Neoheterospilus (Neoheterospilus) geochangus, Belokobylskij & Ku, 2023

Belokobylskij, Sergey A. & Ku, Deokseo, 2023, New descriptions and new records of the braconid parasitoids subfamilies Doryctinae and Rhyssalinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in the fauna of South Korea, ZooKeys 1138, pp. 49-88 : 49

Neoheterospilus (Neoheterospilus) geochangus sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8

Type material.

Holotype: 1 female, Korean Peninsula, "Korea (GN), Geochang-gun, Geochang-eup, Science Museum Natural Enemy, VI.3-VI.27.2015 (Malaise Trap), Ku Deokseo" (NIBR).

Comparative diagnosis.

This new species is similar to Neoheterospilus (N.) subtropicalis Belokobylskij, 2006 (Belokobylskij, 2006) from Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam, but differs from the latter species by having the 14-segmented slender antenna with first flagellar segment 6.5 × longer than its apical width and 0.9 × as long as second segment (thick and 16-17-segmented, with first flagellar segment 4.0-4.7 × longer than its apical width and as long as second segment in N. subtropicalis ), scape long, almost 2.0 × longer than its maximum width (short, 1.3-1.5 × in N. subtropicalis ), precoxal sulcus running along almost the entire length of lower part of mesopleuron (only in anterior 1/2 in N. subtropicalis ), basolateral areas of propodeum mainly rugulose-reticulate (almost entirely smooth in N. subtropicalis ), areola of propodeum wide (narrow in N. subtropicalis ), radial vein (r) of fore wing arising from middle of pterostigma (before middle in N. subtropicalis ), second radiomedial vein (r-m) of the fore wing absent (present in N. subtropicalis ), hind tibia distinctly thickened (rather slender in N. subtropicalis ), basal area of second tergite not delineated by furrow (weakly delineated in N. subtropicalis ), median length of second tergite (with apical area) 1.3 × its basal width (almost equal in N. subtropicalis ), ovipositor sheath not widened apically (distinctly widened in N. subtropicalis ), and ovipositor sheath with sparse and long setae (with rather short and dense setae in N. subtropicalis ).

N. geochangus sp. nov. is also similar to Neoheterospilus (N.) curvicaudis (Belokobylskij, 1994) from Vietnam, but it differs from the latter by the antenna 14-segmented and with the scape not compressed and long (20-segmented, with a weakly compressed and short scape in N. curvicaudis ), penultimate segment of antenna 6.0 × longer than wide and 1.1 × longer than apical segment (4.0 × longer than wide and 0.9 × as long as the apical segment in N. curvicaudis ), precoxal sulcus running along almost the entire length of the lower part of mesopleuron (along anterior 1/2 in N. curvicaudis ), basolateral areas of propodeum mainly rugulose-reticulate (almost entirely smooth in N. curvicaudis ), second radiomedial vein (r-m) of fore wing absent (present in N. curvicaudis ), basal area of the second tergite absent (finely delineated by shallow furrow in N. curvicaudis ), second suture of metasoma smooth (crenulate in N. curvicaudis ), ovipositor sheath not widened apically (distinctly widened in N. curvicaudis ), ovipositor sheath with sparse and long setae (with rather short and dense setae in N. curvicaudis ), and pterostigma entirely pale brown (brown in N. curvicaudis ).

Description.

Female. Body length 1.7 mm; fore wing length 1.3 mm.

Head. Head width (dorsal view) 1.5 × its median length. Occiput distinctly concave. Occipital carina mediodorsally straight, without medial break. Head behind eyes (dorsal view) distinctly and roundly narrowed. Transverse diameter of eye 1.5 × longer than temple (dorsal view). POL 0.8 × Od, 0.35 × OOL. Eye 1.2 × as high as broad. Malar space 0.35 × eye height, 0.7 × basal width of mandible. Face width 1.2 × eye height and 1.5 × height of face and clypeus combined. Hypoclypeal depression transverse and oval, its width 1.2 × distance from edge of depression to eye, 0.5 × width of face. Hypostomal flange narrow. Mandible medium size. Maxillary palpi almost as long as head height.

Antenna. Antenna slender, filiform, 14-segmented, weakly shorter than body. Scape relatively long, not compressed, straight apically, with sparse white setae on inner side; length of scape almost 2.0 × its maximum width, 1.4 × longer than enlarged pedicel. First flagellar segment 6.5 × longer than its apical width, 0.9 × as long as second segment. Penultimate segment 6.0 × longer than wide, almost as long as first segment, 1.1 × longer than apical segment; the latter acuminate apically.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.9 × longer than its height. Mesoscutum 0.7 × as long as wide. Median lobe of mesoscutum almost straight anteriorly, with distinct subpointed lateral corners. Notauli distinct, rather deep, complete, and sparsely crenulate. Prescutellar depression with high median carina, smooth, 0.5 × as long as weakly convex scutellum. Precoxal sulcus distinct, mainly crenulate, running along almost entire length of lower part of mesopleuron, but its posterior part visible as narrow stripe.

