Epsilogaster faviolae, Valerio, A. A. & Whitfield, J. B., 2002

Valerio, A. A. & Whitfield, J. B., 2002, Epsilogaster faviolae, a new species of Mendesellinae from Colombia (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Zootaxa 41, pp. 1-7 : 3-6

Epsilogaster faviolae sp. nov. ( Figs. 1­7 )

FEMALE ( Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 ) ­ Body color: mainly bright yellowish brown; with antennal flagellomeres dark brown; eyes silver; ocelli light yellow; scape and pedicel with dorsal and posterior areas brownish­yellow as well as mandible tips, inter ocellar area, hind and middle leg tarsomeres, hind leg distal 1/3 of tibia (remainder of legs yellow as metasoma). Metasomal terga 1 and 2 as yellow as mesosoma with remainder terga and sternites less bright and sclerotized, lateral metasomal membranes whitish. Body length= 5.76 mm; fore wing length= 3.52 mm.

Head ( Fig. 1 ): head height/compound eye height = 1.2; head height/compound eye length = 1.60; length of first antennal flagellomere = 0.24 mm; length of first antennal flagellomere/width of first antennal flagellomere = 4.75; length of first antennal flagellomere/length of second antennal flagellomere = 1.19; length of first antennal flagellomere/ length of third antennal flagellomere = 1.27; distal flagellomere length/width of distal flagellomere = 3.25; intertentorial pit distance = 0.18 mm; ocello­ocular distance = 0.11 mm; distance between torulus and anterior tentorial pit = 0.288 mm; face width at dorsal edge of clypeus = 0.37 mm. Antenna with 36 flagellomeres; face nitid, with widely scattered punctate sculpturing; eyes large and densely setose; vertex and mediodorsal area of occiput with scattered punctate sculpturing, remainder of occiput and gena with more well defined and denser punctate sculpturing; ocelli forming an equilateral triangle.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 3 ): mesosomal length/mesosomal width = 1.44, mesosomal height = 1.68 mm; hind tibia length/hind tibia maximum width = 7.66; propleural mainly nitid with scattered punctate sculturing, distal edge with a small ridge; pronotum ventral edge with widely spaced and weak transverse carinae that is more defined and cristate anteriorly, and forming an "V" shape area in anterior view, posterior edge with confused areolate sculpturing, dorsal edge nitid; mesonotum evenly setose and with weak finely punctate sculpturing throughout; notaulus conspicuously foveate throughout, foveae becoming larger posteriorly ( Fig. 3 ); scutellar sulcus wide, crossed by six large costulae; scutellum subtriangular, without posterior apico­medial pits or sculpturing, centrally with a few punctures associated with setae; anteromedial area of metanotum with two subcircular pits, remain­ der with transverse carinae; axillary troughs of mesonotum with transverse carinae except lateral nitid area; mesopleuron nitid except sternaulus in anteromedial area crossed by 3 weak but broad costulae, subalar area with scattered cristate/lineate sculpturing present; metapleuron with episternal area nitid, epimeral area ringed by areolate­rugose sculpturing, centrally with barely discernible fine punctate sculpturing; propodeum with subparallel mid­longitudinal carinae joining anteriorly to form an areola, remainder with a series of transverse carinae, one or more of which pass through the areola.

Metasoma ( Figs. 4, 5, 6 , 7 ): distal width of tergum 1/ basal width of tergum 1 = 2.5; length of tergum 1/ distal width of tergum 1 = 3.33; hypopygium length = 0.75 mm; ovipositor length/hind tibial length = 1.52; first metasomal tergum: dorso­lateral carinae without dorsal carinae; basal 1/2 with weak sculpturing, laterally with more or less contiuous sublateral longitudinal carinae and two lobelike flanges near spiracles ( Fig. 7 ); second tergum with middle arm of "E"­shaped structure reaching edge of third tergum and as sclerotized as tergum 1, internal areas of E shaped structure contrastingly nitid and weakly sclerotized; third tergum with medial longitudinal area more sclerotized in a short band posterior to middle arm of second tergum E­shaped structure.

MALE ( Figs 4, 6 )­ Body length = 3.28­3.30 mm; fore wing length = 3.12­3.20 mm; head height/compound eye height = 1.10­1.11; head height/compound eye length = 1.47­ 1.54; length of first antennal flagellomere = 0.22 mm; length of first antennal flagellomere/width of first antennal flagellomere = 3.0; length of first antennal flagellomere/length of second antennal flagellomere = 1.20­1.50; length of first antennal flagellomere/length of third antennal flagellomere = 1.29­1.30; distal flagellomere length/width of distal flagellomere=1.67­2.66; intertentorial pit distance = 0.18 mm; ocello­ocular distance = 0.13 mm; distance between torulus and anterior tentorial pit = 0.25­0.28 mm; face wide at dorsal edge of clypeus = 0.35­0.36 mm; mesosomal length/mesosomal width= 1.28­1.46, mesosomal height = 0.56­0.68 mm; hind tibia length/hind tibia maximum width = 7.0­ 7.81; distal width of tergum 1/ basal width of tergum 1 = 2.21­2.25; length of tergum 1/ distal width of tergum 1 = 3.23­3.27.

Similar to female except that the number of antenna flagellomeres is 35, the scutellar sulcus crossed by 5 (instead of 6) large costulae, and the propodeum usually with more of the transverse cariae passing through areola.

Material examined. ­ HOLOTYPE: female, COLOMBIA, Vinchada PNN, Tuparro, Cerros Tomas, 5°21' N / 67°51' W, 140 m, Malaise trap, 19­29/vi/2000. Col. W. Villalba. PARATYPES: 3 males, same data as holotype. Holotype and 2 paratypes deposited in Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Villa de Leyva, Colombia; other paratype deposited in U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.

Comments.­ This species is the only known Epsilogaster species with infuscate wings. There are other species of mendeselline braconids with infuscate wings, they belong to the genus Mendesella .

Etymology.­ Gender: feminine. The present species is named in honor of Faviola Alfaro Villalobos; "buenaso he!"

Figures

FIGURE 7. Epsilogaster faviolae Valerio & Whitfield sp. nov., anterior metasomal tergites, dorsal view.

FIGURES 1 ­ 6. Epsilogaster faviolae Valerio & Whitfield sp. nov. 1, female, head, anterior view; 2, wings; 3, mesoscutum and scutellum, dorsal view; 4, posterior of mesosoma, including propodeum, and anterior metasoml tergites, dorsal view; 5, female habitus, lateral view; 6, male, lateral view.