Glyptapanteles barneyburksi Arias-Penna, sp. nov. Figs 25, 26

Female.

Body length 2.37 mm, antenna length 2.73 mm, fore wing length 2.37 mm.

Type material.

Holotype: COSTA RICA • 1♀; 95-SRNP-10048, DHJPAR0000089; Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Guanacaste, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque Humedo; dry forest; 290 m; 10.85145, -85.60801; 16.x.1995; gusaneros leg.; caterpillar collected in fifth instar; white cocoons separate and individually adhered to back of larval cuticle, formed on 16.x.1995; adult parasitoids emerged on 24.x.1995; (CNC) . Paratypes. • 16 (4♀, 3♂) (8♀, 1♂); 95-SRNP-10048, DHJPAR0000089; same data as for holotype; (CNC) .

Other material.

Reared material. COSTA RICA: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Guanacaste, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque Humedo: • 6 (2♀, 0 ♂) (4♀ + 0 ♂); 82-SRNP-854.1, DHJPAR0000051; dry forest; 290 m; 10.85145, -85.60801; 12.xi.1982 ; gusaneros leg.; caterpillar collected in fifth instar; white cocoons adhered to the larval cuticle and formed on 18.xi.1982; adult parasitoids emerged on 24.xi.1982.

Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, Casa Roberto: • 20 (3♀, 3♂) (14♀ + 0 ♂); 04-SRNP-34906, DHJPAR0001509; rain forest; 520 m; 11.01095, -85.42094; 30.viii.2004; Calixto Moraga leg.; caterpillar collected in third instar; cocoons adhered to the larval cuticle and formed on 16.ix.2004; adult parasitoids emerged on 25.ix.2004.

Diagnosis.

Propleuron with fine punctations only ventrally (Figs 25A, 26B, F), axillary trough of metanotum proximally with undulate carina, distally smooth (Figs 25F, 26D), medioposterior band of scutellum only very partially overlapping the medioanterior pit of metanotum (Figs 25F, 26D), longitudinal median carina on face present (Figs 25B, 26A), inner margin of eyes straight throughout, scutellar punctation distinct throughout (Figs 25F, 26D), fore wing with tubular vein 1 cu-a incomplete/broken, not reaching the edge of 1-1A vein, r vein slightly curved, outer side of junction of r and 2RS veins forming a slight stub (Figs 25M, 26K), petiole on T1 evenly narrowing over its length (Figs 25H, 26G), surface of metasternum flat or nearly so (Fig. 25G), edges of median area on T2 obscured by weak longitudinal stripes (Figs 25H, 26G), and dorsal outer depression on hind coxa absent (Figs 25E, 26H).

Coloration

(Fig. 25A). General body coloration brown-black except scape, labrum, and mandibles yellow-brown; glossa, maxillary and labial palps, and tegulae yellow; propleuron, ventral furrow of pronotum and small area on dorsal furrow of pronotum brown-yellow. Eyes and ocelli silver. Fore and middle legs yellow with claws brown; hind legs yellow except coxa brown with yellow apex, distally femora brown, tibiae with apex brown, and tarsomeres brown. Petiole on T1 brown with sublateral areas yellow; T2 with median and adjacent areas brown, and lateral ends yellow; T3 and beyond completely brown; distally each tergum with a narrow yellowish transparent band. In lateral view, T1-2 completely yellow; T3 and beyond yellow-brown, but dorsally brown, extent of brown area increasing from proximal to distal. S1-3 completely yellow; S4-5 yellow-brown, medially brown; hypopygium completely brown.

Description.

Head (Fig. 25 A–D). Head rhomboid with pubescence long and dense. Proximal three antennal flagellomeres longer than wide (0.21:0.07, 0.21:0.07, 0.21:0.07), distal antennal flagellomere longer than penultimate (0.12:0.06, 0.09:0.06), antenna longer than body (2.73, 2.37), antennal scrobes-frons shallow. Face finely punctate-lacunose, interspaces smooth, face with depression only laterally and longitudinal median carina present. Frons smooth. Temple wide, punctate and interspaces clearly smooth. Inner margin of eyes straight throughout; in lateral view, eye anteriorly convex and posteriorly straight. POL shorter than OOL (0.09, 0.14). Malar suture present. Median area between lateral ocelli without depression. Vertex laterally rounded and dorsally wide.

