Earinus protinus, Tang & Achterberg & Chen, 2018

Tang, Pu, Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2018, Review of the genus Earinus Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) from China, Zootaxa 4504 (3), pp. 345-358 : 354-357

Earinus protinus sp. nov.

Figure 6

Description. Holotype, ♀, length of body 8.1 mm, of fore wing 7.3 mm, of ovipositor sheath 6.7 mm.

Head. Antennomeres 36, length of third antennomere1.1 × fourth antennomere, length of third, fourth and penultimate antennomeres 3.8, 3.3 and 1.8 × their width, respectively; scapus swollen; maxillary palp as long as height of head; length of malar space twice × basal width of mandible; in dorsal view length of eye 2.2 × temple; POL:OD: OOL = 12:5:10; face shiny, nearly smooth with very sparse minute punctures; between antennal sockets two carinae and a short groove; frons, vertex and temple shiny with very sparse minute punctures.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.6 × its height; subpronope large and deep; pronotum shiny and largely smooth; area near lateral carina of mesoscutum smooth anteriorly and crenulate posteriorly; notauli completely absent; mesoscutum shiny with sparse fine punctures and setae, slightly depressed medio-posteriorly; scutellar sulcus short, 0.25 × as long as scutellum and with four carinae; scutellum distinctly narrowed posteriorly, sparsely finely punctate; precoxal sulcus absent; mesopleuron shiny, smooth; metapleuron nearly smooth with sparse punctures; propodeum with two medial parallel carinae from base to apex of propodeum.

Wings. Fore wing: second submarginal cell pentagonal; vein SR1 straight; r:3-SR:SR1 = 2:1:30; vein 1-SR+M entirely sclerotized. Hind wing: vein M+CU 1.2 × vein 1-M.

Legs. Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.7, 7.1 and 7.4 × their width, respectively; hind femur (as remainder of legs) with short setae; length of outer and inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 and 0.5 × middle basitarsus, respectively; outer apex of hind tibia with a cluster of 14 pegs; length of outer and inner spur of hind tibia 0.2 and 0.4 × hind basitarsus; tarsal claws with large lobe (nearly up to level of apex of claw) and apical tooth robust.

Metasoma. First tergite widened apically, slightly depressed laterally, with short dorsal carinae basally; length of first tergite 1.3 × its apical width; area of second tergite protruding medio-posteriorly; second tergite 1.1 × third tergite; metasoma shiny and smooth but basal 2/3 of first tergite faintly striate; ovipositor sheath 0.9 × as long as fore wing, widened apically.

Colour. Black; mandible black; palpi, tegulae and legs pale yellowish; hind tibia very faintly infuscate basally; apex of hind tibia and second-fifth segments of hind tarsus dark brown; hind spurs yellowish brown, similar to colour of middle of hind basitarsus; wing membrane infuscate.

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, Sichuan prov., Wolong , 2000 m, 12.VII.1993, Wang Yi-Ping, No. 2006720 ( ZAFU) ; Paratypes: 1³, Zhejiang prov., Jianfengling , 22.VII.2000, Chen Xue-Xin, No. 20032147 ( ZJUH); 1³ , Zhejiang prov., Lin’an, Tianmushan , 11.VI.1993, Zhu Ming-Jiang, No. 935163 ( ZJUH) .

Distribution. China (Sichuan, Zhejiang).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. From “protinus” (Latin for “forward”), because of the protruding area of the second tergite.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to E. aurantius van Achterberg et Long, 2010 , and E. wuyiensis Chen et Yang, 1999 , but differs by having the mandible black (yellow or brown in E. aurantius and E. wuyiensis ); area of the second tergite protruding medio-posteriorly (truncate medio-posteriorly) and the hind tibial spurs yellowish brown (dark brown). The new species is also similar to E. pallitarsus sp. n. but differs by having the scapus less swollen subbasally (swollen in E. pallitarsus ); area of the second tergite protruding medio-posteriorly (truncate medio-posteriorly) and the hind basitarsus largely dark brown (pale yellowish).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Earinus protinus sp. n. A, habitus, lateral aspect; B, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; C, mesosoma, lateral aspect; D, fore wing; E, head, dorsal aspect; F, head, lateral aspect; G, head, front aspect; H, hind femur; I, metasoma, dorsal aspect. Scale bar 5mm.