Microplitis adrianguadamuzi 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 : 143

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Microplitis adrianguadamuzi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 1-6

Holotype.

Female (USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque Humedo, 290m, 10.85145, -85.60801, 10.vii.1998. ACG database code: DHJPAR0013831.

Paratypes.

15♀, 3♂ (BMNH, CNC, INBio, INHS, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0013831, DHJPAR0013873, DHJPAR0013891.

Diagnosis.

The combination of smooth T1, notauli marked by relatively deep impression, areolet relatively smaller (vein 3RSa much shorter than vein r-m), scape yellow, metatibial spurs yellow orange, and metatarsus light brown differentiates this species from congeners.

Description

(see Comments below).Female. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.1-3.4 mm (X = 3.3 mm). Fore wing length: 2.9-3.2 mm (X = 3.1 mm). Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.4-2.6 × (0.25 –0.26/0.10– 0.11 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.2-2.4 × (0.17 –0.19/0.07– 0.08 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.4-1.5 x. Metafemur length/width: 3.2-3.3 × (0.83 –0.87/0.25– 0.27 mm). Metatibia length: 1.00-1.09 mm (X = 1.05 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.44-0.47 mm (X = 0.46 mm).

Male. As in female.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Sphingidae : Manduca corallina . Gregarious parasitoid.

Molecular data.

One haplotype, three sequences (two barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

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

Comments.

This species is morphologically very similar to Microplitis espinachi , which was described in detail by Janzen et al. (2003). The brief description above adds some measurements, taken from specimens included in the list of 'Specimens examined’, that allow for separation of these species.