Mesosoma (Fig. 25A, F, G, I). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex. Mesoscutum proximally convex and distally flat, with punctation distinct throughout, and interspaces wavy/lacunose. Scutellum triangular, apex sloped and fused with BS, in profile scutellum flat and on same plane as mesoscutum, scutellar punctation distinct throughout, phragma of the scutellum partially exposed; BS only very partially overlapping the MPM; ATS demilune with a little, complete parallel carinae; dorsal ATS groove with carinae only proximally. Transscutal articulation with small and heterogeneous foveae; area just behind transscutal articulation smooth and shiny with a sloped transverse strip. Metanotum with BM wider than PFM (clearly differentiated); MPM circular and bisected by a median longitudinal carina; AFM without setiferous lobes and not as well delineated as PFM; PFM thick and smooth; ATM proximally with semircular/undulate carina and distally smooth. Propodeum without median longitudinal carina, proximal half weakly curved with fine sculpture and distal half rugose and with a shallow dent at each side of nucha; distal edge of propodeum with a flange at each side and without stubs; propodeal spiracle distally framed by faintly concave/wavy carina; nucha surrounded by very short radiating carinae. Pronotum with a distinct dorsal furrow, dorsally with a well-defined smooth band; central area of pronotum smooth, but both dorsal and ventral furrows with short parallel carinae. Propleuron finely sculptured only ventrally and dorsally without a carina. Metasternum flat or nearly so. Contour of mesopleuron convex; precoxal groove smooth, shiny and shallow, but visible; epicnemial ridge convex, teardrop-shaped.

Legs (Fig. 25A, E, L). Ventral margin of fore telotarsus slightly excavated and with a tiny curved seta, fore telotarsus proximally narrow and distally wide, and longer than fourth tarsomere (0.14, 0.06). Hind coxa with dorsal half sparsely punctate, ventral half densely punctate, and dorsal outer depression absent. Inner spur of hind tibia longer than outer spur (0.20, 0.17), entire surface hind tibia with dense strong spines clearly differentiated by color and length. Hind telotarsus longer than fourth tarsomere (0.15, 0.11).

Wings (Fig. 25M, N). Fore wing with r vein slightly curved; 2RS vein straight; r and 2RS veins forming an angle at their junction and outer side of junction forming a slight stub; 2M vein slightly curved/swollen; distally fore wing [where spectral veins are] with microtrichiae more densely concentrated than the rest of the wing; anal cell 1/3 proximally lacking microtrichiae; subbasal cell with microtrichiae virtually throughout; veins 2CUa and 2CUb completely spectral; vein 2 cu-a absent; vein 2-1A proximally tubular and distally spectral, although sometimes difficult to see; tubular vein 1 cu-a curved, incomplete/broken, and not reaching the edge of 1-1A vein. Hind wing with vannal lobe narrow, subdistally evenly convex, subproximally straightened, and setae evenly scattered in the margin.

Metasoma (Fig. 25A, H–J, K). Metasoma laterally compressed. Petiole on T1 finely sculptured on distal half, evenly narrowing distally and apex truncate (length 0.32, maximum width 0.18, minimum width 0.14), petiole with scattered pubescence and concentrated in the first distal third. Lateral grooves delimiting the median area on T2 clearly defined and reaching the distal edge of T2 (length median area 0.18, length T2 0.18), edges of median area obscured by weak longitudinal stripes, median area broader than long (length 0.18, maximum width 0.20, minimum width 0.10); T2 with scarce pubescence throughout. T3 longer than T2 (0.20, 0.18), T3 with scattered pubescence throughout. Pubescence on hypopygium dense.

Cocoons. White oval cocoons with silk fibers messy/disordered/fluffy. Cocoons separate and individually adhered to back of larval cuticle.

Male

(Fig. 26 A–L). Males tends to be thinner and darker than females.

Etymology.

Barnard (Barney) D. Burks (November 12, 1909 - December 15, 1990) was a well-known American entomologist (especially active with Chalcidoidea) who studied (B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.) at UIUC, IL, USA.

Distribution.

The parasitized caterpillars were collected in Costa Rica, ACG; Sector Pitilla (Casa Roberto) and Sector Santa Rosa (Bosque Humedo), during November 1982, October 1995, and August 2004 at 290 m and 520 m in dry forest and rain forest.

Biology.

The lifestyle of this parasitoid species is gregarious.

Host.

Smicropus intercepta Walker ( Geometridae, Sterrhinae) feeding on Mascagnia sinemariensis and Tetrapterys discolor ( Malpighiaceae). Caterpillars were collected in third and fifth instars.