Chelonus minutus

Chelonus minutus

authorCosta 1884

synonyms

body

shape3 mm [C1][Te1]. 3.0-3.5 mm [T14]. 3.0 - 3.5mm [P16]. ♂ 3.0 - 3.2mm [P3].

colorblack, punctate-rugose [C1]

head

shapeMalar space 2-3 times shorter than longitudinal eye diameter. Head no more than 1.25 times wider than mesonotum [T11]. The head is rounded-narrowed behind the eyes, its width is twice its length. Temples from above 1.3 times as long as [shorter than ?] eye. POL 3 times diameter of ocellus, slightly shorter than OOL. The width of the face is twice its height. The malar space is twice the basal width of the mandible [T14]. Head in dorsal view (fig. 4) transverse, twice broader than long, eye one-third longer than temple, latter rounded, occiput excavated. Ocelli small, distance between fore and a hind ocellus twice as long as diameter of fore ocellus, POL almost thrice as long as greatest diameter of hind ocellus; POL somewhat shorter than OOL. Eye in lateral view twice as high as wide, temple ventrally broadening so that its greatest width one-fourth greater than eye (fig. 6). Malar space twice as long as basal width of mandible. In frontal view genae less rounded thus head apparently transverse (fig. 5). Clypeus twice as wide as high. Face (without clypeus) distinctly twice as wide as high, inner margin of eyes parallel (Fig. 1,2). Head behind (i.e. occiput and temple) margined [P16]. Temple in dorsal view rounded [P3].

sculptureClypeus punctate [C1]. The head is rugose, with more or less developed transverse rugae, but in front with few transverse rugae [T14]. Head densely rugose with more or less striate elements, head behind (before margin) finely and transversely strio-rugose (fig. 4) [P16]. Head above rugo-rugulose, along hind margin finely striated [P3].

colorMandibles reddish-brown [C1]. Mandible and palpi brownish yellowish [P16]

antenna

shape ♀Apical segments no longer than wide, others less than two times as long as wide, and basal ones usually at most 2-3 times as long as wide. Preapical antennal segments much longer than wide [T11]. Antennae equal to the total length of the head, mesosoma, and one-third of the metasoma; length of 3rd segment 3 times its width, preapical segment almost twice its width [T14]. Antenna as long as head, mesosoma and anterior quarter of metasoma, with 16 joints. Third segment three times as long as broad, further joints gradually shortening and slightly attenuating so that penultimate joint clearly twice as long as broad [P16].

shape ♂Antenna as long as head, mesosoma and anterior half of carapace, with 19 segments [P16].

color♀: Scape and pedicel rusty, flagellum brownish black. ♂: Scape and pedicel blackish rusty [P16].

mesosoma

shapePropodeum with short teeth [C1]. The length of the mesosoma is 1.6-1.7 times its height. Propodeum without transverse carina or sometimes with weak carina, always without longitudinal rugae in front of carina or in front of propodeum [T14]. Mesosoma in lateral view 1.6-1.7 times as long as high [P16]. Propodeum with strong teeth [Te1].

sculptureMesonotum finely cellular, without longitudinal rugae [T11]. Mesonotum rugose, scutellum slightly rugose or punctate, more or less shining. Propodeum with anterior part irregularly rugose, without coarse cellular sculpture [T14]. Mesosoma strongly rugose as is usual for Microchelonus species. Scutellum rugulose or punctate, more or less shiny [P16]

color

legs

shapeHind femur 3.6–3.8 times as long as wide. The hind tibia are shorter than the hind tarsus [T14]. Hind femur 3.6 - 3.8 times as long as broad. Hind tibia thickening distally and apically almost as broad as femur; hind tarsus just longer than tibia [P16].

sculpture

colorFore tibiae and tarsi whitish, base of hind tibiae and tarsi whitish [C1]. At least hind femora black or dark-brown [T11]. Legs brownish to light brownish, hind tibia dark-colored, hind basitarsus yellowish at base [T14]. Legs brownish to light brownish, coxae blackish, hind basitarsus basally yellowish [P16].

wings

shapeStrongly shortened radial cell of fore wing (1-R1 2.3 - 3.0 times shorter than pterostigma). Radial vein runs at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of pterostigma, with r no longer, or slightly longer, than 3-SR [T11]. 1-R1 is half as long as the pterostigma [T14]. Fore wing as long as head, mesosoma and half metasoma. Pterostigma (fig. 7) 2.3 - 2.4 times as long as wide, issuing radial vein clearly distally from its middle: r shorter than 3-SR, SR1 three times as long as 3-SR and ending far before tip of wing; 1-R1 somewhat less than half as long as length of pterostigma; m-cu. interstitial [P16]. 1-R1 half as long as pterostigma, r and 3-SR of equal length (fig. 13) [P3].

