Holotype, ♀ (ZUH), “S. China: Hunan, nr Zhangjiajie, Badagong Mts, Bamaoxi, 2–3.VI.2009, 540 m, Xi-Ying Li, RMNH’09”. Paratype, 1 ♀ (RMNH), same label data.

Malar suture absent and malar space short (Fig. 310); clypeus medium-sized (Fig. 309); second submarginal cell of fore wing medium-sized (Fig. 305); setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.1-0.2 times as long as hind tibia; pronope small and round (Fig. 313); second and third tergites smooth; first metasomal tergite longitudinally costate-striate (Fig. 307); anterior groove of metapleuron smooth; propodeum largely finely vermiculate-rugose or -rugulose (Fig. 307); clypeus slightly protruding medially (Fig. 309); apical half of first tergite widened apically (Fig. 307); occipital carina remaining far removed from hypostomal carina (Fig. 310).

Holotype, ♀, length of body 2.4 mm, of fore wing 2.8 mm.

Head. Antenna with 34 segments and 1.5 times as long as fore wing; length of third segment 1.3 times fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 4.0, 3.2, and 2.7 times their width, respectively (Fig. 312); length of maxillary palp 1.1 times height of head; labial palp segments normal, elongate; occipital carina remain far hypostomal carina, crenulate and dorsally absent (Fig. 310); hypostomal carina medium-sized; length of eye in dorsal view 2.8 times temple; frons glabrous, smooth, without pit medially, slightly convex laterally and in front of anterior ocellus; face smooth, rather convex, medially weakly elevated (Fig. 309); width of clypeus twice its maximum height and 0.6 times width of face; clypeus flattened, with some punctures and its ventral margin protruding forwards, thin and convex (Fig. 309); hypoclypeal depression rather large (Fig. 309); malar suture entirely absent and malar space comparatively short; mandible not widened basally, with long and non-protruding ventral carina (Fig. 310).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.2 times its height; dorsal pronope small and round (Fig. 313); pronotal side mainly smooth, but oblique groove distinctly crenulate anteriorly and posterior groove absent (Fig. 304); epicnemial area smooth dorsally; precoxal sulcus only medially impressed, distinctly crenulate and rather wide (Fig. 304); remainder of mesopleuron and pleural sulcus smooth; anterior groove of metapleuron smooth; notauli absent on disc, only anteriorly indicated by shallow depressions (Fig. 306); mesoscutum glabrous except for a few setae along imaginary notaulic courses; medio-posterior depression of mesoscutum absent; lateral carina of mesoscutum absent anteriorly and area (as notauli area anteriorly in lateral view) finely rugulose; scutellar sulcus distinctly crenulate; scutellum smooth and flattened; surface of propodeum largely finely vermiculate-rugose or -rugulose, without distinct carinae (Fig. 307).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 305): pterostigma wide elliptical, narrowed apically; 1-R1 reaching wing apex and 1.3 times as long as pterostigma; r:3-SR:SR1 = 2:32:74; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 21:32:8; 1-M nearly straight; SR1 slightly curved; m-cu subinterstitial or slightly antefurcal; cu-a subinterstitial; first subdiscal cell closed, CU1b short. Hind wing (Fig. 305): M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 5:5:2; cu-a straight; m-cu absent.

Legs. Length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.1, 9.6 and 5.0 times as long as wide, respectively; hind femur and tibia with long setae (Fig. 308).

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.1 times its apical width, its surface rather convex but flattened medially and largely longitudinally costate-striate, dorsal carinae up to apex of tergite, slightly sinuate (Fig. 307); second and following tergites smooth, division of second with third tergite slightly elevated; length of setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.11 times fore wing and 0.4 times hind tibia; apex of hypopygium rather acute (Figs 304, 311).

Colour. Blackish-brown; palpi, mandible, malar space, temple ventrally, tegulae and legs (except infuscate telotarsi) whitish or pale yellowish; clypeus, scapus, propleuron, pronotal side ventrally, second and fourth to sixth tergites, metasoma ventro-apically partly yellow; face, frons medially, mesopleuron, mesosternum (but largely darkened) and metapleuron, brownish-yellow; first tergite largely and remainder of antenna dark brown; third and fourth tergites, pterostigma and veins brown; metasoma ventro-basally pale brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Molecular data. COI, 16S, 28S (CVA4250).

Variation. The paratype female is very similar to the holotype, length of body 1.9 mm, of fore wing 2.4 mm; antenna with more than 31 segments (apical segment(s) missing).

*China (Hunan).

Unknown.

Name derived from “vermiculus” (Latin for “small worm”) and “ferum” (suffix in Latin meaning carrying or having), because of the densely rugose or rugulose propodeum.

The new species runs in the key by Chen and Weng (2005) to Phaedrotoma osculas (Weng & Chen, 2005) comb. n.Phaedrotoma vermiculifera differs by having the malar space comparatively short (Fig. 298), half as long as the basal width of the mandible (0.7 times in Phaedrotoma osculas), the surface of the propodeum largely finely vermiculate-rugose or -rugulose (Fig. 296), without distinct carinae (smooth anteriorly and with pair of carinae posteriorly), the length of the mesosoma 1.2 times its height (1.4 times) and the length of maxillary palp 1.1 times height of head (1.3 times).