Microplitis alexanderrojasi 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 : 143

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Microplitis alexanderrojasi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 7-11

Holotype.

Female (USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Santa Rosa, Area Administrativa, 295m, 10.83764, -85.61871, 17.vi.2008, ACG database code: 08-SRNP-13764.

Paratypes.

6♀, 2♂ (CNC, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: 08-SRNP-13764.

Diagnosis.

The combination of T1 mostly smooth (with very few and shallow punctures near posterior 0.1-0.2 on lateral margins) and notauli slightly marked by relatively shallow impressions separates this species from Microplitis francopupulini , Microplitis hebertbakeri and Microplitis marini . The dark brown to black metatibial spurs, metatarsus and coxae separate it from the rest of the ACG Microplitis .

Description

(see Comments below). Female. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.3-3.5 mm (X = 3.4 mm). Fore wing length: 3.2-3.3 mm (X = 3.3 mm). Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.2-2.8 × (0.28 –0.30/0.10– 0.14 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.1-2.4 × (0.19 –0.24/0.09– 0.10 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.2-1.5 x. Metafemur length/width: 3.3-3.6 × (0.96 –1.00/0.27– 0.30 mm). Metatibia length: 1.20-1.26 mm (X = 1.24 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.51-0.55 mm (X = 0.53 mm).

Male. As in female.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Sphingidae : Erinnyis oenotrus . Gregarious parasitoid.

Molecular data.

One haplotype, one sequence (barcode-complaint) in BOLD.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Alexander Rojas 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 adds some measurements, taken from specimens included in the list of 'Specimens examined’, that allow for separation of these species.