Leptodrepana atalanta Dadelahi & Shaw

Dadelahi, Samin D., Shaw, Scott R., Aguirre, Helmuth & Almeida, Luis Felipe V. de, 2018, A taxonomic study of Costa Rican Leptodrepana with the description of twenty-four new species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae), ZooKeys 750, pp. 59-130 : 69-72

Leptodrepana atalanta Dadelahi & Shaw sp. n. Figs 7-13

Diagnosis.

The carapace apex terminates in a single point; carapace black with yellowish white area baso-medially covering dorsal carinae. A wide shallow notauli and a wide band at precoxal sulcus formed by at least two shallow foveate grooves. The mesopleuron and propodeum are entirely orange, and the baso-median patch of yellowish white on the carapace does not extend to the lateral margins of the carapace.

Holotype female.

BL 3 mm; FWL 2.26 mm; CL 1.36 mm; CW 0.36 mm; CL/CW 3.7.

Description.

Color. Head black/brown, mandibles mostly yellowish brown but black/brown basally and apically; palpi yellowish white; antennae brown except scape, pedicel and first flagellomere (basal) yellowish white; mesosoma orange; legs mostly yellow, hind leg with brown areas apically on coxa and femur and white patch laterally on femur, tibia with distinct pattern: linear white ellipse ringed in brown visible dorsally running most of tibial length; wings suffused with light yellow/brown pigmentation except a small linear obfuscate area perpendicular to base of stigma in first discal cell; venation brown but veins 1M, RS+Ma, 2RS and 2M yellow or light brown; carapace black with yellowish white area baso-medially covering dorsal carinae.

Head. HW 0.9 mm; HL 0.78 mm; HW/HL 1.15; Face, genae, vertex and ocellar triangle rugulose-punctate; frons depressed, coarsely punctate with fine parallel lineation transverse to median carinae; clypeus weakly punctate and apical margin rounded; occipital carina complete.

Mesosoma. Pronotum foveate antero-laterally to weakly areolate-rugose postero-laterally; propleuron weakly areolate-rugose; mesoscutum medially with irregular parallel pitted grooves between notauli; notauli wide and shallow anteriorly; mesonotal lobes granulate-punctate; scutellar sulcus with 5 well-defined depressions, all longer than wide; scutellar disc punctate; mesopleuron anteriorly rugose and remainder deeply foveate especially at and posterior to precoxal sulcus; propodeum coarsely areolate-rugose with distinct transverse carina raised into small roughly equal medial and lateral flanges.

Metasoma. Carapace areolate-rugose basally graduating to coarsely rugulose-punctate at apex; apex terminating in single small point visible in dorsal and lateral views.

Variation of paratype females. Color: carapace with baso-medial yellowish white area not present, greatly reduced to two patches discrete to dorsal carinae or prominent covering basal half of carapace. Head: frons greatly depressed and rugose-punctate. Mesopleuron deeply foveate forming a wide pitted groove at precoxal sulcus; carapace apex rounded. HW 0.78-1 mm; HL 0.65-0.88 mm; HW/HL 1.14-1.2; BL 2.4-3.3 mm; FWL 1.86-3 mm; CL 1.12-1.6 mm; CW 0.32-0.44 mm; CL/CW 3-3.7.

Variation of paratype males. Similar to females except antennae with 25-26 flagellomeres tapering apically; ventral cavity distal carapace apex.

Material examined.

Holotype female: PUNTARENAS, Golfo Dulce 3 km SW Rincon, 10 m, iii–v.1989. (P. Hanson) [UWIM]. Paratype females: 2♀♀, GUANACASTE, Est. Pitilla, 9 km S Santa Cecilia 700 m, iv.1989 (I. Gauld); 1♀, same data except ix.1988 (I. Gauld); 1♀, same province except Arenal W side Volcan Cacao, 900 m 1988-1989; 1♀, HEREDIA, Puerto Viejo OTS, La Selva, 100 m, iv.1991; 1♀, same province Chilamate 75 m, v.1989; 1♀, same data as holotype; 1♀, same data as holotype except xii.1989-iii.1990; 3♀, same data as holotype except iii–v.1989; 1♀, same data as holotype except iii.1993; 2♀, same data as holotype except 24 km W Piedras Blancas, 200 m, vi–viii.1989; 2♂, same data except xii.1989-iii.1990; 1♂, same data except 15 km W Piedras Blancas, 100 m, xii.1990; 3♀, same province, Rd. to Rincon, 24 km W Pan. Amer. Hwy, 200 m, iii–v.1989 (P. Hanson & I. Gauld); 2♀, same province, Pen. Osa, 8 km S Rio Rincon, Coopemarti, 30 m, ii.1991; 3♀, same data except 23 km N Pto. Jimenez, La Palma, in large trees, 10 m, viii–ix.1991; 1♀, same province, P. N. Corcovado, Est. Sirena, 50 m, iv–viii.1989; 1♀, same data except 0-100 m, iii.1991 (G. Fonseca) L-S-270500,508300 [INBio]; 2♀, SAN JOSE, Ciudad Colon, 800 m, iv–v.1990 (L. Fournier).

Remarks.

Leptodrepana atalanta is similar to and may be confused with L. schuttei . They are similar in color and the carapace apex of both species terminates in a single point. Leptodrepana atalanta may be distinguished from L. schuttei by the presence of wide shallow notauli and a wide band at precoxal sulcus formed by at least two shallow foveate grooves. The mesopleuron and propodeum are entirely orange, and the baso-median patch of yellowish white on the carapace does not extend to the lateral margins of the carapace. The notauli of L. schuttei are narrow and there is a scrobiculate groove present at the precoxal sulcus. The posterior mesopleuron and the propodeum are black. The basal third of the carapace is completely yellowish white.

Etymology.

This species name stems from the Greek Atalante , one of the Argonauts noted for her fleetness of foot.