Chelonus kirvus
authorTobias 1997
synonyms
body
shape♀ Body length 2.9 mm [T8]. 2.2 - 2.9 mm. [T14].
colorBody black, with dense regular not coarse sculpture [T8].
head
shapeHead nearly rectilinearly narrowed behind eye, 1.1 times wider than pronotum, obliquely rectilinearly narrowed downwards anteriorly, twice as wide as long, 1.1 times wider than high. Temples 1.4 times longer than eye, slightly longer than transverse eye diameter (10 : 9). Base of ocellar triangle longer than OOL + OD. POL 3.5 times ocellus diameter. Longitudinal eye diameter 1.5 times longer than transverse one, 2.3-2.5 times height of malar space. Face 1.7 times as wide as high, 1.2 times wider than longitudinal eye diameter. Palpi short [T8][T14].
sculptureFace with weak concentric rugae[T8].
color
antenna
shape ♀Antennae equal in length to head and mesosoma combined, thickened behind the middle, with dorsoventraliy depressed segments in apical part. 3rd segment 2.5 times as long as wide; apical antennal segments weakly transverse, dorsally depressed [T8][T14]. Length of several apical segments equal to their width [T14].
shape ♂
color
mesosoma
shapeMesosoma 1.3 times longer than high. Propodeum with weak transverse carina and small obtuse lateral teeth [T8][T14].
sculpture
color
legs
shapeHind femur 4 times longer than wide. Hind tibiae slightly thickened from basal third. Inner spur on hind tibia as long as half length of 1st hind tarsal segment. Hind tarsi short, much shorter than tibiae, with 5th segment somewhat shorter than 2nd and much longer than 3rd [T8]. Hind tibiae thickened, sharply narrowed in their basal third, distinctly longer than hind tarsus [T14].
sculpture
colorHind tibiae brown, yellowish ventrally, darkened apically and slightly darkened at base. Apices of fore femora, fore and middle tibiae yellowish-brown [T8]. Hind tibia brown, only ventrally, yellowish in middle [T14].
wings
shape1-R1 somewhat shorter than pterostigma (18 : 19). Marginal cell twice as large as Sm2. 3-SR slightly shorter than r, 4 times shorter than SR1, twice as short as 2-SR; SR1 straight. 1-CU1 = 0.4 times cu-a [T8].
colorWings weakly and regularly darkened, pterostigma and veins brown.
metasoma
shapeMetasoma ovate, dorsally semicircular in apical third, strongly narrowed from the middle to base, reflexed apically by 0.13 - 0.15 its length, 1.55 times longer than wide, 2.3 times as long as its maximal (in apical third) height [T8][T14].
sculptureMetasoma with numerous longitudinal rugae reaching its apical third [T8][T14].
color
♀ ovipositorOvipositor concealed.
♂ aperture
other info
distributionRussia (Novgorod region); Netherlands, Turkey [T14].
remarksThis species is closely related to M. contractus (Nees, 1816); differs in thickened hind tibiae abruptly narrowed in basal third and having no distinct Iightly colored belt, short metasoma strongly narrowed from the middle to base, and head straightly narrowed behind eyes and in lower part [T8].
hosts
type description
Microchelonus kirvus Tobias, sp. n.
This species is closely related to M. contractus (Nees, 1816); differs in thickened hind tibiae abruptly narrowed in basal third and having no distinct Iightly colored belt, short metasoma strongly narrowed from the middle to base, and head straightly narrowed be-hind eyes and in lower part.
Female. Body length 2.9 mm. Head nearly recti-linearly narrowed behind eye, 1.1 times wider than pronotum, obliquely rectilinearly narrowed down-wards anteriorly, twice as wide as long, I.I times wider than high. Tempora 1.4 times longer than eye, slightly longer than transverse eye diameter (10 : 9). Base of ocellar triangle longer by ocellus diameter than the distance from hind ocellus to eye. Space be-tween hind ocelli 3.5 times more than ocellus diame-ter. Longitudinal eye diameter 1.5 times longer than transverse one, 2.3 times longer than gena height. Face 1.7 times as wide as high, 1.2 times wider than longi-tudinal eye diameter. Palpi short. Antennae equal in length to head and mesosoma combined, thickened behind the middle, with dorsoventraliy depressed segments in apical part. I st flagellar segment 2.5 times as long as wide; apical antennal segments weakly transverse, dorsally depressed. mesosoma 1.3 times longer than high. Propodeum with feeble transverse cylinder and very weak obtuse-angled protruding denticles. Anterior margin of radial cell somewhat shorter than pterostigma (18 : 19). Radial cell twice as large as radiomedial one. 2nd segment of radial vein slightly shorter than 1st, 4 times shorter than 3rd, twice as short as 1st radiomedial vein; 3rd segment straight. Nervulus shifted from basal vein to a distance of 0.4 nervulus length. Hind femur 4 times longer than wide. Hind tibiae slightly thickened from basal third. Inner spur on hind tibia as long as half length of 1st hind tarsal segment. Hind tarsi short, much shorter than tibiae, with 5th segment somewhat shorter than 2nd and much longer than 3rd. metasoma dorsally semicir-cular in apical third, strongly narrowed from the mid-dle to base, reflexed apically by 0.13 its length, 1.55 times longer than wide, 2.3 times as long as its maxi-mal (in apical third) height. Ovipositor concealed.
Body with dense regular not coarse sculpture, face with weak concentric rugae. Tempora with thin abun-dant longitudinal rugae extending to their posterior third.
Coloration black. Hind tibiae brown, yellowish ventrally, darkened apically and slightly darkened at base. Apices of fore femora, fore and middle tibiae yellowish-brown. Wings weakly and regularly dark-ened, pterostigma and veins brown.
