Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield, 2020

Dabek, Elizabeth Zhu, Whitfield, James B., Hallwachs, Winifred & Janzen, Daniel H., 2020, Two new reared species of Heteropteron Brulle (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cardiochilinae) from northwest Costa Rica, with the first definitive host records for the genus, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 77, pp. 151-165 : 151

Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield sp. nov.

Figs 2 , 3 , 4 , 5

Material examined.

Holotype: Female, Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Sector Orosí, Intersección Mata Redonda, el. 565 m, 10.99574, -85.4948, 29-V-2009; 09-SRNP-13270, DHJPAR0062136 (no sequence), host Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . Deposited in USNM.

Paratypes: 12 females (09-SRNP-13220, 09-SRNP-13321, 09-SRNP-13425, 09-SRNP-13337, 09-SRNP-13380, 09-SRNP-13290, 09-SRNP-13395, 09-SRNP-13322, 09-SRNP-13306, 09-SRNP-13446; 09-SRNP-13265, 09-SRNP-13421), 14 males (09-SRNP-13436, 09-SRNP-13341, 09-SRNP-13457, 09-SRNP-13399, 09-SRNP-13272, 09-SRNP-13267, 09-SRNP-13285, 09-SRNP-13307, 09-SRNP-13409, 09-SRNP-13359, 09-SRNP-13305, 09-SRNP-13391, 09-SRNP-13254, 09-SRNP-13451), all same data as holotype, no successful barcodes . 4 females (96-SRNP-1218, 96-SRNP-1208, 96-SRNP-1211, 96-SRNP-1214), 2 males (96-SRNP-1212, 96-SRNP-1215), same data as holotype except el. 445m, 10.94106, -85.50822, 01-V-1996 , no successful barcodes. 1 female (05-SRNP-45258), 1 male (05-SRNP-45272), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Orosi , Casona Orosi , el. 310 m, 10.95045, -85.54173, 24-V-2005 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . 2 females, Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Orosi , Estacion Maritza , el. 570 m, 10.95922, -85.49514, 23-III-2005 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Orosi , Puente Sontoli , el. 245 m, 10.95119, -85.5975, 30-IV-2008 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . 7 females (02-SRNP-13449, 02-SRNP-13488, 02-SRNP-13521, 02-SRNP-13517, 02-SRNP-13470, 02-SRNP-13501, 02-SRNP-13477), 7 males (02-SRNP-13507, 02-SRNP-13461, 02-SRNP-13453, 02-SRNP-13502, 02-SRNP-13500, 02-SRNP-13320, 02-SRNP-13510), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Santa Elena , Quebrada Nance , el. 310 m, 10.86669, -85.64933, 22-VIII-2002 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . 1 female (02-SRNP-13036), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Santa Elena , Canyon Draga , el. 280 m, 10.87974, -85.65374, 4 -VIII-2002 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . 1 female (04-SRNP-24239), 1 male (04-SRNP-24740), COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector El Hacha, Puedra Duende , el. 450 m, 11.011, -85.54459, 16-IX-2004 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana ; 2 females (11-SRNP-20911, 11-SRNP-20987), 1 male (11-SRNP-20988), same data but 31-V-2011 . 1 female (98-SRNP-4871), 1 male (98-SRNP-4862), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Sector El Hacha, La Guitarra, el. 355 m, 10.99378, -85.52108, 7-VI-1998 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana ; 1 male (98-SRNP-4537), same data except 24-II-1998 . 1 male, Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector El Hacha, Estacion Los Almendros , el. 290 m, 11.03226, -85.52776, 9-VII-2013 (host listed as incorrect in database) . 1 female (09-SRNP-21074), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector El Hacha, Genova , el. 210 m, 11.02335, -85.60596, 9-IV-2009 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . 2 males, Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector El Hacha, Qurebrada Pitahaya , el. 320 m, 11.01182, -85.53168, 11-IX-2013 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . 1 male (06-SRNP-13274), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Santa Rosa , Aguacaliente , el. 250 m, 10.9303, -85.60297, 9-V-2006 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana ; 1 female (11-SRNP-13207), same data except 9-V-2011 ; 1 female, same data except 6-III-2005 . 1 female (11-SRNP-55002), Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Mundo Nuevo , Cerro Gongora Pelado , el. 740 m, 10.76307, -85.41332, 2-I-2011 , ex Stenoma cathosiota on Roupala montana . Deposited in USNM, CNC, INHS, Museo Nacional de Costa Rica , Hymenoptera Institute (116 Franklin Ave, Redlands, CA 92373) .

Body length excluding head.

Average male, 7.5 mm; average female, 8.0 mm.

Body color (Fig. 3 ): Mesosoma pale except anterior propleuron dark, head black, metasoma variable with majority (31/42 specimens) with terga 6-8 dark, 1-5 pale. Antenna color: scape, pedicel, and flagellum dark. Coxa, trochanter, trochantellus dark. Forefemur variably pigmented, ventrally dark toward center. Tibia, tarsus, tibial spurs light. Pretarsus and tarsal claws dark, aroliar pad dark (Fig. 5D ). Wings alternately banded light and dark (Figs 3A, B , 4C ).

Head. Epistomal sulcus present, lightly impressed. Setose except vertex and occiput, sparsely so on clypeus. Setae light yellowish in color. Clypeus weakly and evenly convex. Clypeus 1.9 × broader than high, 2.1 × length of malar space. Clypeal margin truncate. Scape 2 × longer than broad, inner side deeply excised apically, base 2.2 × narrower than broadest point. First flagellomere 2.8 × as long as broad.