colorThe wings are light [T14]. Wings hyaline, pterostigma opaque brownish, veins below pterostigma brownish, otherwise yellowish [P16].

metasoma

shape♀ [♂?] Metasoma near apex with a transverse fissure [C1]. Carapace 1.8 times as long as wide [T11]. Metasoma slightly widened towards apex, apically slightly bent forward, 1.8 times as long as wide [T14]. ♀: Carapace in dorsal view 1.8 times as long as broad, broadening posteriorly (fig. 9); in lateral view slightly higher behind than basally (fig. 11); ventrally weakly incurved, i.e. ventral cavity nearly as long as carapace itself and apically hardly pointed (fig. 10). Basal pair of keels short. ♂: Carapace in dorsal view 1.8-1.9 times as long as broad, slightly less broadening posteriorly than that of female [P16].

sculptureBase of metasoma with longitudinal reticulate striae [C1]. Metasoma with distinct longitudinal rugae in basal half [T11]. The anterior half of the metasoma is not roughly longitudinally rugose, the posterior half is slightly rugose, from slightly shining to matte [T14]. Anterior half of carapace longitudinally strio-rugose, posteriorly rugose-rugulose, subshiny to dull [P16]. Base longitudinally rugose [Te1].

colorCarapace without yellow basal spots [T11]. Metasoma brownish, with brownish-yellow bordering [T14]. Carapace with faint dark rusty suffusion, ventral margin of carapace brownish-yellowish [P16].

♀ ovipositorOvipositor sheaths slightly shorter than 1st segment of hind tarsus [T14]. Ovipositor sheath short, in lateral view shorter than hind basitarsus [P16].

♂ apertureApical aparture 3.5-4 times wider than high (fig. 8) [P16]. Large aperture [Te1].

other info

distributionCH, DE [FE].

remarks

hostsArgyresthia praecocella Zeiler (Yponomeutidae), Pammene pontica Obraztsov (Tortricidae)

figures

fig. 1: ♂ head, dorsal view (Papp 2004)	fig. 2: part of fore wing (Papp 2004)	fig. 3: ♂ metasoma, posterior view (Papp 2004)
fig. 4: ♀ head, dorsal view (Papp 1989)	fig. 5: ♀ head, frontal view (Papp 1989)	fig. 6: ♀ head, lateral view (Papp 1989)
fig. 7: ♀ distal part of fore wing [?] (Papp 1989)	fig. 8: ♂ metasoma, posterior view (Papp 1989)	fig. 9: ♀ metasoma, dorsal view (Papp 1989)
fig. 10: ♀ metasoma, ventral view (Papp 1989)	fig. 11: ♀ metasoma, lateral view (Papp 1989)

references

code	reference	type of info
C1	Costa 1884	T
P16	Papp 1989	kRf
P3	Papp 2004	k9f
Te1	Telenga 1941	dk
T11	Tobias 1997a	k
T14	Tobias 2010	dk
FE	van Achterberg 2021	Fauna Europaea
legend:	Type description \| Redescription \| description \| in key \| comment \| nom. nov. \| figure(s) \| photo(s)

links

Fauna Europaea

photos

type description

Costa 1884

Chelonus minutus, nob.

Ch. niger opacus, punctato-rugosus, clypeo nitidulo punctulato, abdomine basim versus longitudinaliter plicato-subreticulato, metathorace breviter bidentato, mandibulis rufo-ferrugineis; tibiis tarsisque anticis, tibiarum et tarsorum posticorum basi albidis.-Long. mill. 3.

♀ abdomine prope apicem rima transversa notato.

Affine al lugubris, Wesm. Diverso pel metatorace appena bidentato pel colorito de' piedi. Il maschio ha l'addome posteriormente un po' rigonfiato, ampio, intero.

