Polynema ( Polynema )? gracile (Nees, 1834)

Polynema ( Polynema)? gracile (Nees, 1834) View in CoL

Fig. 12 View Figure 12

Eutriche gracilis Nees, 1834: 197. Walker 1846: 52; Foerster 1847: 217–218; Hincks 1950: 181. View in CoL

= Polynema ovulorum View in CoL L. (synonymy Graham 1973).

Polynema britteni Hincks, 1950: 185. Synonymy by Graham 1973: 363. View in CoL

Polynema gracile (Nees): Graham 1973: 363. View in CoL

Polynema ( Polynema) gracile (Nees): Triapitsyn and Fidalgo 2006: 60–61; Schuppenhauer and Triapitsyn 2018: 162, 166–167. View in CoL

Material examined.

• 1 ♀ ( ICXU), China, Xinjiang, Xinyuan , 43°13'24"N, 83°21'17"E, 8.VIII.2017, Hongying Hu et al., sweeping GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Female. Body length 1200 μm ( n = 1). Antenna (Fig. 12 A View Figure 12 ) with scape smooth, 2.5 × as long as pedicel; clava with six mps. Mesoscutum (Fig. 12 B View Figure 12 ) smooth. Forewing with discal microtrichia (Fig. 12 C View Figure 12 ) very long, irregularly arranged and extending proximally to approximately mid-length of submarginal vein. Metacoxa (Fig. 12 D View Figure 12 ) in lateral view shorter than petiole; ovipositor (Fig. 12 D View Figure 12 ) barely protruding beyond apex of gaster.

Male. Unknown.

Hosts.

Unknown.

Distribution.

China ( Xinjiang); Europe.

Comments.

The morphological characteristics of this specimen align closely with Schuppenhauer and Triapitsyn’s (2018) redescription of P. gracile , sharing key features including consistent body coloration, similar body length (1200–1400 μm vs 1200–1390 μm), a smooth antennal scape, F 2 being the longest funicular segment, ventral sickle-shaped sensilla on F 5 and F 6, a short propodeal median carina, and a slightly exposed ovipositor. Minor variations include the mesoscutum being smooth (lacking the faint reticulation noted by Soyka), the clavomeres bearing six mps instead of seven (likely due to observational variation), and a slightly higher ratio of longest marginal fringe seta to maximum wing width (0.8 vs 0.63–0.71 in the European specimens). Given the fundamental consistency in the core traits – coloration, antennal segmentation pattern, propodeal structure, forewing proportions, etc. – and the presence of some minor differences, this specimen is tentatively identified as P. gracile .