Face (Fig. 4A ) 1.6 × broader than high. Galea dark, 1.5 × longer than wide. Glossae light, bilobed, similar in shape to galea: semicircular distally. Frons smooth, deeply excavated, excavation extending longitudinally from base of antennae to vertex and transversely from inner margin of left eye to inner margin of right eye. Frons dorsally with Y-shaped shallow ridge, with branches terminating immediately anteriorad median ocellus (Fig. 4B ). Ocelli elevated within excavation with some setae. Small ridge evident at antennal base. Antenna with 36-37 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma. Pronotal collar unsculptured except for marginal ridges anteriorly and posteriorly with visible setal pits, lateral pronotum sculptured ventrally, reaching mesopleuron and dark in color, dorsally transitioning to light color with groove reaching subalar depression. Notauli smooth, incomplete, distinct anteriorly, evanescent posteriorly, extending about half length of mesoscutum; mesoscutum smooth, about as broad as long, flattened dorsally in lateral view, medial lobe bulging anteriorly, sparsely covered with brownish yellow setae.

Scutellum triangular, smooth, flat in lateral view, lateral areas bare and smooth. Posterior end of scutellum margined by ridge (Fig. 3A ).

Metanotum smooth. Propodeum smooth, areola with complete longitudinal furrow, narrowing anteriorly, margined by weak carinae; pilosity moderate with high abundance in vicinity of spiracles. Setae near areola 10 × longer than distance between adjacent setae; spiracles 1.8 × longer than wide. Sternaulus indistinct, episternal scrobe present, sometimes weakly indented, not extended to sternaulus. Subalar depressions smooth with median carina forming obtuse angle. Subalar prominence tapering posteriorly to pleural sulcus, smooth, convex. Pleural sulcus with double grove. Posterior margin of mesopleuron smooth. Mesopleuron (Fig. 5A ) smooth, lightly setose ventrally. Metapleuron with distinct dorsal-ventral groove originating halfway down the dorsal edge of the metapleuron and ending at the posterior end of the ventral margin (forming distinct anterior and posterior separation), dorsoposterior of metapleuron setose, setae yellow.

Legs. Hind tibia gradually broadening distally, distal end 1.8 × as broad as proximal end. Hind femur 5 × as long as broad distally. Hind basitarsus same length as tarsomeres 2-5 combined, inner spur of hind tibia half the length of basitarsus. Second tarsus of fore leg 1.4 × longer than broad, fifth tarsus of foreleg 1.6 × longer than broad; second tarsus of mid leg 1.7 × longer than broad, fifth tarsus of mid leg 1.7 × longer than broad; second tarsus of hind leg 1.7 × longer than broad, fifth tarsus of hind leg 1.5 × longer than broad. Tibial spines, up to 12, generally> 6 in two alternating rows, variable in number and pattern. (Fig. 5C ).

Wings. Forewing 1.15 × longer than body. Pterostigma elongate, issuing r from its middle. Second submarginal cell long. Color pattern as in Fig. 4C .

Metasoma. First tergite 1.25 × broader posteriorly than long. Third tergite 1.2 × as long as second tergite. Second latero-tergite well visible in dorsal view (Fig. 3A ). All tergites polished. Hypopygium narrow laterally, tapering to rounded tip ventrally (Fig. 5B ). Exserted ovipositor sheath as long as tarsomeres 1-5 combined, dark on posterior side.

Cocoon.

Elongate, silk light tan externally and white internally, spun within the cocoon of its host (Fig. 2 ).

Host.

Caterpillars of Stenoma cathosiota ( Depressariidae ) (Fig. 1A ) on Roupala montana ( Proteaceae ).

Etymology.

Heteropteron kidonoi is named in honor of Dr. Hiroshi Kidono (retired) of Japan International Collaboration Agency (JICA), who first came to ACG in 1992 and has since then, and hopefully many years more, been a major supporter of all aspects of ACG, ranging from financing to Hesperiidae taxonomy to female parataxonomists to international conservation biopolitics.

Diagnosis.

This new species differs from H. fasciipennis most obviously in having a yellowish orange (in older specimens occasionally somewhat brownish) mesosoma rather than mostly blackish. From H. hasegawai , described below, it can be distinguished by its slightly to significantly darker yellowish portions of the metasoma (Figs 3 , 5A ), more acutely pointed hypopygium tip (Fig. 5B ), more numerous and differently arranged small spines on the mid tibia (Fig. 5C ), and the dark tarsal arolia (Fig. 5D ).

Figures

Figure 1. A live photo of Stenoma cathosiota caterpillar, host of Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield, sp. nov. B live photo of Carthara abrupta DHJ 02 caterpillar, host of H. hasegawai Dabek & Whitfield, sp. nov.

Figure 2. Cocoon of Stenoma cathosiota, cut open to show (opened) cocoon of H. kidonoi spun within.

Figure 3. Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield A dorsal habitus B lateral habitus.

Figure 4. Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield A frontal view of face B dorsal view of frons and occiput, showing y-shaped ridge C wings, showing banding pattern.

Figure 5. Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield A lateral view of mesosoma B lateral view of hypopygium tip and ovipositor with sheaths C tibial spines D last tarsal segment, showing pectinate claws and dark arolium.