Blacus (Ganychorus) scutellatus 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 scutellatus

description: Blacus (Ganychorus) scutellatus sp. nov.
(Figs 25–26)
Material examined. Holotype: ♀, China, Yunnan, Bao Mtn, Lujiangba, Gaoligong Mtn Nature Park, 11.V.2009, Wang Manman, No. 200904570 (ZJUH). Paratype: 1♀, China, Yunnan, Bao Mtn, Lujiangba, Gaoligong Mtn Nature Park, 11.V.2009, Wang Manman, No. 200904568 (ZJUH).
Diagnosis. The new species is similar to B. (G.) hadrolophus van Achterberg, 1988 because it has robust subapical antennomeres, length of penultimate antennomere about 1.4 × its width, apical half of antenna dark brown, frons sparsely setose, precoxal sulcus narrow and crenulate medially, middle tarsal claws only setose, first discal cell widely truncate anteriorly, second tergite smooth, propodeal tubercles absent, and propodeum without areola, but differs by having 21 antennomeres (20 in B. (G.) hadrolophus), malar suture present (partly absent), notauli crenulate (nearly smooth), hind basitarsus similar to remainder of tarsus (robust compared with remainder of tarsus), length of ovipositor sheath 0.13 × length of fore wing (approx. 0.21 ×), and length of first metasomal tergite 2.7 × its apical width (2.1 ×).
Description. Female. Length of body 2.5 mm, length of fore wing 2.3 mm.
Head. Antennomeres 21 (Fig. 26C); length of first flagellomere 1.6 × length of second flagellomere; length of first, second and penultimate flagellomere 6.0, 3.1 and 1.5 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 0.9 × height of head; occipital carina complete; frons smooth and sparsely setose, frontal suture absent; OOL: OD: POL = 9: 3: 4; length of eye in dorsal view 1.4 × length of temple; face partly punctate; malar suture present, length of malar space 1.4 × basal width of mandible.
Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 × its height; side of pronotum rugose ventrally and smooth dorsally; precoxal sulcus narrow and crenulate medially (Fig. 26D); notauli rather narrow and crenulate (Fig. 26E); mesoscutal lobes evenly setose; scutellum rugose, strongly protruding dorsally; propodeal tubercles absent; surface of propodeum between carinae smooth, medial area present (Fig. 26F).
Wings. Fore wing: first discal cell widely truncate anteriorly; 1-CU1: 2-CU1 = 6: 17 (Fig. 26H).
Legs. Hind coxa with a distinct carina dorsally; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 6.25, 12.6 and 9.0 × their width, respectively; fore claws with blackish bristles; middle and hind claws simple (Figs 26G, 26J).
Metasoma. Length of first tergite 2.7 × its apical width, parallel-sided, transversely rugose between dorsal carinae (Fig. 26F); second tergite smooth; length of ovipositor sheath 0.13 × length of fore wing.
Colour. Dark brown; basal third of antenna, clypeus and mandible dark yellow; palpi and all legs (but telotarsi brown) yellow; apical half of metasoma (except first tergite), tegulae, pterostigma, parastigma and veins yellowish brown; wing membrane hyaline.
Variation. Scutellum more or less rugose.
Male. Unknown.
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
Etymology. The specific name refers to the rugose scutellum and “scutellum” is Latin for small shield.
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 231-232, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14746703