Glyptapanteles helmuthaguirrei Arias-Penna, sp. nov.

Arias-Penna, Diana Carolina, Whitfield, James B., Janzen, Daniel H., Winifred Hallwachs,, Dyer, Lee A., Smith, M. Alex, Hebert, Paul D. N. & Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., 2019, A species-level taxonomic review and host associations of Glyptapanteles (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with an emphasis on 136 new reared species from Costa Rica and Ecuador, ZooKeys 890, pp. 1-685 : 1

Glyptapanteles helmuthaguirrei Arias-Penna, sp. nov. Fig. 97

Female.

Body length 3.08 mm, antenna length 3.43 mm, fore wing length 3.38 mm.

Type material.

Holotype: ECUADOR • 1♀; EC-26313, YY-A060; Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, Granja Integral Baeza, Baeza sendero granja; cloud forest; 1,700 m; - 0.5833, -77.8833; 17.ix.2007; Rafael Granizo leg.; caterpillar collected in fourth instar; white bud-like cocoons formed on 22.ix.2008; adult parasitoids emerged on 12.x.2007; ( PUCE) . Paratypes. • 3 (2♀, 0 ♂) (1♀, 0 ♂); EC-26313, YY-A060; same data as for holotype; ( PUCE) .

Diagnosis.

Malar suture present ( Fig. 97B ), median area between lateral ocelli without depression ( Fig. 97D ), propodeum medially rhomboid-shaped with transverse rugae ( Fig. 97F ), scutellar punctation indistinct throughout ( Fig. 97E, F ), axillary trough of metanotum proximally with a groove with some sculpturing, distally with rugae ( Fig. 97E, F ), anterior furrow of metanotum with a small lobe without setae ( Fig. 97F ), petiole on T1 parallel-sided in proximal half, then narrowing ( Fig. 97G, H ), edges of median area on T2 obscured by weak longitudinal stripes ( Fig. 97G ), dorsal outer depression on hind coxa present ( Fig. 97A, J ), and fore wing with r vein curved, outer side of junction of r and 2RS veins forming a slight stub ( Fig. 97K ).

Coloration

( Fig. 97 A–L ). General body coloration black except all antennal flagellomeres brown on both sides; scape brown with a yellow-brown/reddish ring; pedicel brown distally with yellow-brown ring; labrum and mandible yellow-brown; glossa, maxillary and labial palps, and tegulae yellow; propleuron with a small yellow spot ventro-distal; dorsal furrow of pronotum lighter than mesosoma coloration. Eyes and ocelli silver. Fore and middle legs yellow except brown claws, and tarsomeres brown (intensity of brown coloration increasing from proximal to distal); hind legs yellow except black coxae only distally yellow, femora distally brown, which ventrally with a distinctive dark spot, tibiae with both ends brown (shape of the brown coloration in distal half is particular: proximally narrow and distally wide, however outer side yellow), and tarsomeres brown, although basitarsus proximally with a yellow ring. Petiole on T1 black and sublateral ends yellow; T2 with median area black, adjacent area brown, and lateral ends yellow with two elongate brown spots one on each distal edge; T3 with a extended brown area which width proximally coincides with the width of median and adjacent areas on T2; however distally T3 with a yellow-brown band that extent along the width of T3, distally T3 also with two elongate spots; T4 and beyond completely brown; distally each tergum with a narrow yellow/yellow-brown transparent band. In lateral view, T1-3 completely yellow; T4 and beyond yellow, dorsally brown, extent of brown area remains constant. S1-4 completely yellow; penultimate sternum yellow, medially brown; hypopygium completely brown.

Description.

