Microplitis hebertbakeri Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Whitfield, James B., Smith, M. Alex, Kula, Robert R., Winnie Hallwachs, & Janzen, Daniel H., 2015, Revision of the genera Microplitis and Snellenius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with a key to all species previously described from Mesoamerica, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (2), pp. 137-201 : 145-146

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Microplitis hebertbakeri Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 39-45

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector El Hacha, Sendero Bejuquilla, 280m, 11.03004, -85.52699, 17.v.1999. ACG database code: DHJPAR0012604.

Paratypes.

3♀, 7♂ (CNC, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0012581, DHJPAR0012591, DHJPAR0012603, DHJPAR0012609, DHJPAR0012610, DHJPAR0012611, DHJPAR0012612, DHJPAR0012614, DHJPAR0013339, DHJPAR0031721.

Diagnosis.

This is the only ACG species of Microplitis with T1 parallel-sided for most of its length, narrowing on posterior 0.1, its length more than 3.0 × its width at posterior margin; and scutellar disc dull, uniformly sculptured by coarse punctures.

Description.

Female. Scape color: Black. Mesosoma color: Black. Metasoma color: Dark reddish-brown. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow, yellow, reddish-brown. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, yellow, orange-brown (darker dorsally). Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow, yellow, mostly orange-brown (anterior 0.2 yellow-white, central 0.6 orange-brown, posterior 0.2 dark brown). Metatibia spurs color: White. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown. Tegula and humeral complex color: Yellow, yellow and brown. Wings: Hyaline. Pterostigma color: Brown with pale spot at base. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Brown (same color as surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 2.8-2.9 mm. Fore wing length: 2.6-2.7 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.6 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.15/0.07/0.11 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 3.1 × (0.25/0.08 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.4 × (0.17/0.07 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.5 x. Antenna in males: Of normal appearance, not flattened. Epicnemial carina: Absent. Anteromesoscutum: Slightly sculptured, with smooth areas, central area not appearing elevated compared to lateral areas of anteromesoscutum, notauli faint or poorly defined. Scutellar disc sculpture: With margins and central part of disc equally sculptured. Number of carinae in scutoscutellar sulcus: Five. Metafemur length/width: 3.3-3.6 × (0.72 –0.77/0.20– 0.23 mm). Metatibia length: 0.97-1.03 mm (X = 1.00 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.41-0.43 mm (X = 0.42 mm). Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.9-3.1 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.42 –0.44/0.19–0.20/0.20–0.22/0.13– 0.16 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Mostly sculptured.

Male. As in female.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Unknown.

Molecular data.

Three haplotype, 11 sequences (11 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Hebert Baker in recognition of his contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.