Skip to main content

Flat wasps (Laelius Ashmead: Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) have four new species from Korea (Eastern Palaearctic)

Flat wasps (Laelius Ashmead Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) have four new species from Korea (Eastern Palaearctic)

NEWS - Laelius Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) is a cosmopolitan bethylid genus with 68 valid species distributed worldwide and now a taxonomic study from Korea adds four new species: Seoul flat wasp (Laelius afores), Jeju-do flat wasp (Laelius atratus), Gangwon-do flat wasp (Laelius sulcatus) and Jeollanan-do flat wasp (Laelius tricuspis).

The presence and relative ratio or length of 2r-rs&Rs veins on the forewings stand out as the most useful characteristics in Laelius taxonomy. However, in the case of the four new species in this study, they generally show relatively equal lengths of 2r-rs and Rs veins.

L. afores is similar to L. jilinensis Lim & Lee, 2010. However, L. afores differs based on WF 1.9× LE (vs. WF 1.4× LE in L. jilinensis), LE 1.0× OOL (vs. LE 1.2× LE), dorsal pronotal 0.5× longer and wider (vs. 0.8× longer), mesoscutum without notaulus (vs. notaulus absent), propodeal slope without median longitudinal carina (vs. median longitudinal carina present).

L. atratus is similar to L. nigrofemoratus Terayama, 2006. However, L. atratus differs by having mandibles with 4 teeth (vs. 5 teeth in L. nigrofemoratus), reddish brown legs except coxa and black femora (vs. reddish brown including coxa), lateral carina of first metapostnotal parallel to median carina of metapostnotal (vs. extending close to transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal complex).

L. sulcatus is similar to L. yamatonis Terayama, 2006. However, L. sulcatus differs by having LE 1.7× OOL (vs. LE 1.3× OOL in L. yamatonis), mesoscutum with notalulus (vs. mesoscutum without notalulus), lateral carina of second metapostnotal reaching basal three-quarters of metapostnotal-propodeal disc (vs. reaching one-quarter).

L. tricuspis is similar to L. jilinensis Lim & Lee, 2010. However, L. tricuspis differs by scape 3.5× along flagellomere III (vs. scape 2.8× along flagellomere III in L. jilinensis), WF 2.4× WOT (vs. WF 2.2× WOT), pronotal disc 0.5× long and wide (vs. 0.8× long and wide), metapectal-propodeal complex with 3 lateral carinae of metapostnotal (vs. 5).

Four new species from the Korean Peninsula make five Laelius species recorded in the country indicating higher species diversity compared to Japan (4), China (1) and Far Eastern Russia (1) raising speculation that there are more unknown species in the Eastern Palearctic region.

L. afores was collected from Seoul and the specific epithet refers to the absence of notaulus on the mesoscutum and the median carina on the slope of the propodeum. L. atratus was collected in Jeju-do and the specific epithet atratus refers to the submedian carina parallel to the median disc carina.

L. sulcatus was collected in Gangwon-do and the specific epithet sulcatus refers to the clearly developed notaulus on the mesoscutum. L. tricuspis was collected from Jeollanan-do and the specific epithet tricuspis refers to three long and distinct metapectal-propodeal carinae.

Original research

Lim J, Lee S (2024) Four new species of Laelius Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from Korea with an updated key to species in the Eastern Palaearctic region. ZooKeys 1213: 251-265, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1213.121630

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Guinea grass or buffalo grass or green panic ( Panicum maximum ) is a plant species in Poaceae, annual grasses, growing upright to form clumps, strong, cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions for very high value as fodder. P. maximum reproduces in very large pols, fibrous roots penetrate into the soil, upright stems, green, 1-1.5 m tall and have smooth cavities for diameters up to 2.5 mm. Propagation is done vegetatively and generatively. Ribbon-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, very many, built in lines, green, 40-105 cm long, 10-30 mm wide, erect, branched, a white linear bone, often covered with a layer of white wax, rough surface by hair short, dense and spread. The flower grows at the end of a long and upright stalk, open with the main axis length to more than 25 cm and the length of the bunches down to 20 cm. Grains have a size of 3x4 mm and oval. Seeds have a length of 2.25-2.50 mm and each 1 kg contains 1.2 - 1.5 million seeds. Guinea grass has two varieties. P...
Read more

Blood lily (Scadoxus multiflorus)

Blood lily or Haemanthus multiflorus ( Scadoxus multiflorus ) is a species of plant in the Amaryllidaceae, a bulbous shrub that produces rhizomes. Leaves and flowers may appear together or leaves may be produced later. The base of the leaves and stems are tightly wrapped to form a pseudo-stem or false stem, 5-60 cm long. Flowers in umbels at the top of the stem, leafless, 12-75 cm long. Pseudostems and scapes are often covered with reddish brown to dark purple spots. The flower umbel is in the shape of a globe with 10-200 individual flowers. Each flower has a stalk, 15-45 mm long. The tepals and filaments of the stamens are red. The base of the tepals is fused to form a cylindrical tube, 4-26 mm long, the free end of the tepals 12-32 mm long, narrow and spreading. The fruit is a berry having a diameter of 5-10 mm. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Amaryllidaceae Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae Tribe: Haemantheae Ge...
Read more

Indian shot (Canna indica)

Puspa midra or Indian shot ( Canna indica ) is is plant species in Cannaceae, annual, shrub 0.5-2.5 meters high, depending on variety, erect stems, unbranched and leaf midrib arranged overlapping to form pseudostems and hermaphrodite flowers. C. indica forms a branched rhizome, 60 cm long which is divided into rounded segments and is covered in two stripes by pale green or purple scaly leaves. The rhizome has tubers that contain very large starch grains. The surface has transverse furrows, the underside appears white roots and numerous shoots. The leaves sit alternate and spiral or arranged in two rows, very large and divided into a leaf midrib, short stalk and blade. The strands are 30-60 cm long, 10-20 cm wide and have linear veins, green or purple-green, the base blunt or narrowly pointed and the apex immediately tapering or sharp. Hermaphrodite flowers, pedicels 0.2-1 cm long and red or yellow-orange, except in some cultivars 4.5-7.5 cm long. The sepals are triangular in shape a...
Read more