Wings. Fore wing almost 3.0 × longer than wide. Metacarp 1.3 × longer than wide pterostigma. Second radiomedial vein (r-m) probably absent. First radial abscissa 0.8 × as long as width of pterostigma, ~ 0.15 × as long as second abscissa (3-SR + SR1), 0.4 × as long as trace of first radiomedial vein (2-SR). Second abscissa (3-SR + SR1) distinctly evenly curved. First abscissa of medial vein (1-SR+M) distinctly curved. Recurrent vein (m-cu) postfurcal to trace of first radiomedial vein (2-SR). Discoidal (discal) cell 1.8 × longer than wide. Nervulus (cu-a) short and weakly postfurcal, distance (1-CU1) between basal vein (1-M) and nervulus (cu-a) almost equal to nervulus (cu-a) length. Hind wing 6.0 × longer than wide. Second costal abscissa (1-SC+R) mainly absent. First abscissa of mediocubital vein (M+CU) almost as long as second abscissa (1-M). Recurrent vein (m-cu) interstitial, unsclerotised, perpendicular to mediocubital vein (1-M).

Legs. Hind femur 3.4 × longer than wide. Hind tarsus 0.9 × as long as hind tibia. Hind tibia distinctly thickened; hind tarsus thickened basally and narrowed distally. Hind basitarsus 0.4 × as long as second-fifth segments combined. Second segment of hind tarsus 0.6 × as long as basitarsus, almost as long as fifth segment (without pretarsus).

Metasoma. Metasoma 1.2 × longer than head and mesosoma combined. First tergite with weak spiracular tubercles in basal 1/3, weakly and linearly widened toward apex, its length 1.5 × apical width; apical width almost 2.0 × basal width. Basal area of second tergite not delineated by transverse furrow; apical area wide and delineated anteriorly by deep and almost straight crenulate furrow, medial length of this area 0.5 × length of remaining tergite. Median length of second tergite (with apical area) 1.3 × its basal width, approximately twice length of third tergite. Ovipositor sheath slender and not widened apically but with small ventral process in its subapical part; ~ 0.5 × as long as metasoma, 0.8 × as long as mesosoma, 0.3 × as long as fore wing. Ovipositor slender and upcurved, its apex as on figures (Fig. 7G, H ), with distinct subbasal ventral excise, its thickened apical part medium length.

Sculpture and pubescence. Head entirely (including face) smooth. Mesoscutum mainly smooth, finely coriaceous anteriorly and along notauli at short areas, with weak convergent carinae in posterior 1/2. Scutellum and mesopleuron smooth at most part. Metapleuron entirely rugulose, finely sculptured anteriorly. Basolateral areas of propodeum short and wide, mainly rugulose-reticulate; remaining part of propodeum distinctly and rather densely rugose-reticulate and partly with transverse striation; areola more or less distinctly delineated by carinae, irregular shape, wide, approximately as long as wide; petiolate area delineated; basal carina situated in basal quarter. Hind coxa and femur smooth. First metasomal tergite distinctly, relatively sparsely and distally weakly curvedly longitudinally striate, with fine reticulation between striae, dorsal carinae distinct, complete, and convergent towards posterior margin. Second tergite distinctly and densely striate, but its apical area smooth. Remaining tergites smooth. Suture between second and third tergites smooth. Vertex almost entirely with sparse long and semi-erect white setae directed forwards. Mesoscutum mainly glabrous, with long, erect, and sparse white setae arranged narrowly along notauli and marginally. Mesopleuron glabrous in most part. Hind tibia with rather short, semi-erect and sparse white setae, their length 0.5-0.8 × maximum width of tibia. Ovipositor sheath with sparse and long setae.

Colour. Head brownish yellow to yellow in lower 1/2. Mesosoma pale reddish brown, pale anteriorly. Metasoma reddish brown to yellowish brown in anterior 0.4 and reddish brown in posterior 0.6. Antennae pale brown, yellow basally. Palpi pale yellow. Legs yellow to pale yellow, coxae infuscate in basal halves. Ovipositor sheath brown. Fore wing hyaline. Pterostigma entirely pale brown.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the type locality of the new species in South Korea, Geochang town.

Distribution.

Korean Peninsula.

Figures

Figure 7. Neoheterospilus geochangus sp. nov. (female, holotype) A habitus, lateral view B head, front view C head and mesoscutum, dorsal view D antenna E head and mesosoma, lateral view F mesosoma, dorsal view G ovipositor and sheaths, lateral view H ovipositor and sheaths, dorsal view.

Figure 8. Neoheterospilus geochangus sp. nov. (female, holotype) A wings B propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view C metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view.