Protodacnusa helanensis, Mao, Juan, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2015

Mao, Juan, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2015, The discovery of the genus Protodacnusa Griffiths, 1964 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Alysiinae) in China, with descriptions of six new species, Zootaxa 3990 (3), pp. 355-368 : 361-363

Protodacnusa helanensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Holotype. ♀, China, Inner Mongolia, Helan mountain, 25.VII.2010, Zeng Jie, No. 201006492 ( ZJUH). Paratypes. 3♀♀, China, Inner Mongolia, Helan mountain, 28.VII.2010, Zeng Jie, Nos. 201006510, 201006517, 201006522( ZJUH). ♀, China, Inner Mongolia, Helan mountain, 4.VIII.2010, Yan Chengjin, No. 201006682( ZJUH). 3♂♂, same data as holotype, Nos. 201006486, 201006487, 201006490( ZJUH). ♂, China, Inner Mongolia, Helan mountain, 28.VII.2010, Zeng Jie, No. 201006525( ZJUH). ♂, China, Inner Mongolia, Helan mountain, 6.VIII.2010, Yan Chengjin, No. 201006456( ZJUH).

Description. Female. Body length 1.7 mm; fore wing length 1.6 mm.

Head. Antenna shorter than body, 19-segmented. First flagellar segment 3.5 × as long as its apical width, 1.1 × as long as second segment. Penultimate segment 2.6 × as long as wide. Head width 1.9 × its median length, 1.5 × as broad as mesoscutum between tegulae. Vertex smooth, with sparse setae. Frons weakly concave, smooth. Temple smooth, with sparse setae, swollen behind eyes in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 B). Transverse diameter of eye 1.0 × as long as temple in lateral view. Ocelli small, in triangle with base equal to its sides. POL: OD: OOL=3.0: 1.0: 2.5. Eye glabrous, 2.4 × as high as broad. Malar space short, 0.2 × basal width of mandible. Face smooth, with a very weak longitudinal carina antero-medially ( Fig. 3 C). Occipital carina complete absent. Mandible expanded with three distinctly developed teeth, apical width 1.4 × its basal width, upper tooth small, second tooth pointed, third tooth expanded laterally ( Fig. 3 E). Palpi shorter than height of head.

Mesosoma. Length 1.2 × as long as its height in lateral view. Pronope small. Sides of pronotum smooth. Mesoscutum mostly smooth, with sparse punctures and sparse setae. Notauli distinct, extending to anterior half of mesoscutum ( Fig. 3 H). Prescutellar depression deep, with four longitudinal carinae. Scutellum mostly smooth. Mesopleuron punctate. Precoxal sulcus absent. Metanotum with a median tooth. Metapleuron with sparse setae. Propodeum smooth, only rugose laterally, median carina absent, lateral tubercles present.

Wings. Fore wing 2.7 × as long as its maximum width. Pterostigma parallel-sided, 8.3 × as long as wide. Vein r arising from base of pterostigma, its length shorter than width of pterostigma. First discal cell of fore wing narrow, not wider than high. Vein 1-R1 very short, 0.3 × as long as pterostigma, ending well before tip of wing. Vein SR1+3-SR distally bisinuate, bent as in Fig. 3 D. Vein m-cu antefurcal. Subdiscal cell distally open, vein CU1b absent ( Fig. 3 D).

Legs. Hind coxa smooth. Hind femur 4.8 × as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia slightly longer than its tarsus in length. Hind basitarsus shorter than tarsomeres 2–3 combined.

Metasoma. First tergite subtriangular, longitudinally rugulose and convex, dorsope absent, its length 1.2 × as long as its apical width ( Fig. 3 F). Second and third tergites fused, smooth, with one row of setae along its hind margin. Remaining tergites polished, with one row of setae along their hind margin respectively. Hypopygium acute apically. Ovipositor sheath short, concealed dorsally, visible laterally ( Fig. 3 A).

Colour. Head and mesosoma black. Scape and pedicel dark brown, flagellum black. Mandible and palpi yellow. Tegula dark brown, parategula light brown. Metasoma reddish brown except first tergite black. Legs light brown, coxae dark brown, femora and tibiae brown. Wings hyaline, pterostigma and veins opaque light browngreyish.

Male. Same as the female.

Host. Unknown.

Variation. Body length 1.6–1.8 mm; antenna with 17–22 antennomeres, first flagellar segment 3–4 × as long as broad; pterostigma 7–8 × as long as wide.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to P. dimorphus sp. nov., but differs in first tergite 1.2 × broad behind, longitudinally rugulose; precoxal suture absent; mesosoma 1.2 × as long as high in lateral view; and propodeum smooth dorsally, only rugose laterally.

Distribution. China (Inner Mongolia).

Etymology. This name refers to its type locality, Helan mountain.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Protodacnusa helanensis sp. nov., ♀, holotype. A. habitus, lateral aspect; B. head, dorsal aspect; C. head, frontal aspect; D. fore wing; E. mandible, lateral aspect; F. metasoma, lateral aspect; G. mesosoma, dorsal aspect; H. mesonotum, dorsal aspect. Scale bar = 5 mm.