Blacus (Hysterobolus) melanoapicalis Lu & Achterberg & Tang & Chen 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lu, Qian-Yu
name: Achterberg, Cornelis Van
name: Tang, Pu
name: Chen, Xue-Xin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Blacus
Blacus melanoapicalis

description: Blacus (Hysterobolus) melanoapicalis sp. nov.
(Figs. 9–10)
Material examined. Holotype: ♀, China, Zhejiang, Tianmu Mtn, Xianren Peak (30º21′N, 119º25′E), 27.VII.2011, Song Shengnan, NO. 201102181 (ZJUH). Paratypes: 49 ♀♀, China, Fujian, Wuyi Mtn, Guadun, 1.VII.1985, Huang Donghong, No. 20004198, 20003902, 20003903; 2.VII.1985, Huang Donghong, No. 20003901, 20003902, 20003903, 20003906, 20003907; 25.VII.1985, Huang Donghong, No. 20004200; Fujian, Wuyi Mtn, 20.VII.1985, Lin Naiquan, No. 968113, 968114, 968122, 968125, 968127, 968130, 968146, 968154, 968155, 968157; Fujian, Wuyi Mtn, Erliping, 2. VI.1985, Tang Yuqing, No. 20004172; Fujian, Huanggang Mtn, VI.1980, Huang Juchang, No. 20003957, 20003958, 20003959, 20004127; Zhao Jingwei, No. 20003968, 20003969, 20003971, 20003973; Zhao Xiufu, No. 20004126, 20004128; IX.1981, Huang Juchang, No. 20003960; 9. V.1982, Xu Jianfei, No. 20003780; 28.VII.1984, Huang Juchang, No. 20004129; 6.VII.1985, Chen Xinjin, No. 20004134; Liu Minghui, No. 20004132; 13.VII.1985, Huang Donghong, No. 20004096; 14.VII.1985, Huang Donghong, No. 20004097, 20004098; Tang Yuqing, No. 20004107; Zheng Geng, No. 20004102, 20004103; 1.VIII.1985, Huang Donghong, No. 20003775, 20003960, 20004092; 30.VII.1985, Chen Xinjin, No. 20004113, 20004115, 20004116, 20004118; Liu Minghui, No. 20004123; 3 ♀♀, Fujian, Fuzhou, 22.IX.1984, Wang Jiadong, No. 20004150; 8.X.1984, Wang Jiadong, No. 20004155; Jinshan Park, 16.VII.1984, Liu Changming, No. 20004217; 1 ♀, China, Zhejiang, Tianmu Mtn, 8. VI.1992, Lin Wei, No. 922874; 9 ♀♀, Zhejiang, Tianmu Mtn, Xianren Peak, 2-4. VI.1990, Lou Yonggen, No. 900905; 29.VII.1998, Zhao Mingshui, No. 993644; 30.VII.1998, Zhao Mingshui, No. 993531; 18.VIII.1999, Ma Yun, No. 997608; 25-29.VII.2011, Liu Zhen, No. 201102647; 26.VII.2011, Song Shengnan, No. 201101970; 27.VII.2011, Song Shengnan, No. 201102181; Liu Zhen, No. 201101425, 201101431 (ZJUH).
Description. Female. Length of body 2.8 mm, length of fore wing 2.75 mm.
Body setosity. Body with long setae, setosity on mesopleuron and propodeum denser.
Head. Antennomeres 19; length of first flagellomere 1.4 × second flagellomere; length of first, second, penultimate and terminal flagellomere 4.0, 2.8, 1.45 and 2.8 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.2 × height of head; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 11:4:7; frons smooth, with a shallow longitudinal groove in upper second; eyes with short setose, sparse; length of eye in dorsal view 1.2 × temple; occiput distinctly concave; face transversely rugose; temple smooth; clypeus convex, smooth, slightly punctate; width of clypeus 2.3 × its medial height; tentorial pits large, distance between pits 1.9 × distance from pit to eye; malar suture absent, length of malar space 2.75 × basal width of mandible, mandible with long setae.
Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 × its height; side of pronotum smooth dorsally, remainder coarsely reticulate; precoxal sulcus wide, with some long striae, reaching anterior edge of mesopleuron; notauli complete, wide and crenulate, with some short transversely rugae in anterior third; mesoscutal lobes rather convex; scutellar sulcus with median carina only; scutellum reticulate, its lateral carina lamelliform; propodeal tubercles small, obtuse apically, lateral apical angle almost 90°; surface of propodeum rugulose.
Wings. Fore wing: parastigma small; length of pterostigma 5.0 × its maximum width; length of vein r 1.5 × width of pterostigma; vein r arising almost from middle of pterostigma; 1-CU1:2-CU1 = 15:16. Hind wing: 1r-m:1- M = 5:7; M+CU about subequal to 1-M; 2-1A present and short, branched posteriorly.
Legs. Fore leg tibial spur large and long; hind coxa coarsely rugose dorsally, with distinct dorsal carina; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 5.7, 9.5 and 8.0 × their width, respectively; fore tarsal claws with blackish bristles.
Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.75 × its apical width, widened apically, rugose; dorsal carinae distinct in basal 0.4; remainder of tergites smooth; length of ovipositor sheath 0.15 × length of fore wing.
Colour. Reddish-brown; stemmaticum, propodeum and metasomal first tergite dark reddish-brown; palpi, labrum, mandible, tegulae, all legs yellow; clypeus yellowish-red; scapus, 5 apical flagellomeres dark brown, remainder of flagellomeres brownish; parastigma and basal of pterostigma white; side of pronotum yellowish-red, remainder reddish-brown; most mesonotum and scutellum yellowish-red, consistent with dorsal head, mesoscutum companied with reddish-brown, the reddish-brown area on middle lobe separate from each other; metasomal second tergite yellowish-brown, remainder of metasomal tergites and sternum, ovipositor and sheath, veins and pterostigma brown; all basitarsi apically brown; wing membrane slightly infuscate.
Variation. Length of first tergite 1.7–1.8 × its apical width; penultimate flagellomere 1.4–1.7 × their width; length of eye in dorsal view 1.0–1.2 × temple; length of fore wing 2.4–2.8 mm; length of ovipositor sheath 0.15– 0.18 × length of fore wing; dorsally head yellowish-red to reddish-brown, similar to mesonotum, propodeum and metasomal first tergite reddish-brown to blackish, remainder of metasomal tergites and sternum brownish to dark brown; 5 (or at most 6) apical flagellomeres dark brown.
Male. Unknown.
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. China (Zhejiang, Fujian)
Etymology. The specific name refers to the dark apical flagellomeres and is derived from “ melanos ” (Greek for black) and “ apex ” (Latin for top).
Notes. The new species is similar to B. (H.) fuscitibialis van Achterberg, 1988 because the scutellum is coarsely rugose, the malar suture absent, the first metasomal tergite widened apically, and the face transversely rugose, but differs by having the precoxal sulcus with long striae (only with a few medium-sized striae in B. fuscitibialis), the hind leg brownish (hind tibia infuscated medially), fore claw with blackish bristles (brownish), length of malar space 2.75 × basal width of mandible (2.0 ×), dorsal carinae distinct in basal 0.4 of tergite (basal 0.7), and length of ovipositor sheath 0.15 × length of fore wing (0.18 ×).
description: Published as part of Lu, Qian-Yu, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2023, The discovery of the subgenus Hysterobolus Viereck, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae, Blacini, Blacus) in China, with description of nine new species, pp. 472-498 in Zootaxa 5293 (3) on pages 483-486, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5293.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7961330