Protomicroplitis mediata (Cresson, 1865)

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 : 541

Protomicroplitis mediata (Cresson, 1865)

Figs 18–29

Microgaster mediatus Cresson, 1865: 66 . Original description.

Protomicroplitis mediatus (Cresson, 1865) . Ashmead, 1900: 292. Revised combination.

Holotype. ♂ (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia). CUBA, no further details about locality ( Shenefelt, 1973). Holotype not examined.

Specimens examined ( CNC). CUBA: Cienfuegos Botanical Garden, Soledad, Cienfuegos province, 22.12, - 80.33 (3 ♀, 4 ♂). UNITED STATES: Archbold Biological Station, Highlands County, Florida, 27.18, -81.35 (2 ♂); Bradenton, Florida, 27.48, -82.58 (1 ♀); Homestead, Florida, 25.47, -80.46 (3 ♀, 7 ♂).

Description. Female: Body length: 4.5–5.1 mm (average: 4.8 ± 0.27). Fore wing length: 4.4–4.7 mm (average: 4.5 ± 0.12). F2 length: 0.52 mm (0.50-0.53 mm). F14 length: 0.28 mm (0.26–0.30 mm). Metatibia length: 1.85 mm (1.80–1.90 mm). Metatarsus length: 0.98 mm (0.96–1.00 mm). T1 length: 0.84 mm (0.82–0.85 mm). F2 length/ width: 4.0 × (3.9–4.2 ×). F14 length/width: 3.0 × (2.9–3.0 ×). F2 length/F14 length: 1.85 × (1.73–1.92 ×). T1 length/width at posterior margin: 3.87 × (3.70–4.10 ×). T1 length/width at median length of tergite: 6.46 × (6.31– 6.54 ×). T1 width at median length of tergite/width at anterior margin: 0.45 × (0.43–0.46 ×). Head entirely orange. Antenna with scape and pedicel orange, flagellomeres brown. Female mesosoma entirely orange-yellow, male with propleuron, mesopleuron, metascutellum and propodeum partially to entirely reddish-brown to black. Metasoma mostly orange-yellow (occasionally with small spots reddish-yellow). Wings infumated, pterostigma entirely brown in females, mostly brown in males (rarely male specimens with black restricted to posterior 0.5 of pterostigma). Legs mostly yellow, except for brown mesotarsus (entirely) and mesotibia (partially), and dark brown to black on metatibia (entirely), metatarsus (entirely), and posterior 0.1 of metafemur.

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

Comments. This species is distributed in the Caribbean ( Cuba) and southern Florida (south of Gainesville). Males have darker coloration in the mesosoma than females (see Description above) ( Figs 25–29 ). A single female specimen from Bradenton (Florida) is rather unique in the sense of having a coloration that resembles that of males.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 24. Protomicroplitis mediata, female specimen. 18 — habitus, lateral view; 19 — fore wing; 20 — head, frontal view; 21 — detail of the head, dorsal view; 22 — metasoma, dorsal view; 23 — head and mesosoma (partially), dorsal view; 24 — scutellar disc and propodeum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 25 – 29. Protomicroplitis mediata, male specimen. 25 — head, frontal view; 26 — habitus, lateral view; 27 — metasoma and hind legs, lateral view; 28 — fore wing; 29 — habitus, dorsal view.