Parastephanellus yixiwui Tan & Achterberg & Tan & Zhou & Li 2018, sp. n.
Creators: name: Tan, Jiang-Li
name: Achterberg, Cornelis Van
name: Tan, Qing-Qing
name: Zhou, Tong
name: Li, Tao
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Stephanidae
Parastephanellus
Parastephanellus yixiwui

description: Parastephanellus yixiwui Tan & van Achterberg, sp. n.
Figs 70–91
Parastephanellus matsumotoi; Hong et al. 2011: 43 –44 (p.p.).
Type material. Holotype, ♀ (NWUX), “NW China: Shaanxi, Meixian, Taibai Mt., Haopingsi to Dadian, swept, N34.4° E107.46°, 16.vii.2017, alt. 1251 m, T. Zhou & Y-X. Wu, NWUX”. Paratypes (2 ♀+ 11 ♂): 4 ♂ (NWUX) same data as holotype; 1 ♀ + 7 ♂ (NWUX, RMNH), same data, but Jiangli Tan; 1 ♀ (NWUX) “NW China: Shaanxi, Ningshaan, Xunyangba, N33°54’ E108°55’, Malaise trap, 17.viii-3.x.2016, alt. 1481 m, Jiangli Tan, NWUX”; 1 ♀ (ZJUH), “[China:] Henan, Songxian, Mt. Baiyun, 19.vii.1996., Cai Ping, No. 972997”.
Diagnosis. Ivory streak of temple distinctly contrasting with dark brown posterior part of temple in lateral view (Fig. 80), separated from occipital carina in dorsal view (Figs 79, 89); temples moderately angulate to rather rounded in dorsal view (Figs 79, 89); frons of ♀ largely dark brown; medio-anteriorly pronotum gradually arising behind neck (Figs 70, 73); pronotum below tegulae costate (Fig. 73); posterior part of pronotum and mesoscutum low in lateral view (Fig. 70); vein 1-M of fore wing approx. 1.4 × vein m-cu and 1.3–1.5 × vein 1-SR (Fig. 72); vein 1-SR of fore wing strongly angled with vein 1-M and as long as vein 2-M+CU1 (Fig. 72); vein m-cu of fore wing approx. 1.5 × longer than vein 2-SR+M; sclerotized part of vein 2-M of fore wing surpassing level of apex of vein r; first metasomal tergite of ♀ moderately slender, 6.2–7.2 × as long as wide (Fig. 75); pygidial area of ♀ moderately emarginated apically, distinctly protruding and truncate latero-apically (Fig. 71); ovipositor sheath 1.4– 1.7 × as long as body and 2.5–2.8 × as long as fore wing.
Thanks to the large series from Taibai Mt. it became obvious that the specimens with gradually lowered anterior slope of the pronotum are a separate species because the different pronotum is combined with different venation of the fore wing and different shape of the pygidial area (see couplet 1 of the key). Runs in the key to Parastephanellus by Elliott (1928) either to P. rubripictus Elliott, 1917, or to P. polychromus Kieffer, 1916. The new species differs from P. rubripictus by having the ovipositor sheath 1.4–1.7 × as long as body (about as long as body in P. rubripictus), moderately wide and medium-sized pterostigma (long and narrow) and the coriaceousfoveolate propodeum (coarsely reticulate-rugose). It differs from P. polychromus by having the ovipositor sheath 1.4–1.7 × as long as body (about as long as body in P. polychromus), the pterostigma approx. 6 × as long as wide (8–10 x) and the frons of ♀ black (of ♀ red). The long ovipositor sheath, low posterior part of pronotum and moderately long first metasomal tergite are shared by P. mufeedae Narendran & Surashan, 2001 (Narendran & Surashan 2001) from S. India. The new species differs by having the ivory streak of the temple remaining far removed from the occipital carina in dorsal view (ivory streak ends close to occipital carina, behind middle level of carina in P. mufeedae), the frons wide, minimum width of frons approx. 2.3 × maximum width of eye in anterior view (approx. 1.7 x), and vertex behind posterior level of eyes distinctly transversely rugose (smooth).
Description. Holotype, ♀, length of body 11.8 mm, of fore wing 7.8 mm, and of ovipositor sheath 19.7 mm (Fig. 83).
Head. Antenna with 35 segments, third segment without circular sensillum ventrally, fourth segment with 6 circular sensilla; frons coarsely transversely rugose (Fig. 78); three anterior coronal teeth large and lobe-shaped (Fig. 79), both posterior ones narrow lamelliform and arcuate; vertex largely coarsely transversely rugose anteriorly, near occipital carina only medially transversely aciculate; temple convex, smooth (except some setiferous punctures) and shiny (Fig. 80), rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 79).