Holotype: ♀ , Novgorod Region, vill. Tychkino, 20 km NW of Pestovo, 5.VIII.1991 (V. Tobias).
The species' name originated from the name of the Kirva River flowing near the type locality.
Data used in the multi-access key
These data are collected from the species descriptions and redescriptions, from published figures and photographs and from own measureements and observations. For a description of the different variables and value classes see this
pdf.
| morphology |
| basic information | female | male |
| body length (mm): | (2.1) 2.1 - 2.9 (3) | (2.1) 2.1 - 2.9 (3) |
| number of antennal segments: | 16 | --- |
| head, dorsal view |
| Head width : length | narrow | narrow |
| Temples narrowing - widening | narrowing | narrowing |
| Eye length : temple length | <= 0.75, 0.75 - 1.0 | <= 0.75, 0.75 - 1.0 |
| Roundness temple | medium, weak, very weak | medium, weak, very weak |
| POL : OD | 2 - 3, 3 - 4 | 2 - 3, 3 - 4 |
| Ocellar triangle shape | narrow | narrow |
| Excavation of head | > 35% | > 35% |
| head, lateral view |
| Head height : length | --- | --- |
| Eye height : length | very short | very short |
| Temple length : eye length | --- | --- |
| head, frontal view |
| Head width : height | very narrow | very narrow |
| Face width : height | narrow | narrow |
| Eyes converging ventrally | --- | --- |
| EH : MSL | --- | --- |
| Clypeus width : height | --- | --- |
| Clypeus extending above bottom of eyes | --- | --- |
| Tentorial pits | --- | --- |
| Shape of lower margin clypeus | --- | --- |
| antennae |
| Antennal shape | clearly widened | filiform, not widened |
| Segment 3 length : width | short, medium | --- |
| Penultimate segment length : width | short | --- |
| Length of antenna : length of body | 2: short | --- |
| mesosoma, lateral view |
| Length : height | short | short |
| transverse carina | weak, indistinct | weak, indistinct |
| lateral teeth | weak, small, short | weak, small, short |
| mesosoma, ventral view |
| Prepectal carina lamelliform | indistinct | indistinct |
| legs |
| Hind femur length : width ratio | long | long |
| Hind tibia length : hind tarsus length ratio | long | long |
| Hind tibia (longest) spur length : metatars length ratio | long | long |
| wings |
| Vein 1-R1 length : pterostigma length | medium, long | medium, long |
| Vein r length : vein 3-SR length | short | short |
| Shape vein SR1 (straight / concave / convex) | straight or S-shaped | straight or S-shaped |
| S-shape vein SR1 | not S-shaped | not S-shaped, apically convex |
| cell M : cell Sm2 | Sm2 medium, Sm2 small | Sm2 medium, Sm2 small |
| Pterostigma length : width ratio | medium | medium |
| Angle between radial vein (r) : vein 1-R1 | sharp, medium | sharp, medium |
| metasoma, dorsal view |
| Length : width ratio of metasoma | short | short |
| Shape of metasoma | tapering to base | tapering to base |
| metasoma, lateral view |
| Length : height ratio of metasoma | short | short |
| posterior : anterior height ratio of metasoma | --- | --- |
| Position of maximum height | medium-posterior, posterior | --- |
| metasoma, ventral view |
| Metasoma posteriorly curved forwards | just/slightly incurved, (distinctly) incurved | just/slightly incurved, (distinctly) incurved |
| male apical aperture |
| Aperture width : metasoma width | no aperture | small, medium, large |
| Aperture shape | n. a. | (nearly) round, oval, elongate - slit |
| Median process shape | n. a. | --- |
| sculpture |
| head |
| general coarseness | fine | fine |
| clypeus |
| coarseness punctation | --- | --- |
| density punctation | --- | --- |
| face |
| sculpture type | rugose | rugose |
| sculpture direction | diagonal/concentric | diagonal/concentric |
| vertex and temple |
| sculpture type | --- | --- |
| mesonotum |
| sculpture type | --- | --- |
| scutellum |
| middle | --- | --- |
| lateral | --- | --- |
| metasoma |
| base - mid sculpture | longitudinally rugose / rugose-striate | longitudinally rugose / rugose-striate |
| sculpture at apex | rugulose | rugulose |
| coarse / fine boundary | mid (50 - 70%) | mid (50 - 70%) |
| color |
| head |
| mandibles color pattern | --- | --- |
| palpi, lightest color | --- | --- |
| antennae |
| scapus, lightest color | black, dark brown | black, dark brown |
| segment 3 and 4, lightest color | black, dark brown | black, dark brown |
| legs |
| fore coxae lightest colour | dark | dark |
| fore femur lightest colour | medium light | medium light |
| fore femur color pattern | tip light | tip light |
| hind femur lightest colour | dark | dark |
| hind femur color pattern | entirely dark | entirely dark |
| hind tibia lightest colour | medium light | medium light |
| hind tibia color pattern | narrow light ring | narrow light ring |
| hind basitarsus lightest colour | dark | dark |
| hind tarsus segment 2-3 lightest colour | dark | dark |
| wings |
| middle veins lightest colour | medium dark | medium dark |
| basal veins lightest colour | medium dark, medium light | medium dark, medium light |
| metasoma |
| metasoma colour pattern | entirely dark | entirely dark |
| metasoma lightest colour | dark | dark |
| metasoma base, colour pattern | entirely dark | entirely dark |
| metasoma base, light spots | n.a. | n.a. |
| metasoma base, light band | n.a. | n.a. |
Chelonus kirvus in published keys
T14: Tobias, 2010
Palearctic species of Microchelonus Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Cheloninae): key to species.
