Euplectrus sydneycameronae Hansson

Hansson, Christer, Smith, M. Alex, Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie, 2015, Integrative taxonomy of New World Euplectrus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with focus on 55 new species from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, ZooKeys 485, pp. 1-236 : 81-82

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Eulophidae

Euplectrus sydneycameronae Hansson sp. n. Figures 17, 393-399, 404-406, 581, 767

Material.

Holotype a female labeled " COSTA RICA: Alajuela, ACG, Sector Pitilla, Pasmompa, 15.x.2007, P. Rios, ex Plusiodonta clavifera eating Cissampelos tropaeolifolia , sibling of wasp DHJPAR0028936, 07-SRNP-33543" (BMNH). PARATYPES: 5♀ 1♂ with same label data as holotype (BMNH, INBio, USNM).

Diagnosis.

Lower face entirely yellowish-brown (female, as in Fig. 394) or white (male, as in Fig. 395), pale part not reaching hypostomal carina and with area close to mouth cavity dark (as in Fig. 581); fore coxa yellowish-white, remaining fore leg and mid and hind legs yellowish-brown (as in Fig. 393); petiole 1.0 × as long as wide; gaster dark brown, anterior ½ yellowish-white (female, as in Fig. 396) or white (male, as in Fig. 397) with dark brown lateral margins; male antenna with scape slightly expanded and widest in the middle, 2.6 × as long as wide (as in Fig. 399), flagellomeres 2-5 with a basal whorl of erect setae.

Description.

Female. Length of body 2.3 mm. Antenna with scape yellowish-white, pedicel yellowish-brown, flagellomere 1 yellowish-brown, 2 pale brown, 3-6 dark brown (as in Fig. 398). Mandibles and palpi yellowish-white. Head black and shiny, entire lower face yellowish-brown with median part darker (as in Fig. 394). Frons close to eyes with two rows of setae (as in Fig. 404). Vertex smooth (as in Fig. 405). Occipital margin rounded (as in Fig. 405).

Mesosoma black and shiny (as in Fig. 393). Each sidelobe of mesoscutum with 20 setae. Scutellum 0.9 × as long as wide; with very weak engraved reticulation (as in Fig. 406). Dorsellum along anterior margin with a very narrow groove (as in Fig. 767), medially 0.1 × as long as length of dorsellum. Propodeum with very weak reticulation (as in Fig. 767); anteromedially with a semicircular cup that has posterior part strongly raised and is distinctly higher than anterior part; propodeal callus with eight setae. Legs (as in Fig. 393): fore coxa yellowish-white, remaining fore leg and mid and hind legs yellowish-brown. Fore wing: costal cell on ventral surface with two rows of setae in basal ⅔ and one row in apical ⅓, and margin with four setae close to marginal vein; with 16 admarginal setae, in one row.

Gaster dark brown, anterior ½ yellowish-white with dark brown lateral margins (as in Fig. 396).

Ratios. HE/MS/WM = 2.1/1.0/1.4; POL/OOL/POO = 4.9/2.9/1.0; OOL/DO = 1.4; WE/WF/WH/HH = 1.0/2.5/4.5/3.2; WH/WT = 1.1; PM/ST = 1.6; TS1/TS2/LT/LT1/LT2/LT3/LT4 = 4.0/2.4/6.4/2.0/1.7/1.0/1.7; LP/WP = 1.0; MM/LG = 1.0.

Male. Length of body 1.9 mm. Scape slightly expanded and widest in the middle (as in Fig. 399), sensory pores confined to apicoventral ¾, sensory area pale as scape. Otherwise similar to female except flagellomeres 2-5 with a basal whorl of erect setae (as in Fig. 399); entire lower face white (as in Fig. 395); scutellum with posterior ¼ smooth; gaster shorter and with pale part white.

Ratios. LC/WS = 2.9; MM/LG = 1.2.

Hosts and biology.

Feeding on penultimate instar of Plusiodonta clavifera ( Erebidae ) feeding on Cissampelos tropaeolifolia ( Menispermaceae ), parasitoid cocoons stuck to dead larva and substrate.

Distribution.

Costa Rica (Alajuela Province).

Etymology.

This species is named after Sydney A. Cameron, in recognition of her contribution to the understanding of ACG Hymenoptera taxonomy.

Remarks.

This species is morphologically identical to Euplectrus johnnoyesi , but the barcode is significantly different from this species, it is 5% divergent from Euplectrus johnnoyesi within the barcode region (24-32 bp (& 1 amino acid) different) (Fig. 35, Suppl. material 1), and also the host is different. In spite of the morphological similarity we therefore regard these as two different species.