Apanteles luisvargasi Fernandez-Triana

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Whitfield, James B., Rodriguez, Josephine J., Smith, M. Alex, Janzen, Daniel H., Hallwachs, Winnie D., Hajibabaei, Mehrdad, Burns, John M., Solis, M. Alma, Brown, John, Cardinal, Sophie, Goulet, Henri & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2014, Review of Apantelessensu stricto (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, with keys to all described species from Mesoamerica, ZooKeys 383, pp. 1-565 : 217-218

Apanteles luisvargasi Fernandez-Triana sp. n. Fig. 140

Apanteles Rodriguez99 ( Smith et al. 2006). Interim name provided by the authors.

Type locality.

COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque San Emilio, 300m, 10.84389, -85.61384.

Holotype.

♀ in CNC. Specimen labels: 1. Costa Rica: Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque San Emilio, 19 May 2001, gusaneros. 2. 01-SRNP-12432, Dichogama colotha, On Capparis indica. 3. DHJPAR0005269.

Paratypes.

4 ♂ (CNC, NMNH). COSTA RICA, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0005277, DHJPAR0005278, DHJPAR0005281, DHJPAR0012478.

Description.

Female. Body color: body mostly dark except for some sternites which may be pale. Antenna color: scape, pedicel, and flagellum dark. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): dark, dark, dark. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): pale, anteriorly dark/posteriorly pale, dark. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): pale, pale, anteriorly pale/posteriorly dark. Tegula and humeral complex color: tegula pale, humeral complex half pale/half dark. Pterostigma color: mostly pale and/or transparent, with thin dark borders. Fore wing veins color: mostly white or entirely transparent. Antenna length/body length: antenna about as long as body (head to apex of metasoma); if slightly shorter, at least extending beyond anterior 0.7 metasoma length. Body in lateral view: not distinctly flattened dorso–ventrally. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.1-3.2 mm. Fore wing length: 3.1-3.2 mm. Ocular–ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.7-1.9. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0-2.2. Antennal flagellomerus 2 length/width: 2.0-2.2. Antennal flagellomerus 14 length/width: 1.1-1.3. Length of flagellomerus 2/length of flagellomerus 14: 2.0-2.2. Tarsal claws: with single basal spine–like seta (?). Anteromesoscutum: mostly with deep, dense punctures (separated by less than 2.0 × its maximum diameter). Mesoscutellar disc: mostly smooth. Number of pits in scutoscutellar sulcus: 9 or 10. Maximum height of mesoscutellum lunules/maximum height of lateral face of mesoscutellum: 0.6-0.7. Propodeum areola: completely defined by carinae, including transverse carina extending to spiracle. Propodeum background sculpture: partly sculptured, especially on anterior 0.5. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 1.4-1.6. Mediotergite 1 shape: slightly widening from anterior margin to 0.7-0.8 mediotergite length (where maximum width is reached), then narrowing towards posterior margin. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: mostly sculptured, excavated area centrally with transverse striation inside and/or a polished knob centrally on posterior margin of mediotergite. Mediotergite 2 width at posterior margin/length: 4.4-4.7. Mediotergite 2 sculpture: mostly smooth. Outer margin of hypopygium: with a wide, medially folded, transparent, semi–desclerotized area; usually with 4 or more pleats. Ovipositor thickness: about same width throughout its length. Length of fore wing veins r/2RS: 2.0-2.2. Length of fore wing veins 2RS/2M: 1.4-1.6. Length of fore wing veins 2M/(RS+M)b: 0.5-0.6. Pterostigma length/width: 2.6-3.0. Point of insertion of vein r in pterostigma: clearly beyond half way point length of pterostigma. Angle of vein r with fore wing anterior margin: clearly outwards, inclined towards fore wing apex. Shape of junction of veins r and 2RS in fore wing: distinctly but not strongly angled.

Male. As in female, with slender mediotergite 1.

Molecular data.

Sequences in BOLD: 5, barcode compliant sequences: 5.

Biology/ecology.

Solitary. Host: Crambidae , Dichogama colotha .

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Comments.

This is the only Apanteles species attacking Dichogama in ACG. The species is characterized by glossa elongate and mediotergite 1 with strong longitudinal striation, a unique combination of characters among Mesoamerican Apanteles .

Etymology.

We dedicate this species to Luis Vargas in recognition of his diligent efforts for the ACG Programa de Ecoturismo.