Microplitis espinachi Walker, 2003

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 : 143-144

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Microplitis espinachi Walker, 2003 Figures 12-18, 216

Microplitis espinachi Walker, 2003: 49. Original description.

Holotype.

Female (USNM, missing) (not examined). COSTA RICA: Guanacaste province, ACG, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque San Emilio, 300m, 10.84389, -85.61384.

Specimens examined.

134♀, 121♂ (BMNH, CNC, INBio, INHS, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0002885, DHJPAR0002886, DHJPAR0002888, DHJPAR0004314, DHJPAR0011916, DHJPAR0011917, DHJPAR0011919, DHJPAR0011920, DHJPAR0011921, DHJPAR0013817, DHJPAR0013818, DHJPAR0013817, DHJPAR0013332, DHJPAR0013819, DHJPAR0013820, DHJPAR0013822, DHJPAR0013829, DHJPAR0013833, DHJPAR0013846, DHJPAR0013849, DHJPAR0013857, DHJPAR0013858, DHJPAR0013863, DHJPAR0013868, DHJPAR0013871, DHJPAR0013880, DHJPAR0013884, DHJPAR0013889, DHJPAR0013890, DHJPAR0013895, DHJPAR0020150, DHJPAR0030811, DHJPAR0031061, DHJPAR0039921, DHJPAR0045166, 01-SRNP-13416, 05-SRNP-57563, 08-SRNP-13578, 08-SRNP-13740, 10-SRNP-12978.

Diagnosis.

The combination of smooth T1, notauli marked by relative deep impression, areolet relatively larger (vein 3RSa as long as vein r-m), scape yellow, metatibia spurs yellow, and metatarsus brown differentiates this species from congeners.

Description

(see Comments below). Female. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 2.6-3.6 mm (X = 3.1 mm). Fore wing length: 2.6-3.2 mm (X = 2.9 mm). Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.2-2.4 × (0.22 –0.26/0.09– 0.12 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.0-2.2 × (0.14 –0.19/0.07– 0.09 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.3-1.6 x. Metafemur length/width: 2.9-3.2 × (0.72 –0.88/0.24– 0.29 mm). Metatibia length: 0.94-1.15 mm (X = 1.01 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.35-0.48 mm (X = 0.41 mm).

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Sphingidae : Agrius cingulata , Lintneria merops , nine species of Manduca but not Manduca corallina (and only two records of Manduca rustica ). Gregarious parasitoid (Fig. 216).

Molecular data.

Five haplotypes, 41 sequences (38 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Comments.

Janzen et al. (2003) provided an extensive description and several illustrations of the species. Here we only add some measurements taken to specimens included in the list of 'Specimens examined’. The broader host records mentioned by Janzen et al. (2003) are revised here due to the fact the some of them correspond to another species, Microplitis adrianguadamuzi , split from the original Microplitis espinachi .

Walker in Janzen et al. (2003) indicated that the holotype and an unspecified number of paratypes for Microplitis espinachi were deposited in the USNM. One of us (RRK) could not locate any of the specimens. Further, unit trays do not exist for any specimen of Microplitis espinachi in the USNM, and there is no record of their existence in any USNM database. It is unlikely that specimens of this species were ever deposited in the USNM; thus, they are currently either misplaced or lost. The location of the holotype for Microplitis espinachi is critical for discerning its status relative to Microplitis adrianguadamuzi .