Review of the Chinese Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)

Abstract The Chinese fauna of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) is reviewed and illustrated for the first time. Twelve species of Leucospis Fabricius, 1775 are recorded; of which two species are new to science: Leucospis aequidentata sp. n. and Leucospis shaanxiensis sp. n. and one species is reported new for China: Leucospis intermedia Illiger, 1807. An identification key to Chinese species is included. A lectotype is designated for Leucospis aurantiaca Shestakov, 1923.


The dorsigera-group
Diagnosis. Marginal and premarginal carinae on pronotum distinct but not strongly recurved; basal tooth on hind femur at least as large as femoral teeth; propodeum short, not distinctly longer than dorsellum (Darling and Cardinal 2005).
Biology. Unknown. Collected in June.

Distribution. China (Inner Mongolia).
Remarks. Bouček's (1974a) interpretation was correct, despite he had no access to the type series.
Metasoma. Metasoma with dense and medium-sized punctures, and with short pubescence. T1 narrower than T4 or T5 in dorsal view. T1 longest and T2 shortest. T1 with smooth double ovipositorial furrow, the latter subdivided by convex, broad and very shiny ridge. Ovipositor sheath long, at least reaching posterior margin of dorsellum (Figs 8,9).
Male Variation. Colouration of female: anterior yellow transverse stripe of pronotum sometimes turns to two to six obscure yellow spots, posterior yellow transverse stripe sometimes triangular; pale yellow patch on mesoscutum sometimes absent; yellow lunate mark on hind femur varies in length; T4 sometimes with obscure yellow band (much narrower than that on T5) or a pair of obscure lateral patches. Colouration of male: anterior yellow transverse stripe of pronotum sometimes absent; hind femur sometimes subbasally with yellow lunate mark from base crossing to dorsal border; yellow spots on T1 sometimes minute or absent; T4 sometimes with obscure anterior transverse yellow stripe; metasomal sternite 4 rarely with a pair of quadrate yellow spots; epipygium sometimes with small yellow spot medio-posteriorly.
Variation. Colouration of female: sometimes scape yellow entirely, mesoscutellum with transverse yellow patch posteriorly, or a pair of obscure yellow patch posteriorly, hind tibia with yellow patch dorsally. Body length of female: 13.6-17.5 mm. Colouration of male: sometimes scape entirely black.
Variation. One female from Dinghushan has the yellow mark of the hind femur present on the entire dorsal border.
Male. Unknown. Biology. Unknown. Collected in August.

Distribution. China (Shaanxi).
Etymology. Named after the province of the type locality. Notes. Unfortunately, L. shaanxiensis is described from a single specimen. We considered the possibility that it is an extreme variant of L. aequidentata sp. n., but the number of small differences (both concerning morphology and colouration as indicated in the key) makes this unlikely.

The gigas-group
Diagnosis. Pronotum without discal carina, or with very weak discal carina; first and second basal femoral teeth oriented at an angle relative to distal teeth; distal femoral teeth parallel-sided, apices rounded; T5 short, less than 4 times length of T4 (Darling and Cardinal 2005).
Male. Not available for this study. Biology. Parasitoids of Megachilidae and Vespidae (Hymenoptera) (Bouček 1974a;Baur and Amiet 2000;Luo and Liu 2009;Madl and Schwarz 2014). Luo and Liu (2009) gave a detailed report on its life history and oviposition behaviour on its host Megachile desertorum. In China collected in June.
Colouration. Head predominantly black, with two elongate yellow spots on frontovertex (Figs 88, 93, 94). Antenna black, with scape partly yellow ventrally (Figs 89,93). Pronotum black, with two yellow transverse stripes; anterior stripe is similar to and shorter than posterior one (Fig. 90). Mesoscutum black, with a pair of elongate yellow patches laterally, and without small rounded obscure pale yellow spots sublaterally (Fig. 90). Mesoscutellum black, with a curved yellow stripe posteriorly (Fig. 90). Dorsellum and mesopleuron black. Metapleuron black, with a yellow patch. Wings brownish. Fore and mid legs mostly black, with exception of yellowish brown tarsi, and connection between tibia and tarsi yellow. Hind coxa black, with yellow patch basodorsally (Fig. 91). Hind femur black, with yellow mark from base crossing to entire dorsal border, and an obscure pale yellow stripe subventrally; hind tibia blackish grown; hind tarsi brown (Fig. 95). T1 black, with two elongate longitudinal yellow marks laterad of ovipositorial furrow (Fig. 92); T2, T3 and T6 entirely black; T4 black, with yellow transverse band anteriorly; T5 black, with yellow transverse band posteriorly; epipygium with a pair of slender longitudinal yellow stripes laterally (Fig. 92).
Male. Not available for this study. Variation. One female from Xiangtoushan has some different colour patterns: mesoscutum with a pair of short yellow stripes laterally, and a pair of small rounded obscure pale yellow spots submedially; dorsellum mostly black, with a pair of pale yellow spots. Holotype of L. ornatifrons has a yellow patch on mesopleuron.

The petiolata-group
Diagnosis. Apex of hind tibia extended into a finger-like projection, outer tibial spur reduced to a short pointed nub; femoral teeth arranged in a line; distal femoral teeth triangular, apices pointed (Darling and Cardinal 2005).