New species and records of Venturia Schrottky (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from China and Nepal

Abstract Four new species of Venturia Schrottky, 1902 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from Oriental China and Nepal are described (V. contiguussp. nov. and V. yunnanensissp. nov. from China; V. liuaesp. nov. and V. levocarinatasp. nov. from Nepal). In addition, two species are reported from China (V. serpentina Maheshwary, 1977 and V. inclyta (Morley, 1923)) for the first time and all listed species are illustrated. A key to all species from China and Nepal is provided.


Introduction
The genus Venturia Schrottky, 1902 (Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) is a moderately large genus with 144 valid species worldwide, but predominantly from the Neotropical, Nearctic, and Oriental regions (Gupta and Maheshwary 1977;Wahl 1987 (Sonan, 1937) -Fore wing without areolet (Fig. 7A); malar space shiny, 0.2× basal width of mandible (Fig. 7F); occipital carina not beak-like medially; interocellar distance 2.5× distance between median and lateral ocelli (Fig. 7H)  Eye not indented to weakly indented opposite antennal socket; frons with or without a lateromedian longitudinal carina; propodeum long, reaching beyond middle of hind coxa, sometimes extending to apex of hind coxa; area superomedia and area petiolaris usually confluent; lateromedian longitudinal carina close together and more or less parallel to each other; propodeal spiracle round to oval; areolet present to absent; CU&cu-a of hind wing intercepted or not intercepted; claws not pectinate to strongly pectinate; metasoma petiole slender, first metasomal segment round in crosssection of basal 0.3, the suture separating tergite from its sternite lies in the middle or above the middle; ovipositor long, straight to strongly upcurved; male genital paramere weakly to strongly notched apically. Comparative diagnosis. In the key by Gupta and Maheshwary (1977), this species keys out as V. oditesi (Sonan, 1939) from China and Myanmar because of the missing areolet on the fore wing. It can be easily distinguished from V. oditesi by the following: malar space approximately 0.2× basal width of mandible, propodeal area basalis not confluent with area superomedia, second tergite 2.0× longer than third tergite, 2rs-m vein very close to 2m-cu vein, hind femur blackish brown, hind tibia blackish brown medially, and metasoma wholly blackish with apical segments blackish brown.
Colour. Black. Mandible except teeth, scape and pedicel except laterally, palpi, tegula, fore and mid coxae in apical half and all trochanters, yellow. Coxae ventrally blackish brown. Rest of fore and mid legs yellowish brown to blackish brown, with apical tarsal segment blackish brown. Hind coxa in apical half and trochanter, yellow. Remainder of hind leg blackish brown with tibia basally and apically darker. Metasoma wholly blackish with apical segments blackish brown.

Male (
This species is also similar to V. taiwana (Sonan, 1937) from Taiwan province of China, but differs from it by the following: clypeus without a median apical tooth, teeth with an elevated carina, malar space smooth and shiny, 0.2× basal width of mandible, temple not strongly swollen, fore wing without areolet, tegula black, mid trochanter and femur except apex blackish, hind femur black, and metasoma from third tergite on lateral surface reddish brown with a black dorsal stripe.
This species is similar to V. prolixa Wahl, 1987 from America, but differs from latter by having teeth with an elevated carina, propodeal median area not granulate, area external rugose-punctate, area dentipara rugose-reticulate and not on a granulate surface, hind femur ca 11.0× longer than wide, tegula black, hind leg black except extreme base of first tarsomere yellowish brown, and metasoma with second tergite black, laterally brownish, from third tergite on lateral surface reddish brown with a black dorsal stripe.
Colour. Mandible blackish brown, subapically brownish. Tegula black. All coxae black. Fore legs missing. Mid trochanter and femur except apex blackish, remainder of leg yellowish brown. Hind leg black except extreme base of first tarsomere yellowish brown. Petiole black and postpetiole reddish brown, second tergite black, laterally brownish, from third tergite on lateral surface reddish brown with a black dorsal stripe.
Distribution. Nepal. Etymology. Name derived from "levo" (Latin for "raised") and "carinata" (Latin for "carina"), because teeth with elevated carina on outer surface. Comparative diagnosis. In the key by Gupta and Maheshwary (1977) this species keys out as V. ahlensis Maheshwary, 1977 from India, because the propodeal lateromedian longitudinal carina and lateral longitudinal carina are absent, but it can be easily distinguished from V. ahlensis by the following: areolet small with a long stalk, malar space ca 0.45× basal width of mandible, and area superomedia region rugulose.
This species is also similar to V. himachala Gupta & Maheshwary, 1977 from Indian and Nepal, but differs from latter by the following: frons rugulose with median carina absent, interocellar distance 1.3× ocello-ocular distance, anterior part of median lobe of mesoscutum with indistinct punctures, and propodeal lateromedian carina absent below anterior transverse carina.
Metasoma. Apical tergites from third on slightly compressed. First segment (Fig. 9E) long and slender, ca 3.8× longer than its apical width, without glymma; dorsolateral carina of first tergite missing; petiole ca 5.0× longer than high. Suture separating first tergite from sternite situated mid-height at basal third of first metasomal segment. Second tergite granulate, long and slender, 0.9× first tergite, 2.6× its apical width; thyridium oval, small, its distance from basal margin of tergite ca 3.0× its length. Third tergite 1.3× longer than its apical width. Posterior margins of sixth and seventh tergites medially concave. Ovipositor sheath ca 1.8× longer than hind femur, ovipositor ca 3.0× longer than hind femur, ovipositor gradually upcurved, dorsal preapical notch strong, tip acute (Fig. 9J).  Colour. Black. Scape narrowly in front, mandible except teeth, palpi, tegula, extreme apices of fore and mid coxae, fore trochanter and trochantellus of mid trochanter, yellow; remainder of fore leg yellowish brown with apical segment dark brown and remainder of mid leg yellowish brown with tarsus blackish brown; hind leg with trochanter blackish brown, trochantellus yellowish brown with externally more brownish, femur yellowish brown but apically blackish, tibia brownish with base and apex blackish, tarsus blackish brown; metasoma with first and second segment wholly black, dorsal surface from third segment on black but laterally reddish brown.
Distribution. Nepal. Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr Zhen Liu, the collector of the holotype.
This species is also similar to V. anchisteus Wahl, 1987 from Mexico, but differs from it by the following: propodeal area external punctate, area dentipara rugose-reticulate, the height of areolet ca equal to the length of stalk, second metasomal tergite ca 1.7× its apical width, and hind tibia except base and apex yellowish brown.
Colour. Mandible except teeth, palpi, tegula, scape and pedicel in front, fore and middle legs from the apices of coxae onward, yellowish brown, femora and tarsus darker. Hind leg with tarsus, base and apex of tibia, base of trochanter, blackish brown; remainder of the hind leg yellowish brown. First metasomal segment black with postpetiole reddish brown, second segment reddish brown with apically lighter, remainder of the tergites light reddish orange.
Distribution. China (Yunnan). Etymology. Name derived from the name of type locality of species.