Alphomelon mikesharkeyi Fernandez-Triana & Shimbori, 2023

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Shimbori, Eduardo M., Whitfield, James B., Penteado-Dias, Angelica M., Shaw, Scott R., Boudreault, Caroline, Sones, Jayme, Perez, Kate, Brown, Allison, Manjunath, Ramya, Burns, John M., Hebert, P. D. N., Smith, M. Alex, Hallwachs, Winnifred & Janzen, Daniel H., 2023, A revision of the parasitoid wasp genus Alphomelon Mason with the description of 30 new species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), ZooKeys 1175, pp. 5-162 : 5

Alphomelon mikesharkeyi Fernandez-Triana & Shimbori sp. nov.

Figs 51A-F , 100A

Type material.

Holotype. Costa Rica • Female, CNC; Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, Medrano, 11°00'57.67"N, 85°22'49.91"W, 380m; 10.III.2012; ex. Parphorus decora ; coll. Minor Carmona; Voucher code: DHJPAR0049235; Host voucher code: 12-SRNP-65197.

Paratypes. Costa Rica • 6 females, 1 male, CNC; CNC308750, CNC308751 (additional specimens in a gel capsule associated with that specimen), DHJPAR0038114, CNC958833, CNC958834, CNC958835 (additional specimens in a gel capsule associated with that specimen), DHJPAR0002292 (additional specimens in a gel capsule associated with that specimen).

Distribution.

Costa Rica (ACG).

Biology.

Gregarious, reared from Parphorus decora , Quasimellana servilius , and Quasimellana Burns01.

DNA barcoding.

BINBOLD:AAJ2210.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Dr. Michael (Mike) Joseph Sharkey, for his intense interest in conducting the taxonomy of ACG and Costa Rican Braconidae making use of DNA barcode information for identifications.

Diagnostic description.

White patch on gena: extending to occiput and onto clypeus. Tegula/humeral complex color: white/yellow or. Mesonotum color: mostly dark brown to black. Metasoma color: mostly black or dark brown. Tarsal claws spines: 2 or 3. Pterostigma shape: comparatively less elongate, its length ≤ 2.5 × its central height and usually more rounded with at least one of its lower margins curved. T1 sculpture: weakly sculptured along margins. T1 central ridge: marked by weak carina. T2 sculpture: entirely to mostly smooth. Ovipositor sheaths length: shorter than first segment of metatarsus/longer than first segment of metatarsus. Body length: 3.3-3.6 mm. Fore wing length: 3.4-3.5 mm.

Figures

Figure 51. Alphomelon mikesharkeyi Fernandez-Triana & Shimbori holotype female DHJPAR 0049235 A habitus, lateral B head, frontal C wings D antenna, lateral E propodeum and metasoma, dorsal F head and mesosoma, dorsal.

Figure 100. Parasite cocoons and caterpillars A Alphomelon mikesharkeyi 09 - SRNP- 72362 - DHJ 474249 B Alphomelon nanosoma 15 - SRNP- 31923 - DHJ 728702.