Chelonus (Microchelonus) erugatus 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 erugatus

description: Chelonus (Microchelonus) erugatus sp. nov.
Figs 29–32
Material examined. Holotype: female, Nalati Grassland, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China, 19–20. VII.2005, Hongying Zhang, No. 200602754 (ZJUH). Paratypes: 1 male, Tianlu Lake, Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China, 25.VII.1991, Junhua He, No. 920162; 11 females, same label data as holotype, but Nos. 200602734, 200602743, 200602743, 200602714, 200602706, 200602848, 200602762, 200602712, 200602713, 200602760, 200602750; 2 females, same label data as holotyp, but Deying Ma, 24. VI.1997 and Nos. 20037181, 20037154; 1 male, same label data as holotype, but Min Shi, and No. 200602659; 2 males, Changbai Mt., Jilin Prov., China, 4–20. VIII.1993, Juxian Lou, Nos. 976445, 951977.
Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (M.) microphtalmus Wesmael, 1838, sharing the metasoma narrowed towards apex and straight striae at basal 70% of metasoma (Fig. 30E), and temple widened behind eyes (Fig. 30G), but the two species can be separated by the following characters: head 3.5 × wider than long (Fig. 30G) (versus 1.8–1.95 × in C. (M.) microphtalmus); antenna of female slightly longer than head and mesosoma combined (Fig. 30J) (versus as long as body); tubercles distinct and strong (Fig. 30C) (versus small and weak).
Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.2 mm, of fore wing 2.6 mm.
Head. Head transverse, width of head 3.5 × its dorsal length; occiput deeply excavated; antennomeres 16, antenna slightly widened medially, length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 2.2 × and 1.4 × their width, respectively (Fig. 30J); eye 1.2 × longer than temple in dorsal view; OOL: OD: POL=15: 5: 15; temple widened behind eyes; vertex and frons striate-rugulose, shiny (Fig. 30G); face flat and shiny, transverse-longitudinally striate-rugose, width of face 1.7 × its height; eyes about parallel; clypeus densely punctulate, apical margin slightly sinuate, interspaces shiny, clypeus 1.7 × wider than high; distance between tentorial pits 1.4 × distance between pits and eyes (Fig. 30F).
Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum and mesopleuron completely punctate (Fig. 30B); notauli slightly developed, anterior part of mesoscutum dense punctulate and posterior part coarsely reticulate-rugose; scutellum slightly convex, smooth medially, rugose laterally; scutellar suture comparatively deep, with carinae; propodeum coarsely rugose, lateral tubercles weak and small (Fig. 30C).
Wings. Vein r straight; marginal cell 0.9 × as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 3.4 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=10: 13: 51; SR1 slightly sinuate; marginal cell 1.8 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=10: 31; 2-R1 short (Fig. 30A).
Legs. Hind coxa punctate laterally, densely setose, shiny; hind femur rather robust, length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 2.5 ×, 4.0 × and 5.8 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.
Metasoma. Length of carapace 2.0 × its maximum width, narrowed towards apex; carapace striate-rugose up to basal 70%, punctate apically (Fig. 30E); carapace in lateral view 2.6 × longer than high, maximum height moderate, posterior height of metasoma 1.3 × its anterior height (Fig. 30D); carapace slightly incurved apically.
Colour. Body black;antennomeres brown; mandible yellow, tip dark; palpi black; pterostigma brown; parastigma dark brown; middle of wing and its veins dark brown, wing base and its veins light yellowish; legs entirely black; carapace entirely black.
Male. Antennomeres 19, antenna filiform, not widened medially (Fig. 32I); eyes slightly diverging (Fig. 32G); metasomal carapace widest at middle in dorsal view (Fig. 32E); apical aperture in posterior view medium-sized, oval and median process of aperture horizontal, nearly round (Fig. 32F); other characters as in female.
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. China (Jilin, Xinjiang).
Etymology. Named after its smooth scutellum: “ erugo ” is Latin for clear of wrinkles, smooth.
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 39-43, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5412.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10675974