Microplitis jorgehernandezi 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 : 147

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Microplitis jorgehernandezi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 46-52

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA, ACG, Sector Santa Rosa, Cuesta Canyon Tigre, 270m, 10.81703, -85.64366, 20.vi.2013. ACG database code: 13-SRNP-15964.

Paratypes.

4♀, 5♂ (BMNH, CNC, INBio, INHS, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0049814, DHJPAR0052940, 12-SRNP-12247, 13-SRNP-15964.

Diagnosis.

The combination of smooth T1, notauli marked by relative fine and shallow impressions, and color of scape, tegula, and humeral complex (dark brown to black), pro- and mesocoxae (light brown), metacoxa (dark brown to black), and metafemur (dark red-orange to brown on more than half its length) differentiates this species from congeners.

Description

(see Comments below). Female. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.1-3.5 mm (X = 3.3 mm). Fore wing length: 2.9-3.3 mm (X = 3.1 mm). Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.4-2.6 × (0.25 –0.27/0.10– 0.11 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.1-2.3 × (0.18 –0.20/0.08– 0.09 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.3-1.4 x. Metafemur length/width: 3.2-3.4 × (0.90 –0.96/0.27– 0.28 mm). Metatibia length: 1.12-1.21 mm (X = 1.15 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.45-0.46 mm (X = 0.46 mm).

Male. As in female, except legs slightly lighter in color.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Sphingidae : Erinnyis alope , Erinnyis ello . Gregarious parasitoid.

Molecular data.

One haplotype, five sequences (four barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

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

Comments.

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