Snellenius donstonei 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 : 148

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius donstonei Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 76-82

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Pitilla, Amonias, 390m, 11.04249, -85.40339. ACG database code: DHJPAR0050115.

Paratypes.

1♀ (CNC). COSTA RICA, ACG, database code: DHJPAR0050129.

Diagnosis.

The unique color pattern characterizes this species: body color light yellow to white; metatibia mostly yellow, wings with golden infumation, veins and pterostigma mostly yellowish.

Description.

Female. Scape color: Yellow. Mesosoma color: Yellow. Metasoma color: Yellow. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow, yellow, yellow. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, yellow, yellow. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow, yellow, mostly yellow with posterior 0.1-0.2 brown. Metatibia spurs color: Yellow. First segment of metatarsus color: Brown. Tegula and humeral complex color: Yellow, yellow. Wings: Infumated. Pterostigma color: Light brown. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Entirely or partially transparent or light yellow (but most other veins also same color). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.6-3.7 mm. Fore wing length: 3.6 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.8 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.16/0.08/0.14 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.4 × (0.31/0.13 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.1 × (0.21/0.10 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.5 x. 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 elevated and less sculptured. Number of carinae in scutoscutellar sulcus: One. Metafemur length/width: 3.5 × (0.97/0.28 mm). Metatibia length: 1.30 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.51 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.7 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.52/0.20/0.16/0.19 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Partially sculptured.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Erebidae : Ceromacra sp. (with interim name Ceromacra Poole02). Solitary parasitoid.

Molecular data.

None.

Etymology.

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