Head ( Fig. 97 A–D ). Head rhomboid with pubescence long and dense. Proximal three antennal flagellomeres longer than wide (0.24:0.09, 0.25:0.09, 0.23:0.09), distal antennal flagellomere longer than penultimate (0.13:0.06, 0.11:0.06), antenna longer than body (3.43, 3.08); antennal scrobes-frons shallow. Face flat or nearly so, with dense and fine punctations, interspaces wavy and longitudinal median carina present. Frons smooth. Temple wide, punctate and interspaces clearly smooth. Inner margin of eyes diverging slightly at antennal sockets; in lateral view, eye anteriorly convex and posteriorly straight. POL shorter than OOL (0.11, 0.14). Malar suture present. Median area between lateral ocelli without depression. Vertex laterally rounded and dorsally wide.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 97A, E, F, I ). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex. Mesoscutum proximally convex and distally flat, punctation distinct throughout, interspaces smooth. Scutellum long and slender, apex sloped and fused with BS, scutellar punctation indistinct throughout, in profile scutellum flat and on same plane as mesoscutum, phragma of the scutellum partially exposed; BS only very partially overlapping the MPM; ATS demilune with complete undulate/reticulate carinae; dorsal ATS groove with semicircular/parallel carinae. Transscutal articulation with small and heterogeneous foveae, area just behind transscutal articulation depressed centrally, smooth and shiny. Metanotum with BM wider than PFM (clearly differentiated); MPM circular and bisected by a median longitudinal carina; AFM with a small lobe and not as well delineated as PFM; PFM thick, smooth and with lateral ends rounded; ATM proximally with a groove with some sculpturing and distally with rugae. Propodeum with transverse rugae, proximal half curved with medium-sized sculpture and distal half relatively polished; distal edge of propodeum with a flange at each side and without stubs; propodeal spiracle without distal 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 with fine punctations throughout and dorsally without a carina. Metasternum flat or nearly so. Contour of mesopleuron straight/angulate or nearly so; precoxal groove smooth, shiny and shallow, but visible; epicnemial ridge elongated more fusiform (tapering at both ends).

Legs. Ventral margin of fore telotarsus entire without seta, fore telotarsus almost same width throughout and longer than fourth tarsomere (0.12, 0.08). Dorsal half of hind coxa with scattered punctation and ventral half with dense punctation, and dorsal outer depression present. Inner spur of hind tibia longer than outer spur (0.22, 0.20), entire surface of hind tibia with dense strong spines clearly differentiated by color and length. Hind telotarsus longer than fourth tarsomere (0.13, 0.11).

Wings ( Fig. 97K, L ). Fore wing with r vein slightly curved; 2RS vein slightly convex to convex; r and 2RS veins forming a weak, even curve 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 present as spectral vein, sometimes difficult to see; vein 2-1A proximally tubular and distally spectral, although sometimes difficult to see; tubular vein 1 cu-a straight, incomplete/broken and not reaching the edge of 1-1A vein. Hind wing with vannal lobe very narrow, subdistally and subproximally straightened, and setae evenly scattered in the margin.

Metasoma ( Fig. 97A, G, H, J ). Metasoma laterally compressed. Petiole on T1 finely sculptured throughout, parallel-sided in proximal half and then narrowing (length 0.42, maximum width 0.20, minimum width 0.10), and with scattered pubescence 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 0.20, length T2 0.20), edges of median area obscured by weak longitudinal stripes, median area broader than long (length 0.20, maximum width 0.27, minimum width 0.10); T2 with scattered pubescence only distally. T3 longer than T2 (0.26, 0.20) and with scattered pubescence throughout. Pubescence on hypopygium dense.

Cocoons. White bud-like cocoons.

Comments.

The mesopleuron is so convex that it looks rounded. Distally the pronotum is higher (convex) than proximally (concave).

Male.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Helmuth Aguirre Fernández is a Colombian entomologist who studies taxonomy and systematics of Meteorus ( Meteorinae, Braconidae ) in the Neotropics. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.

Distribution.

Parasitized caterpillar was collected in Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station (Granja Integral Baeza), during September 2007 at 1,700 m in cloud forest.

Biology.

The lifestyle of this parasitoid species is gregarious.

Host.

Undetermined species of Pieridae feeding on Inga sp. ( Fabaceae ). Caterpillar was collected in fourth instar.

Figures

Figure 97. Glyptapanteles helmuthaguirrei sp. nov. female EC- 26313 YY-A 060 A Habitus B, D Head B Frontal view D Dorsal view C Head, pronotum, propleuron, lateral view E Mesonotum, dorsal view F Scutellum, metanotum, propodeum, dorsal view G T 1 - 3, dorsal view H, J Metasoma H Dorsal view J Lateral view I Mesosoma, lateral view K, L Wings K Fore L Hind.