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

Pink jewel dragonfly (Heliocypha fenestrata)

Pink jewel dragonfly ( Heliocypha fenestrata ) is an animal species in Chlorocyphidae, a dragonfly 40-45mm long, slender, predominantly black with bright pink and blue, flies swiftly, large eyes, very long wings, lives near fresh flowing water and waterways. H. fenestrata has a black body with an upper back decorated with three plots of squares in pink and a similar plot on the nape of the top. The sides to the bottom are decorated with plots in light blue. A pair of large, round and black eyes. The tail is long and segmented, cylindrical, predominantly black with several plots of light blue color at the base of the sides, the tip ends with two small tails and curves inward. The legs are jointed and are all black. The wings have a span of up to 80 mm, contain many pulse lines, elliptical tips, are dark and transparent, when exposed to sunlight they give off pink or green or blue or white reflections. Pink jewel dragonfly lives near freshwater ecosystems that flow and low light inten...
Read more

Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Screw tree ( Helicteres isora ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 8 meters tall. It has gray bark and alternate leaves, up to 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, oval in shape, with serrated edges and hairs. The flowers are red or white and reach a total length of 5.5 cm. The fruit is green when unripe, brown or gray when dry, twisted, spiral-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The seeds are black or brown, shiny, and diagonal, triangular, or rectangular. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Helicteroideae Tribe: Helictereae Genus: Helicteres Pluk. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) Species: Helicteres isora L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC. in Prodr. 1: 476 (1824) Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast. in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 365 (1874) Helicteres corylifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn in Rev. Hortus Malab....
Read more

Glombang (Lentinus squarrosulus)

Glombang ( Lentinus squarrosulus ) is a species of fungi in Polyporaceae, umbrella-shaped, strong pole, round, chewy and fleshy stamp, white with gray spots forming rings, scaly, growing on wood in tropical regions, fast growth of mycelia used for food and nutraceuticals. L. squarrosulus has a 1.5-10 cm long cap, the surface is convex inward until compressed with a slightly bumpy, jagged margin, initially white to brown at maturity. The bottom surface of the cap has gills, crowded, narrow, white to yellow with rough edges. Stems 20-60x4-10 mm, running to the center, pointing downward, upright or crooked, hairy to scaly, partially creamy veils leaving a ring or light zone towards the top of the stem which may disappear in age or the veil may remain intact and cover the gills. Pileus is thin, tough, fibrous and white. Spores are cylindrical, smooth, nonamiloid, 6-9,52.5x-3.5 μm and white in color. It grows singly but is more common in groups on fallen tree trunks, especially coconut...
Read more