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):	(2.9) 2.9 - 3.5 (3.6)	(2.9) 2.9 - 3.5 (3.6)
number of antennal segments:	16	19
head, dorsal view
Head width : length	wide	wide
Temples narrowing - widening	parallel	parallel
Eye length : temple length	1.0 - 1.25, > 1.25	1.0 - 1.25, > 1.25
Roundness temple	medium	medium
POL : OD	2 - 3, 3 - 4	2 - 3, 3 - 4
Ocellar triangle shape	very narrow, narrow	very narrow, narrow
Excavation of head	<15%, 15 - 25%	<15%, 15 - 25%
head, lateral view
Head height : length	short	short
Eye height : length	short, long	short, long
Temple length : eye length	short	short
head, frontal view
Head width : height	very wide	very wide
Face width : height	wide	wide
Eyes converging ventrally	distinctly converging, about parallel	distinctly converging, about parallel
EH : MSL	very short, short	very short, short
Clypeus width : height	semicircular, transverse	semicircular, transverse
Clypeus extending above bottom of eyes	below	below
Tentorial pits	very small	very small
Shape of lower margin clypeus	convex	convex
antennae
Antennal shape	---	filiform, not widened
Segment 3 length : width	short, medium	---
Penultimate segment length : width	medium, long	---
Length of antenna : length of body	2: short, 3: long	3: long
mesosoma, lateral view
Length : height	medium, long	medium, long
transverse carina	absent, weak, indistinct	absent, weak, indistinct
lateral teeth	weak, small, short, present, well developed	weak, small, short, present, well developed
mesosoma, ventral view
Prepectal carina lamelliform	indistinct	indistinct
legs
Hind femur length : width ratio	medium, long	medium, long
Hind tibia length : hind tarsus length ratio	short	short
Hind tibia (longest) spur length : metatars length ratio
wings
Vein 1-R1 length : pterostigma length	short	short
Vein r length : vein 3-SR length	short	short
Shape vein SR1 (straight / concave / convex)	straight or S-shaped, slightly convex	straight or S-shaped, slightly convex
S-shape vein SR1	not S-shaped	not S-shaped
cell M : cell Sm2	Sm2 large	Sm2 large
Pterostigma length : width ratio	short, medium, long	short, medium, long
Angle between radial vein (r) : vein 1-R1	medium, blunt	medium, blunt
metasoma, dorsal view
Length : width ratio of metasoma	medium	medium
Shape of metasoma	widest towards apex	widest towards apex
metasoma, lateral view
Length : height ratio of metasoma	medium, long	medium, long
posterior : anterior height ratio of metasoma	small	small
Position of maximum height	medium, medium-posterior	medium-posterior, posterior
metasoma, ventral view
Metasoma posteriorly curved forwards	(almost) not incurved, just/slightly incurved	(almost) not incurved, just/slightly incurved
male apical aperture
Aperture width : metasoma width	no aperture	small, medium
Aperture shape	n. a.	oval, elongate - slit
Median process shape	n. a.	---
sculpture
head
general coarseness	---	---
clypeus
coarseness punctation	punctate	punctate
density punctation	---	---
face
sculpture type	rugose	rugose
sculpture direction	---	---
vertex and temple
sculpture type	striate-rugulose, transverse rugulose	striate-rugulose, transverse rugulose
mesonotum
sculpture type	notauli indistinct	notauli indistinct
scutellum
middle	punctate	punctate
lateral	rugulose, rugose / striate	rugulose, rugose / striate
metasoma
base - mid sculpture	striate-rugose, longitudinally rugose / rugose-striate	striate-rugose, longitudinally rugose / rugose-striate
sculpture at apex	rugose, rugulose	rugose, rugulose
coarse / fine boundary	base (to 50%)	base (to 50%)
color
head
mandibles color pattern	entirely light	entirely light
palpi, lightest color	light brown, brownish yellow	light brown, brownish yellow
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 dark, medium light	medium dark, medium light
fore femur color pattern	entirely light	entirely light
hind femur lightest colour	dark	dark
hind femur color pattern	entirely dark	entirely dark
hind tibia lightest colour	dark, medium light, light	dark, medium light, light
hind tibia color pattern	entirely dark, narrow light base, wide light base	entirely dark, narrow light base, wide light base
hind basitarsus lightest colour	medium light	medium light
hind tarsus segment 2-3 lightest colour	medium dark	medium dark
wings
middle veins lightest colour	medium dark, medium light	medium dark, medium light
basal veins lightest colour	light	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 minutus in published keys

T11: Tobias 1997a

Microchelonus species of the group M. contractus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with very short radial cell from southern Russia and adjacent territories.

P3: Papp 2004

A revision of Szépligeti's Microchelonus species described from Hungary (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae).

P16: Papp, 1989

Redescription of Microchelonus minutus (A. Costa, 1884), comb. n. (Hymenoptera, Braconidae).

T14: Tobias, 2010

Palearctic species of Microchelonus Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Cheloninae): key to species.