Three new species of the genus Sycophila (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) from China

Abstract Three new species of Sycophila Walker (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae), S. hunanensissp. nov., S. melanolomasp. nov. and S. melanopodasp. nov., are reported and described from mainland China. Meanwhile, Plagiotrochus glaucus Melika & Tang, 2011 (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) is reported as a new host record of the genus Sycophila. A key to Chinese Sycophila and illustrations of external features of the species are provided.


Introduction
Sycophila is one of the large genera in the family Eurytomidae. It was described for the first time by Walker in 1871 under the Agaonidae, with two species included (S. megastigmoides Walker, 1871 andS. decatomoides Walker, 1871), both reared from the fruits of Ficus benghalensis L.. Ashmead (1904) selected the latter as the type species of Sycophila and transferred the genus to the subfamily Idarninae in the Torymidae. Bouček (1974)  Diagnosis. Body yellowish or brownish, occasionally black. Head wider than mesosoma, lower margin of clypeus bilobed. Antennal insertion slightly above or on lower ocular line, antennal formula 11153 in female, 11143 in male. Prothorax with pronotum rectangular, almost as long as mesoscutum; mesothorax dorsally convex, notauli deep and complete, scutellum convex; propodeum with an inverted V-shaped basal submedian carina. Fore wing with marginal vein broadened, mostly with dark brown maculae below marginal vein; postmarginal vein slightly shorter than marginal vein. Hind femur distinctly thickened. Petiole elongated, gaster compressed from side-to-side. Biology. Most species develop in plant galls or in figs, some extralimital species are recorded as parasitoids. The hosts involved Hymenoptera (Pteromalidae, Eulophidae, Eurytomidae, Tanaostigmatidae, Torymidae, Tenthredinidae, Cynipidae and Cecidomyiidae), Lepidoptera (Cecidosidae, and Gelechiidae), Diptera (Prodoxidae) and Hemiptera (Psyllidae) (Noyes 2020).
Mesosoma 1.45× as long as broad in dorsal view. Pronotum 0.46× as long as broad. Mesoscutum 0.62× as long as broad, notauli deep and complete. Scutellum as long as broad. Propodeum shorter than mesoscutum (0.39×), nucha distinct, median carina and plica absent; median longitudinal furrow distinct, irregular cells formed by irregular ridges on both sides (Fig. 4). Fore wing (Fig. 5) 2.86× as long as broad, with marginal fringe; maculae dark brown, confining on marginal vein and stigmal vein, not extending backward; marginal vein triangular broadened; ratio of marginal vein: postmarginal vein: stigmal vein as 8:3:3. Fore femur stout, fore tibia with a ventral spur at apex; mid femur enlarged, mid tibia thin and outer edge with a single row of setae; hind coxa stout, 2.0× as long as broad; hind femur enlarged, 1.67× as long as broad; hind tibia with 2 ventral spurs at apex. Metasoma 1.67× as long as mesosoma. Gaster petiolate, 3.0× as long as broad, laterally compressed. Gaster bare and smooth, distinctly compressed and dorsally arched, median line of gaster black; length of Gt 4 as long as Gt 1 -Gt 3 combined, 2.0× as Gt 3 . Ovipositor exposed, 0.08× as long as gaster.
Male. Unknown. Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin 'melanolomus', referencing the character of the gaster with a median black line.
Remarks. The species is similar to S. petiolata Chen, 1999 from Taiwan (Chen et al. 1999) but noticeably different by the gaster compressed and dorsally arched (gaster oval in S. petiolata), mesonotum and metanotum yellowish (mesonotum and metanotum with dark brown patches in S. petiolata).
Host. Ficus microcarpa L. Distribution. China (Hainan).  Diagnosis. Body length 1.8-2.0 mm, mainly black except lateral shoulder and lateral panel of pronotum yellow-brown; antenna slightly thick, Fu 1 1.23× as long as broad, Fu 2 -Fu 5 subequal to Fu 1 ; pedicel and flagellum combined slightly longer than head width (1.1×); marginal vein enlarged, maculae not extending backward to disc of fore wing.
