Heterospilus alajuelus Marsh

Marsh, Paul M., Wild, Alexander L. & Whitfield, James B., 2013, The Doryctinae (Braconidae) of Costa Rica: genera and species of the tribe Heterospilini, ZooKeys 347, pp. 1-474 : 32-33

Heterospilus alajuelus Marsh sp. n. Figure 12

Female.

Body size: 3.0-4.0 mm. Color: head yellow to light brown; scape yellow without lateral brown stripe, flagellum brown with apical 3-5 flagellomeres white; mesosoma dark brown with mesoscutum and venter usually yellow or honey yellow; legs yellow; wing veins including stigma brown; metasomal tergum 1 dark brown, tergum 2 brown laterally, yellow medially and apically; tergum 3 brown, yellow basally, terga 4-6 yellow, brown at basal edge. Head: vertex transversely costate; frons transversely costate; face smooth, occasionally weakly striate below eyes; temple in dorsal view somewhat broad but sloping behind eye, width equal to 1/2 eye width; malar space greater than 1/4 eye height; ocell-ocular distance about 2.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus; 22-27 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: mesoscutal lobes granu late; notauli scrobiculate, meeting posteriorly in triangular rugose area; scutellum smooth; prescutellar furrow with 3-5 cross carinae; mesopleuron smooth, occasionally costate dorsally or entirely; precoxal sulcus scrobiculate, shorter than mesopleuron; venter smooth; propodeum with basal median areas margined, smooth, basal median carina present, areola margined, areolar area broadly rugose or areolate, lateral areas entirely rugose. Wings: fore wing vein r shorter than vein 3RSa, vein 1cu-a beyond vein 1M; hind wing vein SC+R present, vein M+CU shorter than vein 1M. Metasoma: first tergum longitudinally costate, length greater than apical width; second tergum longitudinally costate; anterior transverse groove weak, sometimes absent, straight; posterior transverse groove weak or sometimes absent; third tergum costate basally, smooth apically; terga 4-7 smooth; ovipositor longer than metasoma.

Holotype female.

Top label (white, printed) - Costa Rica: Alajuela [;] 5km W San Ramon [;] 1200m, iv.1997 [;] O.Castro & P.Hanson; second label (red, partially printed and hand written) - HOLOTYPE [;] Heterospilus [;] alajuelus [;] P. Marsh. Deposited in ESUW.

Paratypes.

1 ♀, same data as holotype (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Alajuela [;] R. B. A. Brenes [;] San Ramon, 900m [;] ii-iii.2000, P. Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Guanacaste Prov. [;] Guanacaste Conservation Area [;] below Cacao, 400-600m el. [;] 3 March 1990, J.S. Noyes (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Limon [;] 30km N Carari, 100m [;] Sector Cocori, Malaise [;] iii.1995, E. Rojas #4524 [;] L.N. 286000-567500 (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] San Vito, Estac. Biol. [;] Las Alturas, 1500m [;] v.1992, Forest border, [;] Malaise, Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA, Puntarenas [;] Monteverde, 1400m [;] 30-IV-89 Col. Hanson (ESUW). 2 ♀♀, Est. Cacao,1000-1400m, [;] Lado SO Vol. Cacao, [;] P.N.G., Prov. Guan. [;] COSTA RICA, C. [;] Chaves, Abr 1991. [;] L-N-323300,375700 (INBC).

Comments.

The smooth face, smooth mesopleuron and white tip of the flagellum are distinctive for this species.

Etymology.

The specific name is from the type locality located in Alajuela Province.