Microplitis mariamargaritae Fernandez-Triana

Fernandez-Triana, Jose, 2018, Ten unique and charismatic new species of Microgastrinae wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from North America, ZooKeys 730, pp. 121-148 : 141-144

Microplitis mariamargaritae Fernandez-Triana sp. n. Fig. 10

Holotype.

Female, CNC, UNITED STATES. Holotype locality: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, 2316m, Colorado, USA.

Holotype labels.

First label: COLO., Great Sand/Dunes Nat. Mon./1.VIII.68, 7600'/E.C.Becker. Second label: CNC666524.

Diagnosis.

This is one of three species of Microplitis described in this paper with elongate mouth parts (the other two being M. juanmanueli and M. julioalbertoi ). Until now, no Microplitis in North America had been reported to have that character. M. juanmanueli and M. julioalbertoi have enlarged and modified hypopygiums, whereas M. mariamargaritae has a normal sized hypopygium (i.e., not extending significantly beyond the tip of metasoma). Also M. mariamargaritae has a relatively narrow T1 (3.0 × as long as wide at posterior margin) which is parallel-sided for most of it length and then narrows toward posterior margin (thus anterior margin of tergite is wider than posterior margin); whereas in both M. juanmanueli and M. julioalbertoi T1 is relatively wider (at most 2.5 × as long as wide at posterior margin), with tergite widening towards posterior margin and only slightly narrowing on posterior 0.2 or less (but even then having anterior and posterior margins of tergite about the same width).

Description.

Body dark brown to black, legs mostly orange-yellow (except for coxae). Wings infumated on anterior 0.6, with most veins dark brown. Head coarsely sculptured, mesosoma and metasoma mostly smooth dorsally. Ovipositor sheaths smooth. Head elongate; malar line longer than mandible base; labrum large; mandibles very long and strongly curved; glossa elongate. Fore wing with vein R1 much shorter than pterostigma. Legs with tarsal claws simple. Body measurements (mm). Body L: 4.3; fore wing L: 4.2; ovipositor sheaths L: 0.40; metafemur L/W: 1.06/0.38; metatibia L: 1.42; metatibia inner/outer spurs L: 0.15/0.15; first segment of metatarsus L: 0.55; F1/2/3/14/15/16: 0.30/0.28/0.27/0.17/0.15/0.20; ocular–ocellar line: 0.20; interocellar distance: 0.19; posterior ocellus diameter: 0.09.

Distribution.

United States: CO.

Etymology.

Named after my sister María Margarita, as appreciation for her love and for all the experiences we have lived together over the years (including helping me to collect insects).

Comments.

No biological or molecular data is known for this species. Until now, seven endemic insect species had been recorded from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (https://www.nps.gov/grsa/learn/nature/insects.htm). Thus Microplitis mariamargaritae becomes the eight endemic species from that significant natural area.