Mesosoma. Neck short and transversely carinate, anteriorly distinctly emarginated (Fig. 75), posteriorly with transverse groove in front of low and oblique posterior part of pronotum (Fig. 73), posterior part very finely rugulose medio-anteriorly, costate below tegula (Figs 73, 74); propleuron largely smooth and shiny except laterally; mesopleuron coriaceous and shiny (except anteriorly), medially superficially foveolate (Fig. 73), anteriorly rather densely silvery setose; scutellum with fine curved aciculae medially and foveolate laterally (Fig. 74); propodeum remotely foveolate and with wide coriaceous interspaces, posteriorly with two pairs of smooth and strongly shiny shallow depressions (Figs 74, 75); metapleuron very coarsely foveolate-reticulate and convex medially.
Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 72): pterostigma 5.8 × as long as wide and rather abruptly rounded apically; vein 1-M 1.4 × as long as vein 1-SR and as long as vein m-cu; vein cu-a distinctly antefurcal and subvertical; vein 2-SR 1.7 × as long as vein r; vein r ends near level of apex of pterostigma; basal part of pterostigma 2.4 × as long as apical part (Fig. 72); vein 1-M and vein r nearly straight; vein 1-SR 1.2 × as long as parastigmal vein; vein 3-CU1 largely nebulous and widened posteriorly, only basal 0.2 tubular (Fig. 72).
Legs. Hind coxa elongated, 3.1 × longer than wide, with large flattened cellular-granulate dorso-lateral area (Fig. 76), remainder largely coarsely rugose; hind femur coriaceous, ventrally with 2 large teeth and one smaller basal tooth (Fig. 77); hind tibia 1.2 × as long as hind femur, largely coriaceous and ventrally with oblique carinae, inner side with distinct c-shaped impression and yellowish setose, basal narrow part of hind tibia as long as widened part; ventral length of hind basitarsus 5.2 × as long as wide.
Metasoma. First tergite densely transversely striate, 6.2 × as long as its maximum width (Fig. 75), 2.4 × second tergite and 0.85 × metasoma without first tergite; second tergite basally slightly rugulose; remainder of metasoma rather shiny and very superficially coriaceous; pygidial area triangularly depressed, apically moderately circularly emarginated and latero-apically truncate and moderately protruding (Fig. 71); ovipositor sheath 1.6 × as long as body Fig. 43) and 2.53 × as long as fore wing.
Colour. Black or blackish brown; temple with ivory streak along eye widened dorsally, well differentiated and remaining far from occipital carina (Figs 70, 79, 80); middle tibia basally and narrowly apically and basal half of middle basitarsus white; remainder of tarsi, basal half of hind tibia and four basal antennal segments brown; palpi pale yellowish but basally dark brown; face, temple posteriorly, tegula, frons ventrally, fore leg largely (except tarsus and coxa), middle femur, apical half of hind tibia largely, pterostigma (except whitish base) and veins dark brown; apex of hind coxa partly ivory (Fig. 49); wing membrane slightly infuscated.
Variation. Female: length of body 11.4–17.2 mm, of fore wing 7.3–10.4 mm, and of ovipositor sheath 15.5– 28.0 mm; vein 1-M of fore wing 1.3–1.5 × vein 1-SR; first metasomal tergite of ♀ 6.2–7.2 × its maximum width; ovipositor sheath 1.4–1.7 × as long as body; wing membrane slightly to distinctly infuscated. Male (Fig. 84): similar to female but frons and face yellowish, and temple posteriorly brown to dark brown (Figs 85, 88); length of body 6.6–11.7 mm, and of fore wing 4.2–7.2 mm; length of first tergite 7.7–8.7 × its maximum width; parameres convex, long to medium-sized and densely setose (Fig. 86); pygidial process medium-sized, yellowish brown (as remainder of tergite and base of parameres: Figs 82, 86).
Distribution. China (* Henan, * Shaanxi).
Etymology. Named after one of the collectors of the holotype, the 8-year-old nephew of the first author: Yi-Xi Wu, means a rare thing is expensive.
description: Published as part of Tan, Jiang-Li, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tan, Qing-Qing, Zhou, Tong & Li, Tao, 2018, Parastephanellus Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Stephanidae) revisited, with description of two new species from China, pp. 327-349 in Zootaxa 4459 (2) on pages 342-345, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4459.2.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1458671