Blacus (Ganychorus) aurigineus Lu, Chai, Achterberg, Tang & Chen, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lu, Qian-Yu
name: Chai, Hong-Fei
name: Achterberg, Cornelis Van
name: Tang, Pu
name: Chen, Xue-Xin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Blacus
Blacus aurigineus

description: Blacus (Ganychorus) aurigineus sp. nov.
(Figs 3–4)
Material examined. Holotype: ♀, China, Sichuan, Wolong, Nature Reserve, 21.VII.2006, Gao Zhilei, No. 200612394 (ZJUH).
Diagnosis. The new species is similar to B. (G.) kangauzi Belokobylskij, 1995 because it has a rather large body, frons with striae, wings rather infuscated, first discal cell of fore wing truncate, fore and middle claws with blackish bristles, length of ovipositor sheath approx. 0.20 × length of fore wing, propodeal tubercles absent, and propodeum without areola, but differs by having 20 antennomeres (21 antennomeres in B. (G.) kangauzi), first metasomal tergite slender and parallel-sided (robust and widened apically), length of first tergite 2.5 × its apical width (1.8–2.0 ×), second and third metasomal segments whitish (yellowish brown), notauli with longitudinal sculpture posteriorly (crenulate posteriorly), only precoxal sulcus with striae (mesopleuron entirely with long striae), propodeum smooth (rugose), second tergite with very short and weak striae basally (smooth), and body yellow (reddish brown).
Description. Female. Length of body 3.9 mm, length of fore wing 3.3 mm.
Head. Antennomeres 20 (Fig. 4C); length of first flagellomere 1.1 × length of second flagellomere; length of first, second and penultimate flagellomere 6.5, 6.4 and 1.8 × their width, respectively; maxillary palp incomplete; occipital carina complete, narrow and smooth; frons with striae and sparsely setose, frontal suture deep; OOL: OD: POL = 12: 4: 7; length of eye in dorsal view 1.1 × length of temple; face weakly rugose; malar suture present, length of malar space 2.2 × basal width of mandible.
Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum smooth dorsally, rugose ventrally; only precoxal sulcus with long striae and medially impressed; notauli wide, crenulate anteriorly and with longitudinal sculpture posteriorly, widened posteriorly (Fig. 4D); mesoscutal lobes sparsely setose; scutellum medially rugose, strongly protruding dorsally; propodeal tubercles absent; propodeum smooth, medial area absent (Fig. 4F).
Wings. Fore wing: first discal cell narrowly truncate anteriorly; 1-CU1: 2-CU1 = 7: 12 (Fig. 4G).
Legs. Hind coxa rugose dorsally; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 6.9, 12.8 and 13.75 × their width, respectively; fore and middle claws with blackish bristles (Fig. 4K), hind claws with one blackish bristle (Fig. 4J).
Metasoma. Length of first tergite 2.5 × its apical width, parallel-sided and slender, longitudinally rugose (Fig. 4H); second tergite with very short and weak striae basally, remainder smooth (Fig. 4I); length of ovipositor sheath 0.20 × length of fore wing.
Colour. Yellow; basal half of antenna yellow, subapically antennomeres pale yellow, but 2 or 3 apical antennomeres dark brown; telotarsi brown; hind femur and apical half of tibia reddish brown; pterostigma and veins brown; parastigma and basal of pterostigma whitish; wing membrane infuscated.
Male. Unknown.
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. China (Sichuan).
Etymology. The specific name refers to the dominant yellowish colour of the body; “ aurigineus ” is Latin for becoming yellow.
description: Published as part of Lu, Qian-Yu, Chai, Hong-Fei, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2025, The first review of the subgenus Ganychorus Haliday, 1835 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) in China, pp. 201-250 in Zootaxa 5575 (2) on pages 206-208, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14746703