Notes on Macroteleia Westwood (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) from China, with description of a new species

Abstract The wasp genus Macroteleia Westwood from China has been previously revised, but some species are only known from males. Here the females of two known species are described: M. carinigena Chen, Johnson, Masner & Xu and M. gracilis Chen, Johnson, Masner & Xu. In addition, one species is redescribed: M. variegata Kozlov & Kononova; and one species is described as new: Macroteleia xui Hong & Chen, sp. nov.Macroteleia ischtvani Kononova, syn. nov. is proposed as new synonym of M. variegata Kozlov & Kononova.


Introduction
The species of the wasp genus Macroteleia Westwood are egg parasitoids of longhorned grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) (Muesebeck 1977). These wasps are spread worldwide, except Antarctica, but most species occur in tropical and subtropical regions (Masner 1976;Chen et al. 2013). Species of Macroteleia are easily recognized because of the unarmed propodeum, the marginal vein as long as, or longer, than the stigmal vein, and the peculiar shape of T6 in female (strongly compressed laterally) (Chen et al. 2013). The Chinese fauna of Macroteleia have been revised by Chen et al. (2013), with several new species described from the tropical and subtropical regions of China. However, of the seven new species proposed by Chen et al. (2013), three species were described based only on males. Considering the sexual dimorphism (displayed especially in the structure of the antenna and in the shape and the structure of the metasoma) and the importance of the shape of metascutellum and the structure of propodeum (divided, or not, into two lobes) in females to separate species of Macroteleia (Muesebeck 1977;Chen et al. 2013), the discovery of females in species known only from the males should enhance our knowledge of the concept of these species.
In this study the females of two species, previously known only from males, are described. Furthermore, a newly recorded species (Macroteleia variegata Kozlov & Kononova, 1987) from China is redescribed and another, Macroteleia xui is described as new for science.

Materials and methods
This work is based upon specimens in the following collections, with abbreviations used in the text: BMNH, The Natural History Museum, London, UK; IZCAS, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; SCAU, Hymenoptera Collection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; SYSBM, Sun Yat-sen University, The Museum of Biology, Guangzhou, China; UASK, Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine.
In the Material examined section the specimens studied are recorded in an abbreviated format, using unique identifiers (numbers prefixed with "SCAU") for the individual specimens. The label data for all specimens have been georeferenced and recorded in the Hymenoptera Online database; details on the data associated with these specimens can be accessed at mbd-s.asc.ohio-state.edu by entering the identifier in the search form (note the space between the acronym and the number).
Legs. Slender; hind femur weakly swollen, 4.00-4.55 × as long as its maximum width; hind tibia without spines over outer surface; hind basitarsus 7.67-9.00 × as long as its maximum width. Wings. Apex of fore wing extending from as far as basal of T5; R 1.46-1.60 × as long as r-rs, R1 1.95-2.43 × length of R.
Distribution. China (Hainan). Comments. Chen et al. (2013) recorded this species from the Oriental Region of China based upon the careful description provided by Alan Dodd in the original publication. Here, we provide the images of the holotype and additional records of this species from China. The specimens examined by Chen et al. (2013) and the ones we record here match well with the holotype. Mesosoma. Cervical pronotal area densely punctate; dorsal pronotal area punctate rugulose; lateral pronotal area smooth dorsally, punctate rugulose ventrally; netrion finely punctate rugulose; notaulus shallow, foveolate; middle lobe of mesoscutum densely punctate, sculpture becoming denser anteriorly; lateral lobes of mesoscutum densely finely punctate throughout; mesoscutellum densely finely punctate throughout; metascutellum transverse, posterior margin slightly pointed medially, longitudinally carinate; propodeum continuous medially, not divided into two separated lobes, posterior margin narrowly notched medially, each side with several irregular longitudinal carinae medially, otherwise punctate rugulose, covered by dense, recumbent, white setae; upper mesepisternum with a row of somewhat robust longitudinal carinae below subalar pit; lower mesepisternum variably smooth to punctate rugulose; mesopleural depression smooth; metapleuron longitudinally striate throughout.
Wings. Apex of fore wing extending from as far as posterior margin of T4; R 2.06-2.46 × as long as r-rs, R1 1.63-1.90 × length of R.
Legs. Slender; hind femur weakly swollen, 3.4-4.0 × as long as its maximum width; hind tibia without spines over outer surface; hind basitarsus 10.60-11.20 × as long as its maximum width.
Wings. Apex of fore wing extending from as far as middle of T4; R 1.97-2.06 × as long as r-rs, R1 1.83-1.90 × length of R.
Male. Unknown. Etymology. This speices is named xui in honor of the late Professor Zaifu Xu for his great contribution to Chinese Hymenoptera taxonomy.
Color. Head yellow with upper frons and vertex dark brown to black; mesosoma variably yellow to dark brown; mandible yellow with teeth dark brown; palpi yellow; legs yellow throughout; A1-A5 brown, remainder of antenna dark brown to black; fore wing hyaline.
Legs. Slender; hind femur weakly swollen, 3.60-3.80 × as long as its maximum width; hind tibia without spines over outer surface; hind basitarsus 9.60-10.20 × as long as its maximum width.
Wings. Apex of fore wing extending from as far as middle of T5; R 1.56-1.67 × as long as r-rs, R1 1.63-1.70 × length of R.
Metasoma. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2 strongly convex; sublateral tergal carinae well developed on T1-T2, weakly developed on anterior half of T3; T1 densely longitudinally striate, with punctate rugulose sculpture in interstices anteriorly, punctate rugulose laterally; T2-T4 densely longitudinally striate with numerous large delicate punctures in interstices; T5-T6 densely punctate; length of T3 1.35-1.40 × length of T6; T5 distinctly wider than long; S2-S4 densely longitudinally striate, with delicate punctures in interstices; S5-S6 densely finely punctate; prominent longitudinal median carina absent on sternites. Male. Differing from female as follows: body length 3.76 mm (N = 1); A1 yellow, the remainder of antenna dark brown to black; mesosoma dark brown to black dorsally, yellow laterally; T1-T4 densely longitudinally striate, with numerous delicate punctures in interstices; T5-T6 densely and finely punctate; T7 largely smooth except finely rugulose posterolaterally; T6 wider than long; length of T6 2.50 × length of T7; T7 transverse, apex truncate; length of T7 as long as S7; S7 granulate. Distribution. China (Xinjiang, Hebei, Inner Mongolia); Russia, Hungary. Comments. Macroteleia variegata is recorded here from China for the first time. We examined the holotypes of M. variegata and M. ischtvani and found no distinct differences between the two species except the trivial variations in colors and the relative length of metasomal tegites, which Kononova and Kozlov (2008) used heavily in the key to species of the Palearctic Macroteleia. Therefore, we here treat M. ischtvani as a synonym of M. variegata. We also examined a paratype of M. elissa Kozlov & Kon-onova, 1987 deposited in UASK that we believe is conspecific with M. variegata, but we cannot confirm if M. elissa should be treated as a synonym of M. variegata until we can examine the holoype of M. elissa. Color and size variations could be due to temperature or host egg size during the developmental stage of the parasitoids, which are quite commonly seen in Scelionidae. DNA barcoding could be useful in species delimitation for the species in such situations.