Protomicroplitis centroamericanus Fernandez-Triana

Fernandez-Triana, J. L., 2015, A revision of the genus Protomicroplitis Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 4039 (4), pp. 529-542 : 536

Protomicroplitis centroamericanus Fernandez-Triana sp. nov.

Figs 11–17

Holotype. ♀ ( CNC). MEXICO, Chiapas, 16°58’ N, - 91°47’ W.

Holotype labels. 1. MEXICO, Chiapas, 16°58’ N, - 91°47’ W; 25–30.ix.1978; J. Rawlins. 2. DNA Voucher CNCHYM 0 3266.

Paratypes ( CNC). COSTA RICA: Turrialba, 9.9, -83.68 (1 ♀). MEXICO: Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo, 19.58, -88.04 (11 ♀, 14 ♂); Chiapas, 16.58, -91.47 (1 ♂); Vallarta, 17 km W of Puerto Morelos, 20.86, -87.04 (1 ♂); Tuxtlas Research Station, 33 km NW of Catemaco, Veracruz, 18.53, -95.16 (1 ♂); El Salto, San Luis Potosí, 22.36, -99.26 (1 ♀).

Description. Female: Body length: 4.4–5.2 mm (average: 4.8 ± 0.26). Fore wing length: 4.1–4.7 mm (average: 4.4 ± 0.16). F2 length: 0.50 mm (0.49-0.51 mm). F14 length: 0.28 mm. Metatibia length: 1.79 mm (1.75–1.85 mm). Metatarsus length: 0.98 mm (0.97–0.99 mm). T1 length: 0.81 mm (0.78–0.85 mm). F2 length/width: 3.6 × (3.5–3.7 ×). F14 length/width: 3.1 × (2.8–3.5 ×). F2 length/F14 length: 1.79 × (1.75–1.82 ×). T1 length/width at posterior margin: 4.10 × (3.90–4.33 ×). T1 length/width at median length of tergite: 6.53 × (6.24–7.08 ×). T1 width at median length of tergite/width at anterior margin: 0.63 × (0.57–0.69 ×). Head black (except for yelloworange clypeus, labrum, mandibles and spot centrally on face). Antenna with scape and pedicel orange-yellow, flagellomeres brown. Female mesosoma entirely orange-yellow, male with propleuron, mesopleuron, metascutellum and propodeum partially to entirely reddish-brown to black. Mesosoma entirely orange-yellow in female (male with propleuron, mesopleuron, metascutellum and propodeum partially to entirely reddish-brown to black). Metasoma yellow to yellow-orange. Wings mostly to entirely hyaline; pterostigma with anterior 0.5 yellow in female and male specimens, pterostigma anteriorly yellow and posteriorly brown. Legs mostly yellow-orange, except for dark brown to black metatarsus (entirely) and metatibia (on posterior 0.2 ×, rarely up to 0.4 ×).

Molecular data (DNA barcodes). Six sequences in BOLD, one of them over 500 bp.

Etymology. After Central America, the region where the species has been found.

Comments. This species is distributed in Central America ( Costa Rica and Mexico). Males have darker coloration in the mesosoma than females (see Description above).

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 17. Protomicroplitis centroamericanus. 11 — habitus, lateral view; 12 — head, frontal view; 13 — fore wing; 14 — metasoma (partially), lateral view; 15 — head and mesosoma (partially), dorsal view; 16 — propodeum, dorsal view; 17 — metasoma, dorsal view.