-lateral aspect. (18, 22, 26, 30) Pronotum, lateral aspect. (19, 23, 27, 31) Pronotum, dorsal aspect. Scales: 0.8× scale bar (16); 1.0× (17–19, 24–31); 1.1× (20–23).