Hyssopus altunensis Kang & Hu 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kang, Ning
name: Hu, Hong-Ying
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eulophidae
Hyssopus
Hyssopus altunensis

description: Hyssopus altunensis Kang & Hu sp. nov.
Fig. 10 A – I
Material examined.
Holotype. • ♀, China, Xinjiang, Ruoqiang, Altun Mountain Nature Reserve, 37°18'21.9924"N, 90°20'33.2592"E, Altitude: 3907.8 m, 7.VII.2019. Coll. Ning Kang, by sweeping net. Paratypes. • 1 ♀ 1 ♂, 37°23'51.6516"N, 90°10'59.7216"E, Altitude: 3855.19 m, 7.VII.2019. Coll. Ning Kang, by sweeping.
Description.
Female. Length 2.4 mm, body and thorax dark green, with metallic reflection, gaster dark brown (Fig. 10 A), antennae brown, eyes red; coxae yellowish-brown, distal tarsus dark brown; forewing hyaline, tegula brown, venation brown.
Head in frontal view square (Fig. 10 B), 1.25 × as wide as high, scape 1.85 × as long as eyes, clypeus margin 3.25 × malar space, clypeus with long white hair; antennal insertion close to clypeus margin, below the lower ocular line; pedicel longer than each funicular, 2.34 ×, anelli short and transverse, F 1 longer, F 2 - F 4 0.88 × as long as wide, each funicular with 2 row of sensilla, clava clavate, with a strong constriction between its second and third segments, 1.95 × as long as wide. Head in lateral view (Fig. 10 G), eyes 1.55 × as height as wide, malar sulcus straight, malar space 1.65 × as long as eyes height. Head in dorsal view, 4.25 × as wide as height, POL 2.15 × OOL.
Mesoscutum not distinctly convex (Fig. 10 C), smooth with fine reticulation, pronotum large and hemisphere, covered with irregular setae, 1.3 × as long as mesoscutum; mesoscutum smooth with 2 pairs of setae, 2.85 × as wide as long, without setae; scutulum 1.25 × as long as mesoscutum, sublateral groove connected terminally, frenum smooth without reticulation, significantly shorter than propodeum; propodeum with complete median carina (Fig. 10 F), without plica and costulae, nucha short. Forewing hyaline (Fig. 10 D), 2.26 × as long as wide, marginal cell with 2–3 rows of setae, speculum not distinct.
Gaster 1.95 × as long as wide (Fig. 10 E), full oval shape, ovipositor sheath slightly protruding the end of the abdomen.
Male. Length 1.8 ± 0.1 mm (N = 5) (Fig. 10 H), antennal scape significantly expands, 1.5–1.6 × as long as wide (Fig. 10 I); F 1 with at least 2 rows of sensilla, F 2 -4 with 1 row of irregular setae; each coxa concolor with body, femur dark brown; gaster flattened and shorter than thorax.
Hosts.
Unknown.
Diagnosis.
Comparing the morphological characters of the genus Hyssopus (Schauff, 1985), the new species is similar to Hyssopus geniculatus (Hartig, 1838), but the latter has a body black, eyes black, ocellus brown, each coxa black, antennal insertion on lower ocular line, and the flagellum is widened gradually towards the end. The new species differs from Hyssopus flavgasterus by the body dark green, with blue luster, eyes dark gray, and antennal insertion below the lower ocular line.
Geographical distribution of Eunotidae, Herbertiidae, Pteromalidae and Eulophidae in the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve
The Altun Mountain region exhibits pronounced topographic and vegetative contrasts between its eastern and western sectors. The eastern foothills are characterized by gentle terrain with verdant vegetation, while the western alpine zone demonstrates rugged topography and harsher habitat conditions. We systematically examined the east-west disparity in the four families’ species diversity and community structure.
The distribution of the four families across various habitats within the Altun Mountain Nature Reserve is extensive but notably uneven. Species abundance and population density are significantly higher in the eastern part of the reserve compared to the western part, while both population numbers and species richness are lower. The eastern sector of the nature reserve exhibits higher vegetation richness and coverage compared to the western region, with a marginally elevated mean annual temperature that collectively is more favorable for species survival. Species of Eunotidae and Herbertiidae are mainly distributed in the western part of the reserve, having a typical psammophytic desert ecosystem characterized by arenaceous soil substrates (sand content> 85 %), where xerophytic leguminous shrubs constitute 22-35 % of the total vegetation cover, demonstrating significant adaptation to arid edaphic conditions. Among Pteromalidae, the subfamilies Miscogasterinae and Pteromalinae are widely distributed with substantial populations, while Eulophidae, Entedontinae and Eulophinae exhibit a similar distribution pattern. At the genus level, Selderma, Pachyneuron, Callicarolynia, Halticoptera, Neochrysocharis, Entedon, Diaulinopsis are notably prevalent throughout the reserve. The distributions of Halticoptera trinflata Huang, 1991 and Callicarolynia yixiekea Kang & Hu, 2022 were found to be clustered, with H. trinflata showing a strong association with Thermopsis alpina (Pall.) Ledeb. Additionally, we observed that sites with higher coverage of flowering vegetation had significantly greater species abundance.
description: Published as part of Kang, Ning & Hu, Hong-Ying, 2025, Biological resources of Eunotidae, Herbertiidae, Pteromalidae and Eulophidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve, China, with description of ten new species, pp. 31-54 in ZooKeys 1233 on pages 31-54, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1233.140823