Blacus (Tarpheion) adelphius, Lu & Chai & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2024

Lu, Qian-Yu, Chai, Hong-Fei, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, Review of the subgenus Tarpheion of the genus Blacus Nees (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) from China, with description of nine new species and eight new records, Zootaxa 5406 (2), pp. 297-335 : 300-302

Blacus (Tarpheion) adelphius sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–4 )

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, China, Liaoning, Laotudingzi National Nature Reserve , 16-19.VII.2011, Chen Huayan, No. 202029592 ( ZJUH).

Description. Female. Length of body 2.2 mm, length of fore wing 2.1 mm.

Head. Antennomeres 20; length of first flagellomere 1.4 × length of second flagellomere; length of first, second and penultimate flagellomere 5.75, 3.8 and 2.0 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.1 × height of head; occipital carina completely absent; frontal suture shallow; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 17:7:8; length of eye in dorsal view 1.8 × length of temple; face smooth, densely pubescence; malar suture distinctly present, length of malar space 1.1 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.45 × its height; side of pronotum smooth dorsally, remainder with some striae ( Fig. 4F ); carinae of middle lobe of mesoscutum vertical; precoxal sulcus short, only in middle of mesopleuron and shallowly crenulate ( Fig. 4F ); notauli complete, crenulate-rugose, narrow and deep ( Fig. 4D ); mesoscutal middle lobe truncate anteriorly; scutellum smooth, its lateral carina complete, not protruding apically; surface of propodeum smooth between carinae, its medial area widened dorsally.

Wings. Fore wing: first discal cell widely truncate anteriorly; vein r vertical ( Fig. 4G ), length of vein r 1.0 × width of pterostigma; 1-CU1:2-CU1 = 1:8.

Legs. Hind coxa smooth ( Fig. 4I ); length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 5.5, 11.5 and 10.0 × their width, respectively; fore claws with some long bristles ( Fig. 4G ), middle claws with one bristle, hind claws with one bristle.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 2.3 × its apical width, slightly widened apically, smooth medio-basally, reticulate-rugose medio-apically ( Fig. 4E ); remainder tergite smooth ( Fig. 4E ); length of ovipositor sheath 0.23 × length of fore wing.

Colour. Dark brown; 4 basal antennomeres, palpi, clypeus, mandible, basally half of metasomal tergite, first and second metasomal sternites yellow; remainder of metasomal tergites and sternites, pterostigma, veins, ovipositor and its sheath yellowish-brown; tegulae yellowish-brown; parastigma whitish; bristles of fore claws blackish, one bristle of middle claws yellow, one bristle of hind claws yellow; wing membrane slightly infuscate.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Liaoning).

Etymology. The specific name adelphius refers to the similarity of the new species to B. (T.) achterbergi and is derived from “ adelphe ” (Greek for sister).

Notes. The new species is similar to B. (T.) achterbergi Haeselbarth,1976 because occipital carina is completely absent, notauli comparatively narrow, precoxal sulcus reduced, first discal cell of fore wing widely truncate anteriorly, length of first metasomal tergite approx. 2.3 × its apical width, second metasomal tergite smooth, medial area of propodeum widened dorsally, length of vein r about equal to width of pterostigma, and 1-CU1:2-CU1 ≈ 1:8, but differs by having 20 antennomeres (18–19 in B. (T.) achterbergi ), first metasomal tergite slightly widened apically and basal third largely smooth except for dorsal carinae (parallel-sided and basal third largely sculptured), head in frontal view narrowed ventrally (less narrowed), length of malar space 1.1 × basal width of mandible (distinctly less than to equal), vein 3-CU1 of fore wing strongly curved (weakly curved), hind femur widened apically (parallel-sided), and length of ovipositor sheath 0.23 × length of fore wing (0.27–0.28 ×).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Tarpheion adelphius sp. nov. (body, lateral aspect).

FIGURE 4. Tarpheion adelphius sp. nov. A. head, dorsal aspect; B. head, anterior aspect; C. antenna; D. mesosoma, dorsal aspect; E. propodeum and metasomal, dorsal aspect; F. mesosoma, lateral aspect; G. wings; H. ovipositor and ovipositor sheath; I. hind leg; J. fore claw.