﻿Ophiclypeus, a new genus of Cardiochilinae Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from the Oriental region with descriptions of three new species

﻿Abstract A new genus of the braconid subfamily Cardiochilinae, Ophiclypeusgen. nov., is described and illustrated based on three new species: O.chiangmaiensis Kang, sp. nov. type species (type locality: Chiang Mai, Thailand), O.dvaravati Ghafouri Moghaddam, Quicke & Butcher, sp. nov. (type locality: Saraburi, Thailand), and O.junyani Kang, sp. nov. (type locality: Dalin, Taiwan). We provide morphological diagnostic characters to separate the new genus from other cardiochiline genera. A modified key couplet (couplet 5) and a new key couplet (couplet 16) are provided with detailed images for Dangerfield’s key to the world cardiochiline genera to facilitate recognition of Ophiclypeusgen. nov.

To contribute to the growing body of knowledge of Cardiochilinae in the Oriental region, we describe here a new genus, Ophiclypeus gen.nov., collected in Taiwan and Thailand, with three new species.We provide information based on morphology to diagnose the new taxa, as well as an identification key.

Materials and methods
Specimens collected in Taiwan were borrowed from the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM; Budapest, Hungary).The Thai specimen was borrowed from the Hymenoptera Institute (Forest Falls, CA, USA).Specimens were examined using stereomicroscopes (Leica® MZ75 and Fisher Scientific Model 420).Morphological terminology mainly follows Sharkey and Wharton (1997) and partly follows Dangerfield and Austin (1995).Terms for body sculpture follow Harris (1979).The following acronyms are used for morphological terms throughout: POL: distance between posterior ocelli, T1 (first metasomal tergum), T2 (second metasomal tergum), and T3 (third metasomal tergum).
Digital images were taken using a Visionary Digital BK Plus imaging system (Dun, Inc.) equipped with a Canon® EOS 5DS DSLR and were stacked using Zerene Stacker™ v. 1.04 (Zerene Systems LLC.).Adobe Photoshop® CS 6 and Photoshop® CC 2022 v. 23.0 (Adobe Systems, Inc.) were used to edit images and measure body characters.All measurements are given in millimeters, and numbers in parentheses in genus and species descriptions indicate the actual size of each body character.A distribution map of three species was generated using SimpleMappr (Shorthouse 2010) and was edited in the Adobe Photo-shop® CC 2022 (Fig. 4).
Color.Body mostly black or dark brown except for the following, which are pale ivory or white: area between lateral clypeus and dorsal mandible; apical and penultimate maxillary palpomeres; glossa; apical fore femur; entire fore tibia, fore tarsus, and mid tarsus; basal mid tibia and hind tibia; tibial spurs; T1 laterally; ovipositor.Wings hyaline basally and infuscate at apical fourth.Pterostigma mostly dark except for base and apex.Body color is similar to a pattern of O. dvaravati sp.nov.but possessing brighter metasoma and several whitish leg parts.
Etymology.This species is named after the collecting site, "Chiang Mai Province".
Notes.The first author attempted to obtain molecular data from a specimen of O. chiangmaiensis sp.nov.collected in 1997 but failed, and there was no attempt to acquire molecular data from a specimen of O. dvaravati sp.nov.collected in 2016.In the future research, molecular analyses based on newly collected specimens and portions of existing museum specimens will be helpful in placing Ophiclypeus gen.nov.into a broader phylogenetic context with other cardiochilines.Cham Phak Phaeo, Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi, Thailand;14°31'44.72"N, 101°1'57.25"E;25.vi.2016;P. Kerkig; collected in an edge of secondary forest near to a large reservoir using Malaise Trap.The type is deposited in the Collection of the Insect Museum, Chulalongkorn University Museum of Natural History (Bangkok, Thailand, CUMZ).
Description.Body length 4.6 mm.Head.Antenna with 38 segments.Face width slightly less than its height.Malar space 0.9× longer than basal width of mandible.Width of anterior ocellus 0.7× longer than POL.Median width of eye about 1.0× longer than the median width of gena in lateral view.Clypeus 1.5× longer than its height.
Legs.Basal spur on the fore tibia 0.8× longer than length of basitarsus.Basal spur on the mid tibia 0.9× longer than length of basitarsus.Hind tibia without apical cup-like projection; basal spur on the hind tibia 0.7× longer than length of basitarsus; hind claw with four teeth.
Metasoma.T1 1.1× longer than its posterior width, separated with lateral tergum by weakly different color; Y-shaped suture entirely smooth; inner space of Y-shaped suture entirely slightly sculptured.T2 0.2× longer than its posterior width, with curved posterior margin, 0.6× longer than T3.T3 0.4× longer than its posterior width.Protruded ovipositor sheath 0.6× longer than length of hind basitarsus.
Color.Body mostly black or dark brown except for the following, which are pale orange or yellow: area between lateral clypeus and dorsal mandible; apical and penultimate maxillary palpomeres; glossa; apical fore femur; entire fore tibia, fore tarsus, and mid tarsus; basal mid tibia and hind tibia; tibial spurs; T1 laterally; ovipositor.Wings hyaline basally and infuscate at apical fourth.Stigma mostly dark except for base and apex.The color pattern is similar to a pattern of O. chiangmaiensis sp.nov., but much darker metasoma and without whitish leg parts.
Color.Body mostly black or dark brown except for the following, which are pale yellow or white: apical mandible, basal tibiae, fore and mid tarsi, fore and mid tibial spurs.Wings mostly clear at basal half and mostly infuscate at apical half.Pterostigma entirely dark.
Etymology.Named in honor of Mr Junyan Chen, PhD candidate in the Department of Entomology at LSU AgCenter, for his help with the first author's research.Mr Chen has fond memories of a trip to Dalin, Taiwan.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Ophiclypeus chiangmaiensis sp.nov.A lateral habitus B wings C dorsal head and mesoscutum D dorsal propodeum and metasoma E anterior head F lateral mesosoma G lateral metasoma.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Ophiclypeus dvaravati sp.nov.A lateral habitus B lateral mesosoma C lateral metasoma D anterior head E dorsal head F lateral head G mesoscutum H dorsal propodeum and metasoma.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Ophiclypeus junyani sp.nov.A lateral habitus B lateral mesosoma C dorsal head and mesoscutum D dorsal propodeum and metasoma E anterior head F lateral metasoma; arrows show ovipositor length.