Heterospilus dulcus Marsh

Marsh, Paul M., Wild, Alexander L. & Whitfield, James B., 2013, The Doryctinae (Braconidae) of Costa Rica: genera and species of the tribe Heterospilini, ZooKeys 347, pp. 1-474 : 348-349

Heterospilus dulcus Marsh sp. n. Figure 236

Female.

Body size: 3.5 mm. Color: body dark brown, apical metasomal terga somewhat lighter brown; scape brown; flagellum brown with white apical annulus, apical 3-5 flagellomeres brown; wing veins including stigma brown; legs yellow. Head: vertex smooth; frons smooth; face smooth; temple in dorsal view narrow, sloping behind eye, width less than 1/2 eye height; malar space equal to 1/4 eye height; ocell-ocular distance slightly greater than twice diameter of lateral ocellus; 26-29 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: mesoscutal lobes smooth; notauli weakly scrobiculate or smooth, meeting posteriorly in triangular costate area; scutellum smooth; prescutellar furrow with 1 cross carina; mesopleuron smooth; precoxal sulcus smooth, shorter than mesopleuron; venter smooth; propodeum with basal median areas margined, smooth, basal median carina present, areola distinctly margined, areolar area rugose, lateral areas rugose apically, smooth basally. Wings: fore wing vein r shorter than vein 3RSa, vein 1cu-a beyond vein 1M; hind wing vein SC+R present, vein M+CU as long as vein 1M. Metasoma: first tergum longitudinally costate, length slightly greater than apical width; second tergum longitudinally costate, width nearly 4 times length; anterior transverse groove present, straight; posterior transverse groove present; third tergum costate basally, smooth apically; terga 4-7 smooth; ovipositor half as long as metasoma.

Holotype female.

Top label (white, printed) - Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] Golfo Dulce, 24km W. [;] Piedras Blancas, 200m [;] ii.1993, Paul Hanson; second label (red, partially printed and hand written) - HOLOTYPE [;] Heterospilus [;] dulcus [;] P. Marsh. Deposited in ESUW.

Paratypes.

1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] R.F. Golfo Dulce, 24km. [;] W. Piedras Blancas, 200m [;] VIII-IX-1993, P. Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas, ACO [;] Golfito, Est. Agujas, 250-350m [;] Res. Ftal. Golfo Dulce, Amarilla [;] 3-24.vii.1999, J. Azofeifa [;] L.S. 276750-526550 #52839 (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] R.F. Golfo Dulce, [;] 3km. SW. Rincon, 10m [;] Oct. 1991, Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Cartago [;] Turrialba, CATIE [;] 14-15 March 1990 [;] 700m, J.S. Noyes (ESUW). 2 ♀♀, Sirena, Osa Pen. [;] VII. 77 Cos. Rica [;] D. H. Janzen (AEIC). 1 ♀, C. Rica: Escazú [;] May 20, 1987 [;] H.&M.Townes (AEIC).

Comments.

The single cross carina in the prescutellar furrow, the flagellum with the apical white annulus and the shorter ovipositor are distinctive for this species.

Etymology.

The specific name is from the Latin dulcis, meaning sweet, in reference to most of the type series being from the area of Golfo Dulce, the Sweet Gulf.