Description. Female (holotype). Body (Fig. 6) length 2.0 mm, body black except eyes red-brown, middle part of lower face yellowish, shoulder of pronotum and lateral panel of pronotum yellow-brown. Antennae brown except scape yellowish and pedicel yellow-brown. Legs yellowish except coax dark brown, femur and tibia brown on middle part. Wings hyaline, venation yellow-brown except marginal vein enlarged with black spot. Head and thorax with densely umbilicate puncturation.
Head hairy, 1.25× as wide as high in frontal view (Fig. 7), eyes separated by 1.52× their height, malar space 0.81× eyes height. Antennal insertion on lower ocular line; scrobes deep and smooth, not reaching anterior ocellus, interantennal crest absent. Umbilicate puncturation shallow on lower face. Lower margin of clypeus with incision separating a single tooth on both sides; mandible three teethed. Head in dorsal view 1.67× as wide as long, occipital carina inconspicuous; temple length 0.3× eyes length; POL 2.16× OOL, OOL 2.0× ocellus diameter. Antennal formula 11153; scape reaching anterior ocellus, equal to or slightly shorter than eyes height, 6.25× as long as broad, 2.36× pedicel length; pedicel and flagellum combined 1.1× head width; pedicel in lateral view 2.0× as long as broad, longer than Fu 1 ; anellus 0.5× as long as broad; Fu 1 1.23× as long as broad, Fu 2 -Fu 5 as long as Fu 1 ; clava length 3.0× width, shorter than the following three funiculars combined; each funicular with a single row of sensilla; ventral surface of clava without micropilose area.
Etymology. Named after the location of the type material. Remarks. The species is similar to S. biguttata (Swederus, 1795) from Sweden (Lotfalizadeh and Gharali 2007), but different by the maculae on fore wing not extending backward to disc, hind tibia pale yellowish except mid part brown.
Head in frontal view 1.17× as wide as high. Face with white pubescens sparse; eyes separated by 0.94× their height; malar space 0.35× eyes height; malar sulcus space 1.33× malar space. Antennal insertion slightly above lower ocular line, at 3/4 of head height. Lower margin of clypeus emarginated and with a small tooth on both sides; mandible three teethed. Head in dorsal view 2.15× as wide as high, occipital carina inconspicuous; temple length 0.33× eyes length; POL 2.25× OOL, OOL 4.0× ocellus diameter. Antennal formula 11153 (Fig. 16); scape not reaching anterior ocellus, 5.5× as long as broad, 0.65× eyes height, 3.67× pedicel length; length of pedicel and flagellum combined as long as head width; pedicel in lateral view 2.0× as long as broad, as long as Fu 1 ; anellus 0.5× as long as broad; Fu 1 1.6× as long as broad, following funiculars sincrease gradually on length and width; clava length 1.75× width, shorter than the following three funiculars combined; each funicular with a single row of sensilla; ventral surface of clava without micropilose area. Mesosoma 1.62× as long as broad, with reticulation and sparsely umbilicate puncturation in dorsal view. Pronotum near rectangle, 0.42× as long as broad. Mesoscutum 0.58× as long as broad; notauli deep and complete. Scutellum as long as broad, medially protuberate. Propodeum (Fig. 17) 0.47× as long as mesoscutum, with small and dense sculpture; with an inverted V-shaped carina and a V-shaped carina, plica distinct, median carina absent. Fore wing (Fig. 18) 2.34× as long as broad, maculae expending backward to disc, marginal vein subparallel; ratio of marginal vein: postmarginal vein: stigmal vein as 5:2:3. Fore tibia with a ventral split spur at apex; mid tibia slim, with a ventral spur at apex. Hind coxa enlarged, 2.5× as long as broad; hind femur enlarged, 1.5× as long as broad; hind tibia ventrally with single apical spur.
Male. Unknown. Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin 'melano' (black) and 'podus' (foot), referencing the character of hind tibia black.
Remarks. The species is similar to S. maculafacies Chen, 1999 from Taiwan (Chen et al. 1999) but noticeably different by pedicel and flagellum combined as long as head width (shorter than head width in S. maculafacies), hind tibia black (yellow-brown in S. maculafacies), gaster dark brown (yellow-brown in S. maculafacies).
Male. No male species was found in this study. According to Chen et al. (1999), body length 1.14-1.62 mm. Body yellowish, eyes dark red, 2 brown black spots at the end of gaster. Body covered with small umbilicate puncturation. Head as wide as high. Antennal formula 11143. Petiole shorter than gaster.