Skip to main content

Four new species and four newly recorded species of Omphale Haliday 1833 (Eulophidae) from China

Four new species and four newly recorded species of Omphale Haliday 1833 (Eulophidae) from China

NEWS - Researchers describe Omphale longigena, Omphale longitarsus, Omphale rectisulcus and Omphale xanthosoma as new species to science and four of their relatives (O. brevibuccata Szelényi, O. connectens Graham, O. melina Yefremova & Kriskovich and O. obscura Förster) are reported from China for the first time; and a male O. melina is reported for the first time in the world.

Omphale Haliday 1833 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Entedoninae) includes 271 species worldwide, a cosmopolitan distribution and the second largest genus in Entedoninae. To date, 203 species from the Americas and Europe are divided into 18 groups.

Prior to this study, only 11 species were known from China: O. longiventris (Ling, 1994), O. pulchra (Ling, 1994), O. gibsoni Hansson 2004, O. longiseta Hansson 1996, O. masneri Hansson 1996, O. mellea Hansson 1996, O. salicis (Haliday, 1833), O. stelteri (Boucek, 1971), O. straminea Hansson, 1996, O. sulciscuta (Thomson, 1878) and O. theana (Walker, 1839). There are no further reports of Omphale from China.

O. longigena is named for its elongated gena, distributed in Shandong and Guangdong, China. This species is similar to O. litera Jamali & Zeya 2022, but differs in that the antennal torulus is located completely below the lower margin of the eye (vs. above the lower margin of the eye in O. litera).

Scape 6.3 × equal in length and width (vs. 4.2 ×), hind legs yellow, except for dark brown tarsal claws (vs. hind legs with coxa, femur at base three-quarters and last tarsomere brown). The most reliable other characteristic to distinguish the two species is the position of the antennal torulus.

O. longitarsus gets its epithet due to its elongated tarsus and distribution in Xizang, China. This species should be included in the Aetius group and can be separated from the other species by its slender antennae, flagellomeres with a markedly reduced width from F1 to F5, F1 0.9 × longer and 1.5 × wider than F2. All legs with apical tarsomeres overhanging and elongated, almost half the length of the entire tarsus.

O. rectisulcus gets its epithet due to its straight frontal sulcus, distribution in Sichuan and Jiangxi, China. This species should be included in the huggerti group and is closest to O. aperta Hansson 2004, but differs by the almost oval cliche (vs. almost semicircular in O. aperta). Forewings with 7 admarginal setae arising from MV and membrane just below MV (vs. 6), speculum closed (vs. open below), PMV distinctly longer than STV (vs. shorter). Propodeum without median carina (vs. with median carina).

O. xanthosoma gets its epithet due to yellow body, distribution in Hainan, China. This species should be included in the obscurinotata group and is similar to O. mellea Hansson, but differs by the brown longitudinal line along the median part of the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (vs. only scutellum occasionally has a median infusate line in O. mellea).

Forewings hyaline, without infusate part (vs. hyaline, infusate close to STV). Antennae with slender flagella, F2 and F3 both almost as long as F1 (vs. more robust flagella, F2 and F3 both shorter than F1).

O. xanthosoma also appears similar to O. melina but is distinguished by a single pair of setae on the middle lobe of the mesoscutum and a narrow STV (vs. a middle lobe of the mesoscutum with two pairs of setae and an enlarged STV in O. melina).

O. xanthosoma also resembles O. ochra Hansson & Shevtsova 2012 and O. rodopiensis Yefremova, Yegorenkova & Boyadzhiev 2017, but differs by a mostly yellow and non-metallic mesoscutum, a long PMV, 1.9 × as long as the STV (vs. a mesoscutum with at least 1/2 golden green anteriorly, PMV 0.7–0.9 × as long as the STV in O. ochra and O. rodopiensis).

Original research

Li M-R, Wang J-S, Jing Z-J, Meng Q-F, Zhao H-R, Li X-P, Liu S-D, Li C-D (2024). Four new species and four newly recorded species of Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) from China, with a key to Chinese species. ZooKeys 1215: 209-234, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1215.130669

Dlium theDlium

Popular Posts

Java ruellia (Ruellia treubiana)

Java ruellia ( Ruellia treubiana ) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, herbaceous, erect, up to 35 cm tall, cylindrical and green stems, fibrous and white roots. R. treubiana has leaves sitting opposite each other with long stalks up to 1 cm. The leaves are oval, up to 6.5 cm long, up to 4 cm wide, pointed at the tip, a main vein in the middle with many small pinnate veins and flat margins. Fan-shaped flowers with five fins, bluish white, up to 3.5 cm long and up to 2.5 cm wide. This species grows on the forest floor in narrow colonies, under teak forests that tend to be shady, on the edge of puddles, on the edge of roads etc. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Acanthaceae Subfamily: Acanthoideae Tribe: Ruellieae Subtribe: Ruelliinae Genus: Ruellia Species: Ruellia treubiana

Pygmy groundcherry (Physalis minima)

Ceplukan or pygmy groundcherry ( Physalis minima ) is a plant species in the Solanaceae, a pantropical perennial herb, 50 cm high, green in color, grows in wet or semi-wet areas, the fruit is edible and has a pleasant taste, is often used as an anti-cancer, analgesic and anti-inflammatory. P. minima has an erect trunk with many branches, is square with sharp angles, 20-50 cm high, bright green and juicy. The branching produces two or three new stems and becomes the point for producing leaves and fruit. The leaves have a smooth surface, hairless, plain or serrated edges, 2.5-12 cm long, light green color and pointed tips. The stalk is long and continues to be a bone in the center of the leaf with some lateral veins. Bell-shaped flowers with five corners, cream to yellow in color with brown plots on the inside and white pistils. The fruit is yellowish green and packed in a thin covering that turns brown and falls to the ground when ripe. Pygmy groundcherry grows wild in forest edges, ...

Redflower ragleaf (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

Sintrong or ebolo or thickhead or redflower ragleaf ( Crassocephalum crepidioides ) are plant species in Asteraceae, terma height 25-100 cm, white fibrous roots, generally grow wild on the roadside, yard gardens or abandoned lands at altitude 200- 2500 m. C. crepidioides has erect or horizontal stems along the soil surface, vascular, soft, non-woody, shallow grooves, green, rough surface and short white hair, aromatic fragrance when squeezed. Petiole is spread on stems, tubular and eared. Single leaf, spread out, green, 8-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, longitudinal or round inverted eggshell with a narrow base along the stalk. Pointed tip, flat-edged or curved to pinnate, jagged rough and pointed. The top leaves are smaller and often sit. Compound flowers grow throughout the year in humps that are arranged in terminal flat panicles and androgynous. Green cuffs with orange-brown to brick-red tips, cylindrical for 13-16 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. The crown is yellow with a brownish red...