Meteorus zitaniae Jones

Jones, Guinevere Z. & Shaw, Scott R., 2012, Ten new species of Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Ecuador reared at the Yanayacu Biological Center for Creative Studies, Zootaxa 3547, pp. 1-23 : 19-20

Meteorus zitaniae Jones , new species

( Figs 45–48 )

Holotype Female. Body length 4.0 mm; fore wing length 4.0 mm.

Body color: Orange head with ocellar patch dark brown, dark malar sutures and dark outline around perimeter of eyes; body dorsally dark brown, cream ventrally; mandibles cream with brown teeth; forecoxae cream; fore tibia light brown; wings transparent dark brown with brown venation; petiole anteriorly white, transitioning to dark brown posteriorly; second tergite brown, cream on ventral side sublimating dorsally to dark brown; ovipositor cream with light brown sheath.

Head: Antenna with 33 flagellomeres; flagellar length/width ratios as follows: F1 = 2.5; F2 = 2.3, F3 = 2.7, F31 = 2.0, F32 = 1.5, F33 = 3.2; ocelli large, OCOD 1.2 X OCD; eyes nearly parallel with the face’s maximum width/minimum width ratio 1.1; eyes large, head height 1.4 X eye height; minimum face width nearly equal to width of clypeus; malar space 3.3 X longer than mandible width; mandibles strongly twisted; clypeus finely rugose and convex; face and frons smooth; complete occipital carina.

Mesosoma: Mesonotal lobes slightly defined, mainly through coloration, median lobe orange and lateral lobes dark brown; notauli lightly furrowed; pronotum and metapleuron smooth; mesopleuron foveolate; propodeum rugose.

Legs: Hind coxae smooth; tarsal claws simple.

Wings: Vein 3 RSa 0.4 X longer than vein r; vein (RS + M)b absent at 2RS insertion point.

Metasoma: Ovipositor long, 2 times longer than first tergite; first tergite longitudinally costate, lines parallel.

Variation of paratype females. Three female paratypes; body length 4.0–5.0 mm; antennal flagellomeres 26–34.

Variation of paratype males. Four male paratypes; body length 4.0–5.0 mm; lighter brown dorsally; tergites one and two white medially.

Cocoon. Dark brown; ovoid; heavily baled and densely clustered; corpus 5.0 mm long; cap 2.0 mm long.

Material examined.

Holotype female: Ecuador: Napo Province, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with database number YY #14028, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 18 April 2006, Plot 209, parasitoid pupation date unknown, adult wasp emerged 15 June 2006, host caterpillar Megalopygidae : Macara alydda , host plant Euphorbiaceae : Alchornea pearcei . Deposited in UWIM.

Paratypes: Ecuador: Napo Province, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with database number YY #14028, 3 females, 4 males, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 18 April 2006, Plot 209, parasitoid pupation date unknown, adult wasp emerged 15 June 2006, host caterpillar Megalopygidae : Macara alydda , host plant Euphorbiaceae : Alchornea pearcei . Reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with database number YY #21272, 5 females, 2 males, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 11 May 2007, Yanayacu Road, parasitoid pupation date unknown, adult wasp emergence date unknown, host caterpillar Megalopygidae : Macara alydda , host plant Euphorbiaceae : Acalypha sp. Deposited in UWIM.

Distribution. Known only from the type localities in Napo Province, Ecuador.

Biology. Meteorus zitaniae is a gregarious species ovipositing in the megalopygid Macara alydda Druce ( Fig. 48 ). The host caterpillars were collected while feeding on Alchornea pearcei (Euphorbiaceae) for YY #14208 and an undetermined Acalypha spp . ( Euphorbiaceae ) for rearing YY #21272. Rearing #14208 yielded 8 wasp larvae, which as adults is 4 males and 4 females. Rearing #21272 had 25 wasp larvae emerge from the host, which then produced 5 adult females and 2 adult males.

Etymology. This species was named in honor of Dr. Nina Zitani , the expert on Costa Rican Meteorus and my graduate program predecessor. Without her research, this treatment would have been much more difficult. Also, her practical advice in realms other than taxonomy has been very insightful and helpful.

Comments. The only other record of a Meteorus reared from a megalopygid is the Costa Rican M. rubens Zitani (1998) . Meteorus rubens is also a gregarious parasitoid, and yielded a similar-sized rearing (to YY #21272) with 30 wasp larvae. Meteorus zitaniae is morphologically most similar to M. imaginatus , with large ocelli and eyes, non-black heads, and long ovipositors. Meteorus zitaniae can be distinguished from M. imaginatus by its orange head, furrowed notauli, and its host caterpillar is a megalopygid.

Figures

FIGURES 42 – 45. 42. — Lateral habitus of Meteorus quasifabatus, new species: holotype female; 43. — Face of Meteorus quasifabatus, new species: holotype female; 44. — Dorsal view of mesosoma of Meterorus quasifabatus, new species: holotype female; 45. — Host of Meteorus quasifabatus, new species: Praeamastus minerva watkinsi Rothschild (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae).

FIGURES 46 – 49. 46. — Lateral habitus of Meteorus zitaniae, new species: holotype female; 47. — Face of Meteorus zitaniae, new species: holotype female; 48. — Dorsal view of Meteorus zitaniae, new species: holotype female; 49. — Host of Meteorus zitaniae, new species: Macara alydda Druce (Lepidoptera: Megalopygidae)