Review of the Pachyprotasis flavipes group (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from China with descriptions of two new species

The flavipes group of Pachyprotasis Hartig, 1837, with twenty-four species recognized in China, is reviewed. This number includes two newly described species, Pachyprotasis rufodorsata sp. nov., from Sichuan, Hubei, Ningxia, and Shaanxi provinces, and Pachyprotasis nigritarsalia sp. nov., from Hunan province. The mesopleuron and metapleuron of the two new species are reddish-brown, distinguishing them from other similar species of the P. flavipes group. Thirty-four species of this group have been recorded from China, one species (P. variegate Fallén, 1808) was found to be widespread throughout Europe and Siberia, twenty-four were originally described from the China and Burma-Yunnan frontier, eleven from India, and five from Japan. A key to the species of this group from China is provided.

Male . Body length 8 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: V-spot on median mesoscutal lobe narrower; posterior part of terga 1-8 each with a medial triangular white spot; ventral side of each coxa with irregular black spot; antennomeres strongly compressed.
Male . Body length 6.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: median mesoscutal lobe only white on apex; central part of mesepisternum with white spot; hind legs white, without red macula, apical 2/5 of metafemur, metatibia, metatarsus black; antennomeres strongly compressed.  Variation. Body length of female 9.0-9.5 mm and male 6.5-7.0 mm.
Punctures on labrum and clypeus sparse, indistinct; punctures on dorsal part of head minute and shallow, surface between punctures with dense microsculpture and with very faint opaque general lustre; punctures on mesonotum minute and dense, sub-shining; punctures on upper part of mesepisternum sparse and small, while ones on lower part extremely minute and shallow, surface between punctures polished, microsculpture indistinct, strongly shining; outer side of mesepimeron with distinct sculptures, sub-shining; punctures on metapleuron minute and shallow, sub-shining; lateral part of mesoscutellum with a few shallow and minute punctures, lustre indistinct; punctures on terga sparse, minute and shallow, surface between punctures with microsculptures and oily luster; punctures on outer side of hind coxae minute, shallow and indistinct. Male. Body length 7.0 mm (Figs 75-80). Color and structure similar to female, except: apex of median mesoscutal lobe white, lateral mesoscutal lobe with a small central white spot, apex of metepisternum white; legs white, outer part of metacoxa with reddish-brown spot, inner and outer part of metafemur each with a reddish-brown spot on apex, basal 1/3 of metatibia yellowish-brown, apical 2/3 of metatibia, hind tarsomere 1, 2 and apex of tarsomere 5 black; antennomeres strongly compressed; gonoforceps and penis valve as in Figs 81-82.
Etymology. The specific epithet, "rufodorsata", refers to the red notum, which is observed in both sexes of the new taxon. Diagnosis. This species is close to P. rufodorsata sp. nov. in general appearance, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: median and mesoscutal lobe black, lateral part and a central spot on lateral mesoscutal lobe reddish-brown; mesepisternum without white horizontal band; metatarsus black, without red macula; flagellomere 1 shorter than flagellomere 2; punctures on mesepisternum large, distinct.
Description. Holotype female (Figs 83-86). Body length 9.0 mm. Body black, with white pattern as follows: lateral part of clypeus, supraclypeal area, lower 1/4 of inner orbit continuous with lower 1/8 of hind orbit, venter of scape, tegula, central band on mesoscutellum, outer margin of mesepimeron, apical half of metepisternum, upper corner and apical half of metepimeron, narrow triangular spots on all posterior parts of terga, all of laterotergites, all posterior parts of sternites, lower part of basal sheath; reddish-brown are: posterior margin of pronotum, lateral margin of lateral mesoscutal lobe continuous with parapsis, spot on lateral mesoscutal lobe, lateral part of mesoscutellum and mesopostnotum, lateral part of metanotum, mesepisternum, central spot on mesepimeron; labrum and clypeus yellowish-brown. Legs yellowish-brown, with yellowish-white pattern as follows: fore and middle coxae, trochanters and base of femora, metatrochanter, metafemora except inner and outer bands on apex; apical 2/9 of metatibiae and whole metatarsus black. Wings hyaline, veins C, R1, 2r and stigma pale brown, other veins black.
Labrum large and with squarely pointed anterior margin; clypeus roundly incised to 1/3 of its middle length, lateral lobes a little blunt; malar space as long as diameter of median ocellus; inner margins of eyes slightly convergent downwards (Fig. 87); supra-antennal tubercles inconspicuous, frontal area indistinctly elevated, as high as level of eyes in lateral view, frontal ridges blunt; median fovea ditch-like, shallowly reaching median ocellus, supra-antennal pit shallow; interocellar furrow wide and a little deep, postocellar furrow shallow; postocellar area elevated, broader than long by 13:8, lateral furrows deep and slightly divergent backwards; head distinctly narrowed behind eyes (Fig. 88). Antenna longer than thorax and abdomen together, flagellomere 1 slightly shorter than flagellomere 2 by 38:41. Mesoscutellum prismatically elevated, lateral carina acute, mesoscutellar appendage with acute middle carina on basal half and blunt one on apical half. Metatarsomere 1 longer than following 4 tarsomeres together, claw with inner tooth longer than outer tooth. Front wing with middle petiole of anal cell shorter than length of basal anal cell, but longer than 2 times vein R+M; petiole of anal cell on hind wing distinctly longer than half of vein cu-a.
Punctures on labrum and clypeus sparse, minute and shallow; punctures on dorsal part of head minute and shallow, slightly dense, surface between punctures with microsculpture and oily lustre; punctures on mesonotum and lower part of mesepisternum minute and dense, shining; punctures on upper part of mesepisternum moderate, surface between punctures with distinct oily lustre and microsculpture; outer part of mesepimeron with distinct sculptures, sub-shining, inner part polished, punctures absent, microsculpture indistinct; punctures on metapleuron minute, shallow and indistinct, surface between punctures with oily lustre; center of mesoscutellum polished without punctures, lateral part with a few large and shallow punctures, strongly shining; mesoscutellar appendage with distinct microsculpture, shining; punctures on terga sparse, minute and shallow, surface between punctures with microsculptures and oily luster; punctures on outer side of hind coxa minute, shallow and indistinct.
Ovipositor sheath longer than middle tarsomere 1 and round in lateral view, apical sheath distinctly longer than basal sheath ( Etymology. The specific epithet, "nigritarsalia", refers to the black metatarsus.

