Chelonus (Microchelonus) staurorhytis Zhou & Achterberg & Tang & Chen 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhou, Jin-Jin
name: Achterberg, Cornelis Van
name: Tang, Pu
name: Chen, Xue-Xin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Chelonus
Chelonus staurorhytis

description: Chelonus (Microchelonus) staurorhytis sp. nov.
Figs 77–80
Material examined. Holotype: female, Baishanzu, Zhejiang Prov., China, 20.VII.2003, Hong Wu, No. 946956 (ZJUH). Paratypes: 1 male, Nanling, Guangdong Prov., China, 23.VII.2003, Zaifu Xu, No. 20047714; 1 female, Longxi Mt., Fujian Prov., China, 16.VII.1991, Changming Liu, No. 20006982.
Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (M.) bullatus sp. nov. (Fig. 15) considering the distinctly incurved metasoma, narrowed temples and carapace with yellowish band in basal 1/3, but the two species can be separated by the following characters: posterior excavation of head very deep (> 35%) (Figs 78G, 80H) (versus less deep (25–35%) in C. (M.) bullatus (Fig. 16H)); pterostigma 1.9 × longer than wide (Figs 78A, 80A) (versus 3.1 × (Fig. 16A)); metasoma in posterior view without convexity (versus with a plug-like convexity (Fig. 16F)).
Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.1 mm, of fore wing 2.3 mm.
Head. Head transverse, width of head 3.2 × its dorsal length; occiput deeply excavated; antenna slightly widened medially; antennomeres 16, length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 3.5 × and 1.0 × their width, respectively; eye 1.0 × as long as temple in dorsal view; OOL: OD: POL=22: 6: 13; temples narrowed posteriorly; frons and vertex very finely striate-rugose (Fig. 78G); face flat, longitudinally punctate-rugose; clypeus evenly convex, transversely striate-rugulose; face 1.9 × wider than high; eyes about parallel (Fig. 78F).
Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum and mesopleuron moderately reticulate-rugose, ventrally densely setose (Fig. 78B); scutellum reticulate-rugose; scutellar suture comparatively deep, narrow, with carinae; propodeum coarsely rugose, lateral tubercles very small and weak (Fig. 78C).
Wings. Vein r straight; marginal cell 0.8 × as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 3.1 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=12: 13: 48; SR1 straight; marginal cell 2.0 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=11: 27; 2-R1 indistinct (Fig. 78A).
Legs. Hind coxa punctate laterally; length of hind femur and tibia 3.5 × and 3.7 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.4 × hind basitarsus.
Metasoma. Length of carapace 2.1 × its maximum width in dorsal view, widest at middle, apically rounded; base of carapace striate-rugose, up to middle, posteriorly rugose-striate (Fig. 78E); carapace in lateral view 2.6 × longer than high, posteriorly rounded, posterior height of metasoma 1.6 × its anterior height (Fig. 78D); apex of metasomal carapace distinctly incurved and ventral opening of carapace 0.7 × as long as carapace.
Colour. Body black; antenna bicoloured, 3 rd –8 th antennomeres yellow and remainder of antenna brown, palpi light brown; pterostigma light brown; middle of wing and its veins medium dark brown, but vein 1-M and parastigma light yellowish; legs almost entirely yellowish brown but apex of hind femur and hind coxa dark brown, hind tibia with rather long light base; carapace with yellowish band in basal 1/3.
Male. Antennomeres 22, antenna filiform, not widened medially (Fig. 80I); temple parallel-sided behind eyes (Fig. 80H); metasomal carapace narrowed to apex in dorsal view (Fig. 80E) and apically longer dorsally than ventrally (Fig. 80D); apical aperture in posterior view medium-sized, nearly round and median process of aperture horizontal and oval (Fig. 80F); other characters as in female.
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. China (Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang).
Etymology. Named after the transversely striate-rugulose clypeus of this species: “ stauros ” is Greek for crosswise, “ rhytis ” is Greek for wrinkle.
description: Published as part of Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, A review of the subgenera Carinichelonus, Microchelonus, Parachelonus and Stylochelonus of the genus Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae: Cheloninae) with descriptions of twenty-one new species from China, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 5412 (1) on pages 84-86, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5412.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10675974