Epsilogaster fullertoni, Pitz, Kevin M., 2004

Pitz, Kevin M., 2004, Epsilogaster fullertoni, a new species of Epsilogaster Whitfield and Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Mendesellinae) from Florida, USA, Zootaxa 716, pp. 1-7 : 4-5

Epsilogaster fullertoni n. sp.

Etymology — named in honor of Stuart Fullerton, for his enthusiastic development of the “Bug Closet” insect collection at the University of Central Florida..

Description — Holotype female ( Figure 2 )

Length: 1.95mm. Color: light yellowish brown except brown as follows: pedicel laterally and posteriorly; flagellomeres, inter­ocellar area, apex of teeth of mandibles, forewing veins, metasomal tergita 4–7, tarsal claws, ovipositor sheaths. Eyes silver. Wings hyaline. Head: head height/compound eye height = 1.39; head height/compound eye length = 3.00; length of first flagellomere = 0.16 mm; length of first flagellomere/width of first flagellomere = 3.45; length of first flagellomere/ length of second flagellomere = 1.27; length of first flagellomere/ length of third flagellomere = 1.35; length of apical flagellomere/ width of apical flagellomere = 2.90; intertentorial pit distance = 0.13 mm; ocello­ocular distance = 0.13; distance between antennal insertion and anterior tentorial pit = 0.20; width of face at dorsal edge of clypeus = 0.49; antenna with 25 flagellomeres; face weakly rugose with sparse punctures and setation; eyes with dense setation; vertex, gena and occiput with moderately dense punctures and setation, ocelli forming an equilateral triangle. Mesosoma: mesosomal length/mesosomal width = 1.81; mesosomal height = 0.54 mm; hind tibial length/maximal width of hind tibia = 6.17; propleuron mostly smooth with sparse punctures and setation; pronotum with three large punctures antero­medially, otherwise smooth medially, with longitudinal carinae extending dorsally to ventrally becoming weaker ventrally; mesopleuron mostly smooth, with sparse setation dorsad sternaulus and moderately dense setation ventrad sternalus, sternaulus composed of regular large fovea, running diagonally from midpoint of ventral margin to midpoint of anterior margin of mesopleuron, subalar space mostly smooth with sparse punctures and setation; mesonotum smooth with moderately dense evenly distributed punctures and setae, notaulus composed of regular fovea; scutelluar sulcus with 6 longitudinal carinae, scutellum subtriangular, smooth with sparse punctures and setation; metapleuron mostly smooth with sparse punctures and setation; metanotum with two subcircular pits anteromedially, axillary troughs with three incomplete longitudinal carinae, otherwise smooth; propodeum with two longitudinal submedial subparallel carinae that join anteromedially, propodeum with two longitudinal lateral carinae on each side, many irregular lateral carinae that cross more distinct longitudinal carinae forming areolae. Wings ( Figure 1 C): forewing length = 2.01 mm; 3RSb barely indicated, r­m crossvein present but not tubular. Metasoma: basal width of median tergite of the first metasomal segment/apical width of median tergite of the first metasomal segment = 1.38; length of median tergite of the first metasomal segment/apical width of median tergite of the first metasomal segment = 2.74; hypopygium length = 0.33 mm; ovipositor length/hind tibial length = 1.05; first metasomal tergite with dorsolateral longitudinal carinae extending from anterior edge approximately three­fourths of the length of tergite ( Figure 1 A), area between dorsolateral carinae smooth to just posterad spiracles, weakly rugose to just anterad the smooth apex, sublaterally with longitudinal carinae extending over entire length, short lateral carinae running from sublateral carinae to lateral edge creating large fovea/areolae posterad spiracles, spiracles protruding on flange­like extensions; median tergite 2 with middle arm of E­shaped sclerotization extending into posterior half of tergite but ending before posterior margin of tergite (Figure 1B), E­shaped sclerotization smooth, remainder of second median tergite weakly sclerotized, with sparse setation; median tergite 3 with sparse setation, without apparent sclerotization medially and posterad middle arm of E­shaped sclerotization on T2.

Variation — paratype female; antenna with 24 flagellomeres

Biology — Unknown

Male — Unknown.

Material Examined — Holotype female: UCF, FL. Orange Co. Orlando, X­19­1999, Malaise Trap. Deposited in the American Entomological Institute. Second label: Pine Pond Comm[unity] Dahoon Holly (S), P. Russel, T. Smith, S. Fullerton. Third label: UCFC 0 0 49 658. Paratype female: FLORIDA, Orange Co. Walt Disney World, 10­17 July 1997, Z. Prusak, S. Fullerton. Deposited in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. Second label: MW­7 (unburned) S22 T24S R27E, Sand Pine/Oak Scrub, Malaise Trap.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Female Epsilogaster fullertoni n. sp., A, dorsal view of median tergite of the first metasomal segment, illustrating dorsolateral carina; B, dorsal view of second median metasomal tergite illustrating length of median arm of E­shaped sclerotization; C, fore­ and hind wings illustrating 3 RSb vein and r­m crossvein of forewing.

FIGURE 2. Habitus of holotype female Epsilogaster fullertoni, lateral view.