Pachyprotasis parasubtilis Wei, 1998 Figs 113-130
Pachyprotasis parasubtilis in Wei & Nie, 1998a Diagnosis. Female (Figs 113-122). Body length 10.0 mm. This species is similar to P. subtilis Malaise in general appearance, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: antenna shorter than thorax and abdomen together; metatibia and metatarsus black, without red; metacoxa red; this species is also close to P. lineatifemorata Wei & Nie in general appearance, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: outer side of metafemur with black band only at basal half; base of each serrula distinctly elevated.
Male (Figs 123-130). Body length 9.0 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: fore and middle legs white, outer side of coxae with black spot, dorsal side with black stripe from base of femora to claws; hind legs black, trochanter and basal 3/5 of femur white, full length of femur with white stripe on dorsal side, outer side of trochanter and base of femur with black stripe; antennomeres strongly compressed.  Diagnosis. Female (Figs 131-140). Body length 12.0 mm. This species can be distinguished from other similar species of the P. flavipes group by the following characters: inner and hind orbit white, area between antennal sockets white; lateral part of median mesoscutal lobe with broad yellowish-white "V" spot; mesopleuron black, anterior part with a white spot, central part white; terga black, central parts of terga 2-6 and areas adjacent to spiracles each with a triangular white spot; metacoxa yellowish-brown, outer part with a large yellowish-white spot on base, apex with large black spot, metafemur and metatibia reddish-brown, apex of metatibia black, hind tarsomere 1 yellowish-brown, tarsomeres 2-5 yellowish-white.
Male (Figs 141-148). Body length 10.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: apex of metafemur and basal half of hind tarsomere 1 black, antennomeres strongly compressed.

Pachyprotasis rufinigripes
Diagnosis. Female. Body length 9.0 mm. This species can be distinguished from other similar species of the P. flavipes group by the following characters: metacoxa reddish-brown, outer part with a white spot on base, metafemur and metatibia reddish-brown, apex of metatibia black; face of antennal socket black, inner and hind orbit black, lower 1/4 white; mesopleuron black, anterior part sometimes with a small white spot; terga black, central parts of terga 1-7 each with a triangular white spot on apex; punctures on mesepisternum coarse and irregular; anal cell of hind wing sessile.
Diagnosis. Female (Figs 159-168). Body length7.0 mm. This species can be distinguished from other similar species of theP. flavipes group by the following characters: mesopleuron black, anterior part sometimes with a small white spot; terga black, without distinct spot; metacoxa white, ventral side with large black spot, basal 1/5 of metafemur white, apical 4/5 reddish-brown, metatibia entirely reddish-brown, metatarsus white, basal part of tarsomere 1 and apex of tarsomere 5 black; punctures on mesepisternum large and deep.
Male (Figs 169-176). Body length 6.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: fore and middle legs white, without red; antennomeres strongly compressed.

Pachyprotasis henanica
Male (Figs 227-234). Body length 8.0 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: middle femur white, without red; hind legs black, only apical 3/4 of femur reddish-brown on ventral part, white are: apex of coxa, trochanter, inner and ventral part of femur on basal 1/4, apex of tarsomere 1 to base of tarsomere 5; antennomeres strongly compressed.
Variation. Body length of female 8.  Male (Figs 263-270). Body length 7.0 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: tegula white, apex black; fore and middle legs white, outer base of coxae, dorsal side of femora to tarsi with narrow black stripes, metacoxa blackish-brown, dorsal part reddish-brown; antennomeres strongly compressed.

Pachyprotasis acutilabria Wei, 1998
Figs 271-288 Pachyprotasis acutilabria in Wei & Nie, 1998a Diagnosis. Female (Figs 271-280). Body length 8.0 mm. This species can be distinguished from other similar species of the P. flavipes group by the following characters: mesepisternum white, upper corner black; terga black, central part of each tergum with a white triangular spot; hind coxa reddish-brown, basal 1/3 of femur white, apical 2/3 reddish-brown, tibia and tarsus yellowish-brown, apex of them black; labrum clearly longer than wide, strongly acute toward apex; median fovea ditch-like, deeply extending to median ocellus; punctures on mesepisternum extremely minute, shallow, indistinct; antenna very slender.
Male (Figs 281-288). Body length 7.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female, except: tegula white except extreme apex, which is black; hind femur white, without red; outer part of coxa and femur, inner part of femur on apical 2/5 each with a black band; tibia with pale yellow ring near apex;antennomeres strongly compressed.