The subfamily Cheloninae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from Egypt, with the description of two new species

Abstract A key to the chelonine species (Braconidae) (both recorded and recently collected) from Egypt is given. It includes 16 species, of which five species are new to the Egyptian fauna and two (Phanerotoma (Phanerotoma) elbaiensis sp. n. and Phanerotoma (Bracotritoma) ponti sp. n.) are new for science. A faunistic list and the description for the two new species are added.


Introduction
Cheloninae is a moderately large subfamily within the important parasitoid family Braconidae. The subfamily comprises more than 1300 described species worldwide (Yu et al. 2005). Members of this subfamily are present in all zoogeographical regions. Inspite of their worldwide distribution, only the tribes Chelonini and Phanerotomini are represented in the Palaearctic fauna ( van Achterberg 1990, Yu et al. 2005, Aydogdu 2008. Chelonines are small to medium-sized wasps (1.8-6.0 mm long), with a rigid nonarticulated metasomal carapace which is formed by the fusion of the first three metasomal tergites. This carapace is open ventrally and encloses the soft parts of the metasoma.
Wasps of the subfamily Cheloninae are known to be solitary egg-larval endoparasitoids of many lepidopterous families, and may be considered as potential bio-control agents (Walker andHuddleston 1987, Inayatullah andNaeem 2004).
In the present paper, a key is presented for 16 chelonine species collected and recorded from different regions of Egypt in the period between 2008 and 2010. Five species are recorded for the first time in Egypt, and two are new species: Phanerotoma (P.) elbaiensis sp. n. and P. (Bracotritoma) ponti sp. n.

Material and methods
Regular surveys of chelonine wasps were undertaken from the beginning of 2008 to the end of 2010, covering various regions of Egypt. Sampling was done by means of net sweeping and light trapping.
Morphological terms and wing venation terminologies are based on van Achterberg (1988,1993); body sculpture terminology is based on Harris (1979). Drawings were made using a camera lucida attached to an Olympus stereo-microscope (SZX9). Measurements were made using an ocular micrometer.
Global distribution and synonyms of the listed species are based mainly Yu et al. (2005).
The characters of the tribes, genera and subgenera (of genus Phanerotoma) in the key are based on van Achterberg (1990). New records are marked with an asterisk.
Head: Slightly wider than maximum width of mesosoma; eyes slightly divergent below; preapical antennal flagellomeres cylindrical, slightly narrowed basally, apical flagellomere 1.1 times length of preapical one, scape slightly wider than first flagellomere; vertex and frons with fine transverse striae; face nearly smooth; inner tooth of mandible slightly shorter than outer tooth; length of eye in dorsal view nearly twice as long as temple; POL twice diameter of posterior ocellus; POL 0.6 times OOL; length of malar space 0.7 times basal width of mandible; longitudinal eye diameter as long as transverse diameter.
Mesosoma: Mesoscutum finely granulated; propodeum finely punctate. Fore wing with vein r as long as vein 3-SR; maximum width of pterostigma 1.7 times vein 3-SR; veins 2-SR and 1-SR straight; middle tibia without distinct blister; outer hind tibial spur 1.1 times the inner one and 0.3 times basitarsus, basitarsus about 0.9 times as long as following tarsomeres combined.
Metasoma: Ovoid, more or less parallel-sided, narrowed posteriorly; metasomal T 1 and T 2 with irregular fine longitudinal striae, T 3 with dense reticulations, its maximum length slightly more than 1.3 times of that of T 2 ; ovipositor not protruding beyond apex of metasoma.
Male: Unknown. Diagnosis. This species is closely related to Phanerotoma.(Bracotritoma) bouceki van Achterberg, but ponti has the parastigma dark brown, vein 1-M slightly paler than in bouceki, middle tibia is darker and the blister of the middle tibia is much less apparent than in bouceki.
Etymology. This species is named in the honour of Dr. Adrian Pont (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, UK). Colour: Generally yellowish-brown with black stemmaticum; the following parts are dark-brown: shiny scape, seven apical antennal flagellomeres, lateral margin of mesoscutum, sides of scutellum, medio-posterior depression of scutellum, lateral sides of first metasomal tergite (T 1 ), lateral side and a central rounded spot on T 2 , entire T 3 , apical half of middle tibia, apical 0.3 as well as subbasal ring of hind tibia, apical half of hind basitarsus and about the basal 0.7 of the other tarsomeres; tegula, humeral plate, pterostigma (except basal 0.3) and vein 1-M. Veins 1-R1 and 2-SR pale yellow; parastigma yellowish (but brown basally).
Head: Slightly wider than maximum width of mesosoma; eyes slightly divergent above and below; preapical antennal flagellomeres moderately moniliform, apical flagellomere 1.3 times length of preapical one, scape 3 times as wide as first flagellomere; vertex smooth and shiny medially, weakly rugose laterally; frons rugose but much coarser than vertex; face densely and finely punctate laterally, with fine transverse rugulae medially; inner tooth of mandible slightly less than half as long as outer tooth; length of eye in dorsal view about 1.9 times temple; POL 0.5 times diameter of posterior ocellus; POL 0.3 times OOL; length of malar space 0.8 times basal width of mandible; longitudinal eye diameter slightly longer than transverse diameter.
Male: Unknown. Diagnosis. This species is related to Phanerotoma (Bracotritoma) bilinea Lyle, but elbaiensis has the middle tibia with a distinct blister; the parastigma brownish basally; the vein 1-M darker and the apical spine of the hypopygium relatively small. It is similar to Phanerotoma (Bracotritoma) maculata (Wollaston), especially because of the long protruding ovipositor, but differs by its general colour, especially by the yellowish parastigma and basal third of pterostigma (dark brown in maculata). In addition, the characters of the subgenus Phanerotoma, to which the new species belongs, are different.
Etymology. The species name elbaiensis refers to its type locality (Gabal Elba Variation. The colour of the head varies from yellowish brown to nearly black; the terminal flagellomeres are usually blackish, but in few cases paler; the third metasomal tergite is usually brownish, but blackish in a few specimens, and the second tergite sometimes has brownish spots laterally.