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Gupta, Ankita, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Pattar, Rohit, Minz, Kriti Arpana (2022): On the occurrence of a Palaearctic species of the genus Aphaereta Foerster (Braconidae, Alysiinae) and description of a new species of the genus Leiophron Nees (Braconidae, Euphorinae) from central India. Zootaxa 5209 (4): 455-462, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5209.4.4

The subgenus Arichelonus Viereck, 1913 of genus Chelonus Panzer, 1806 is newly recorded from China and five new species belonging to three different subgenera are described and illustrated from China, i.e., Chelonus (Arichelonus) allokotosus sp. nov., Chelonus (Arichelonus) kenosetrus sp. nov., Chelonus (Megachelonus) irilaminatus sp. nov., Chelonus (Megachelonus) macrodontus sp. nov., and Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus sp. nov. Keys to the currently known species of the subgenera Arichelonus, Megachelonus and Scabrichelonus are provided.

The genus Campoplex Gravenhorst, 1829 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from China is revised. Thirty-nine new species are proposed (C. absitus sp. nov., C. acarus sp. nov., C. adustantennalis sp. nov., C. angustaulacis sp. nov., C. apacicarinatus sp. nov., C. artivultus sp. nov., C. atricrus sp. nov., C. collucatus sp. nov., C. concretus sp. nov., C. confluentus sp. nov., C. cyclus sp. nov., C. densipunctatus sp. nov., C. exareola sp. nov., C. granalvus sp. nov., C. grandialphus sp. nov., C. grandicella sp. nov., C. granulosus sp. nov., C. galbipedis sp. nov., C. hei sp. nov., C. liuae sp. nov., C. lobatus sp. nov., C. longiclypeus sp. nov., C. maurotrochanter sp. nov., C. medicarinatus sp. nov., C. monochroma sp. nov., C. obtusoclypeus sp. nov., C. parassosae sp. nov., C. perpendicularis sp. nov., C. proportionis sp. nov., C. protenus sp. nov., C. plicopunctatus sp. nov., C. pseudocyclus sp. nov., C. pseudostrigatus sp. nov., C. shanxiensis sp. nov., C. strigatus sp. nov., C. taenius sp. nov., C. tanae sp. nov., C. xizangensis sp. nov., and C. xuthomelonus sp. nov.) and one species is recorded as new to Nepal (C. oriens Gupta & Maheshwary). A key to Chinese species of Campoplex is provided.

Five new species of the genus Sinophorus Förster, 1869 (Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) are described and illustrated from China: S. dioryctriae sp. nov., S. latistrigis sp. nov., S. neimengensis sp. nov., S. petilidentis sp. nov. and S. spissus sp. nov. A key to the Chinese species of Sinophorus is provided.

The genus Casinaria Holmgren, 1859 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from China is revised. Nine new species are proposed (C. albifunda sp. nov., C. artivultis sp. nov., C. exilis sp. nov., C. exiloides sp. nov., C. hei sp. nov., C. melasoma sp. nov., C. partolstoyi sp. nov., C. remota sp. nov., and C. xui sp. nov.) and two species are recorded as new to China (C. ajanta Maheshwary & Gupta and C. varuni Maheshwary & Gupta). A key to the Chinese species of Casinaria is provided.

A checklist of all confirmed species of the family Scoliidae (Hymenoptera) from China is made based on the Chinese specimens in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (RMNH, Leiden) and on additional specimens from the Chinese Academy of Insect Science (IOZ, Beijing), the Zhejiang University (ZJUH, Hangzhou), and the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSUBM, Guangzhou). The Scoliid species from China belong to one subfamily, two tribes, 11 genera and 52 species. Two species are deleted from the fauna of China: Campsomeriella ilanensis (Tsuneki, 1972) and Scolia (Discolia) quadripustulata Fabricius, 1782. One subspecies, i.e., Carinoscolia vittifrons nipponensis Uchida, 1933, status nov., is elevated to species rank. Scolia (Discolia) formosicola Betrem, 1928, status nov. and S. (D.) inouyei Okamoto, 1924 are re-instated valid species.

The euphorine braconid genus Marshiella is quite rare and enigmatic (Shaw and Marsh 2000). Shaw (1985) named this genus for two species previously included the genera Streblocera and Microctonus. Both species share the unusually heart-shaped modified, densely setose basal flagellomeres (as in Fig. 3) and are included in the tribe Townesilitini by Stigenberg et al. (2015) together with Townesilitus, Streblocera and Proclithrophorus, but the placement of the latter is controversial. Very little is known about the species of Marshiella, including their biology and diversity. They are presumed to be koinobiont endoparasitoids of adult Coleoptera; only one species, M. plumicornis (Ruthe) has been reared from a host, the anthicid beetle Notozus monceros L. They probably orient themselves to their hosts using chemical cues (Shaw and Marsh 2000). Their heart-shaped modified basal antenna are apparently modified for grasping the pronotal horn of their aggressive adult host during oviposition. Only nine species of Marshiella are currently known, two of them are from Oriental China (Yu et al. 2016).

