A new species and two new records of Athalia leach Hymenoptera Tenthredinidae from China

A new species of Athalia from Qinghai Province, China is described: Athalia minor Wei sp. nov.. Athalia arunachalensis Saini et Vasu, 1997 and Athalia sikkimensis (Benson, 1932) are two new records for China. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the Insect Collection of Central South Forestry University, Changsha, Hunan, China. 1. Athalia minor Wei, sp. nov. (Figs. 1~6) Body length 5.0~6.0 mm; body yellow brown, head black, clypeus, labrum and basal half of mandible yellow white, central part of prescutum, propleuron, posterior part of mesoscutellum, posttergite, parapsis, metanotum, central part of the first abdominal tergite and sheath black; legs yellow brown, apex of each tibia, larger part of each tarsomeres black; wings hyaline, stigma, veins C and Sc+R black, other veins pale brown. Clypeus truncate at anterior margin with distinct lateral corner; malar space slightly shorter than diameter of an ocellus; middle fovea indistinct; antenna 11-segmented, the 7th segment longer than broad; hind tibial spur as long as apical breadth of tibia, claw simple without inner tooth; petiole of hind anal cell 1.3 times longer than cu-a; body impunctate. This new species is a member of Athalia cordata group and is allied to A. picta Benson and A. hummeli Benson. It differs from A. picta in body smaller, the female serrulae strongly protrudent and acute at apex with 5-6 finer inner subbasal teeth and usually without outer subbasal tooth, the subgenital plate with a distinct middle process and deep lateral incisions, and sheath long and narrow. It differs from A. hummeli in body smaller, the female serrulae stronglyprotrudent and acute at apex with 5-6 inner subbasal teeth and usually without outer subbasal tooth, and penis valve different. Holotype: ♀, Menyuan, Qinghai, China, 3 200 m, 14-Ⅶ-1989, WEI Mei-cai; paratypes: 7♀♀7♂♂, Fengxiakou, Menyuan, Qinghai, China, 3 200 m, 13~14- Ⅶ-1989, WEI Mei-cai. Other specimens: 3♀♀, Yushu, Qinghai, China, 3 750 m, 03-Ⅶ-1964, WANG Shu-yong. 2. Athalia arunachalensis Saini et Vasu, 1997, new record to China (Fig. 7) Specimens examined. 27♀♀11♂♂, Lage, Motuo, Tibet, China, alt. 3 300 m, 09-Ⅷ-2003, WEI Mei-cai, XIAO Wei coll.; 7♀♀1♂, Mt. Duoxiongla, Tibet, China, 3 500 m, 08-Ⅷ-2003, WEI Mei-cai, XIAO Wei coll.; 1♀, A’nicai, Motuo, Tibet, China, 3 000 m, 10-Ⅷ-2003, WEI Mei-cai; 1♀, Motuo, Tibet, China, 3 000 m, 18- Ⅷ-2003, WEI Mei-cai; 1♀, Bayi, Linzhi, Tibet, 2 900 m, 04-Ⅷ-2003, WEI Mei-cai. 3. Athalia sikkimensis (Benson, 1932), new record to China (Fig. 8) Specimens examined. 1♀1♂, Lower Yadong, Yadong, Tibet, China, 2 800 m, 27-Ⅷ-2003, XIAO Wei coll..