Snellenius quiricojimenezi 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 : 156-157

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius quiricojimenezi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 176-182

Holotype.

♀ in CNC. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Cerro El Hacha, NW Volcan Orosi, 300, 1988.

Paratypes.

4♀, 11♂ (BMNH, CNC, USNM, INBio, INHS). COSTA RICA, from the following localities (provinces): ACG, Santa Rosa Headquarters, Cerro El Hacha, and Hacienda El Vieja (Guanacaste), Chiles de Aqua (Alajuela), Rincon, Golfo Dulce (Puntarenas), La Selva (Heredia), Turrialba (Cartago), and San Jose.

Diagnosis.

This species is characterized by T1 length 2.6 × or less its width at posterior margin, fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a light yellow (clearly much lighter than most of surrounding veins), body color dark reddish brown, ocellar area strongly raised (bounded by strong and coarse punctures), and smooth occiput delimited from coarsely sculptured vertex and gena by a keel resembling a carina. The only ACG Snellenius that might be confused with Snellenius quiricojimenezi is Snellenius robertoespinozai , but the latter has a relatively longer and wider T1, pterostigma entirely brown (pterostigma brown with pale spot at base in Snellenius quiricojimenezi ), and scutoscutellar sulcus with one carina (scutoscutellar sulcus with three to five carinae in Snellenius quiricojimenezi ).

Description.

Female. Scape color: Brown to dark brown. Mesosoma color: Dark reddish brown. Metasoma color: Dark reddish brown. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow brown, brown, brown. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, partially yellow and partially brown, brown. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow, yellow, brown. Metatibia spurs color: Yellow. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown. Tegula and humeral complex color: Brown, brown. Wings: Hyaline. Pterostigma color: Brown with pale spot at base. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Entirely or partially transparent or light yellow (clearly much lighter than most of surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 2.9-3.1 mm (X = 3.0 mm). Fore wing length: 2.9-3.1 mm (X = 3.0 mm). Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.1-2.3 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.15/0.07/0.13-0.14 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 3.3-3.5 × (0.28/0.08 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.1-2.4 × (0.17/0.07-0.08 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.6 x. Antenna in males: Of normal appearance, not flattened. Epicnemial carina: Present. Anteromesoscutum: With strong, coarse sculpture, central area appearing elevated compared to lateral areas of anteromesoscutum, notauli wide and deeply excavated, with numerous crenulae. Scutellar disc sculpture: With deeper sculpture near margins, central part appearing slightly raised and less sculptured. Number of carinae in scutoscutellar sulcus: Three to five (some incomplete laterally). Metafemur length/width: 4.2-4.3 × (0.85-0.87/0.20 mm). Metatibia length: 1.16-1.20 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.45-0.47 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.6 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.48 –0.51/0.18–0.20/0.21–0.23/0.19– 0.20 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Fully sculptured.

Male. As female except for wings mostly infumated.

Distribution.

Costa Rica.

Host.

Unknown.

Molecular data.

None.

Etymology.

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

Comments.

The apparent sexual dimorphism observed (females with hyaline wings, males with infumated wings, specimens from the same locality) is unique among all species of Snellenius and Microplitis studied in this paper.