The small chelonine tribe Adeliini is one of the derived groups with the postpectal carina absent, which is considered to be an apomorphic character for the Cheloninae. Adeliine genera generally exhibit a narrow endemism although the genus Adelius is widely distributed. Adeliini are reported from the Indian subcontinent for the first time with the description of a new genus and a new species, Carinadelius medicus Ranjith & van Achterberg gen. et sp. nov. from south India. A revised key to the genera of Adeliini is provided with the illustrations of all included genera. The genus Myriola, which was previously included under Adelius, is re-instated based on morphological characters. The New World species of the genus Paradelius are transferred to Sculptomyriola Belokobylskij: Sculptomyriola neotropicalis (Shimbori & Shaw, 2019), S. nigra (Whitfield, 1988) and S. rubra (Whitfield, 1988) are new combinations.

Fifteen parasitoids of Massicus raddei (Blessig & Solsky) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) are revised. The host is a serious pest of Quercus liaotungensis Koidz. and Q. mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb. in NE China. All the parasitoids were reared from larvae of M. raddei. Pseudocyanopterus gen. nov. raddeivorus sp. nov., a new braconid wasp is described, and Cyanopterus tricolor (Ivanov) and Eubazus (E.) pallipes are new records for the Chinese fauna. An identification key to the parasitoids of M. raddei in China is provided. Detailed photographs of the parasitoids are provided.

The family Stephanidae from India is reviewed, resulting in the description and illustration of one new species of Megischus Brullé, two new species of Foenatopus Smith and two new species of Parastephanellus Enderlein. In addition, a Chinese species Foenatopus weii Chen, van Achterberg & Xu and a range extension of Stephanus Jurine are reported from India. The male of Stephanus bidentatus van Achterberg, 2002, is newly reported with descriptions and illustrations. Keys to genera and species of Indian Stephanidae are provided along with a checklist of Stephanidae occurring in India.

The intra-specific variation of two species of Helorus Latreille (Hymenoptera, Heloridae) from NW China is studied and for the first time the sexual variation in Chinese Helorus species is described. Both sexes of Helorus antefurcalis He & Xu, 2015 (new for Shaanxi) and H. caii He & Xu, 2015 (up to now only known from one male), are described and illustrated. Helorus xinjiangensis He & Xu, [June] 2015, is a new junior synonym of H. alborzicus Izadizadeh, van Achterberg & Talebi, [April] 2015 and H. elgoni Risbec, 1950, is re-instated as valid species. A revised key to the Old World species of Helorus Latreille (except Australian region) is included.

The small braconid subfamily, Ichneutinae is one of the least studied groups within the Braconidae. Old world species of the widely distributed ichneutine genus, Paroligoneurus (unknown from the Neotropical region) is revised along with description of a new species, P. harishi Ranjith & van Achterberg sp. nov. We reinstate the genera Anaprixia Mason and Muesebeckia Mason based on the following characters; exodont mandibles and absence of spiracles in the alternate tergites (in Anaprixia) and presence of carinae on propodeum and anterior subalar depression with carina (in Muesebeckia). Five species, Paroligoneurus cosmopterygivorus (He, 2000), P. crassicornis (He, 2000), P. flavifacialis (He, 2000), P. sinensis (He, 2000) and P. songyangensis (He, 2000) were described from the Oriental part of China are transferred from Oligoneurus to Paroligoneurus. A taxonomic key to the Old world species Paroligoneurus and a provisional checklist of extant species are provided.

The parasitoid Coccygidium transcaspicum (Kokujev) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae) was reared from fall armyworm or Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in maize fields in South India (Telangana) during 2019. It is the first report of a host for C. transcaspicum and the first report of C. transcaspicum as a parasitoid of S. frugiperda across the globe. The present study contains the first report from India and the Oriental region, provides morphological identification details of C. transcaspicum and comparison notes from its closely allied species C. melleum (Roman) which is basically an Afrotropical species.

The Palaearctic species of Myiocephalus Marshall, 1898 (Braconidae, Euphorinae) are revised and a new species (M. zwakhalsi sp. n.) from Austria is described and illustrated. A key to the Palaearctic species is provided. Myiocephalus niger Fischer, 1957, is a new record for China and the Nearctic Myiocephalus laticeps (Provancher, 1886) is re-instated as valid species. A lectotype is designated for Aphidius hedini Fahringer, 1929.

The genus Spilopteron Townes, 1960 (Ichneumonidae: Acaenitinae) is reported for the first time from Vietnam. Five of the seven reported species are described as new, comprising: S. brunneum sp. nov., S. lamdongensis sp. nov., S. nigromaculatum sp. nov., S. tamdaoensis sp. nov., and S. tumidium sp. nov. In addition, two further species, S. flaviapicus Wang & Huang, 1993, and S. fuscomaculatum Wang, 1988, are recorded for the first time from the country.