Siobla obtusiscutellata Niu & Wei, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Niu, Gengyun
name: Wei, Meicai
name: Taeger, Andreas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Tenthredinidae
Siobla
Siobla obtusiscutellata

description: Siobla obtusiscutellata Niu & Wei, sp. nov.
(Figs 3 e, 3g, 6j, 6k, 9b, 13e, 14d, 15d, 20j–o)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5642509F-57DA-418F-B162-6101555FFDA8
Description. Holotype: Ƥ. Length, 14 mm (Figs 3 e, 6j). Body metallic blue; labrum black, palpi blackish brown; lateral of 2nd tergite with a yellowish brown spot; apical half of anterior of fore femur and venter of fore tibia and tarsus pale brown. Forewing light infuscated hyaline, cell C, stigma and veins blackish brown, hind wing hyaline. Hairs silvery.
Punctures on head dense, punctures on clypeus small and sparse, interspaces shiny, interspaces between punctures on temple shiny, nearly equal to diameter of punctures (Fig. 20 j); prescutum densely punctured; scutum sparsely punctured, interspaces larger than punctures, anterior slope of mesoscutellum sparsely punctured, interspaces large and shiny, posterior slope densely punctured; posttergite microsculptured; metescutellum moderately punctured, middle area shiny; upper half of mesepisternum densely and coarsely punctured, punctures on venter fine and sparse, interspaces shiny; mesepimeron microsculptured, posterior margin shiny, dorsum densely and coarsely punctured; punctures on metepisternum fine and shallow, interspaces shiny; middle and posterior of metepimeron shiny, dorsum densely and coarsely punctured; 1st abdominal tergite shiny, lateral sides with shallow punctures, other tergites microsculptured.
Hairs on dorsum of head and thorax straight, slightly shorter than transverse diameter of median ocellus; hairs on mesepisternum curved, as long as transverse diameter of median ocellus. Anterior margin of clypeus truncate; malar space equal to transverse diameter of median ocellus; lower interocular distance 1.1 × eye height; anterior margin of supraantennal tubercle elevated; middle fovea shallow and broad, smaller than frontal basin obviously; frontal ridge fine, interocellar furrow deep and narrow, postocellar furrow shallow and narrow; postocellar area elevated, higher than top of ocelli (Fig. 20 k), with a middle carina, about 1.2 × as broad as long; lateral furrows slightly curved outwards, divergent posteriorly; head behind eyes 0.6 × eyes in length in dorsal view, convex at base and narrowing posteriorly. Antenna subequal to abdomen and 1.3 × head and thorax combined in length. Mesoscutellum roundly elevated, higher than top of scutum (Fig. 20 l), without middle carina; posttergite with an obtuse middle carina, metascutellum without middle carina; mesepisternum without ventral spur. Apex of hind tibia distinctly enlarged; metabasitarsus 5 × as long as broad, 0.9 × length of remaining 4 tarsomeres combined; hind inner tibial spur 0.4 × length of metabasitarsus. Hind wing with petiole of anal cell equal to half length of cu- a. Ovipositor sheath 0.8 × length of middle tibia, apical sheath and basal sheath nearly equal in length; lancet as in Fig. 9 b; apical and 6th to 8th serrulae as in Fig. 13 e.
Male: Length, 12 mm (3g, 6k). Similar to female in structure and color, but malar space linear; lower interocular distance 0.7 × eye height; middle fovea deep (Fig. 20 m); postocellar area in lateral view as Fig. 20 n; mesoscutellum in lateral view as Fig. 20 o; middle of 1st abdominal tergite microsculptured; anterior of middle femur and venter of middle tibia and tarsus pale brown; subgenital plate as long as broad, genitalia as in Figs 14 d, 15d.
Variation. The females’ length ranges from 13 to 14 mm. The apical 4 antennomeres of one female are pale brown. The middle carina on the postocellar area varies from obscure to clear in the type specimens.
Etymology. The specific epithet, an adjective, refers to the obtusely elevated mesoscutellum.
Specimens examined. Holotype: Ƥ, Baiyunsi, Qingchenghoushan, Sichuan, 30º56.033´N, 103º28.428´E, alt. 1600 m, 29 June 2006, Zhong Yihai leg., CSCSHT 0 0 810040 (CSCS). Paratypes: Sichuan: 6Ƥ, Baiyunsi, Qingchenghoushan, Sichuan, 30º56.033´N, 103º28.428´E, alt. 1600 m, 29 June 2006, Zhou Hu, Zhong Yihai leg.; 8Ƥ 13, Mt. Wawu, Hongya, Sichuan, 29º39.907´N, 102º56.457´E, alt. 1920 m, 5 July 2009, Wei Meicai, Li Zejian leg.; 1Ƥ, Qin[g]chen[g]–Fushan, 1200–1600 m, nr. Chendu, Sichuan, 6–8. VII. 1992, T. Niisata (NSMT).
Distribution. China (Sichuan).
Remarks. The new species is similar to S. brevipilosa. See above key for differences between the two species. It is also similar to S. metallica, but differs by the following: the interspaces between punctures on temple nearly equal to diameter of punctures; mesoscutum sparsely punctured; mesoscutellum strongly elevated, anterior slope sparsely punctured, shiny, posttergite with an obviously middle longitudinal carina; serrulae flat. In S. metallica: the interspaces between punctures on temple obviously shorter than diameter of punctures; mesoscutum densely punctured; mesoscutellum weakly elevated, anterior slope densely punctured, posttergite without middle carina; serrulae protruding.
description: Published as part of Niu, Gengyun, Wei, Meicai & Taeger, Andreas, 2012, Revision of the Siobla metallica group (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), pp. 1-49 in Zootaxa 3196 on pages 15-16, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.280105