Euplectrus platyhypenae Howard

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 : 95

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Eulophidae

Euplectrus platyhypenae Howard Figures 402-403, 404-409, 410-420, 421-427, 428-434, 435-440, 441-452, 453-463, 464-469, 470-478, 479-488, 489-494, 636-643, 796

Euplectrus platyhypenae Howard, 1885: 26. Lectotype ♂ (USNM), designated here, examined.

Material.

Type material: ♂ lectotype of Euplectrus platyhypenae (USNM). Additional material: COSTA RICA: 12♀ 1♂ from Guanacaste on Spodoptera frugiperda ; caterpillar project voucher code: 05-SRNP-16047, no barcode (BMNH, CNC, INBio, USNM).

Diagnosis.

Lower face black (Figs 637, 638); legs yellowish-brown (Fig. 636); eyes small (Fig. 492); propodeum with a triangular median carina (Fig. 796); petiole 0.6 × as long as wide; gaster yellowish-brown with black lateral margins (female, Fig. 639), or black with a large yellowish-white spot in apical ½ (male, Fig. 640); male antenna with scape slightly expanded, widest in the middle, and 3.1 × as long as wide (Fig. 643).

Description.

Female. Length of body 2.1 mm. Antenna with scape yellowish-white in basal ½ and yellowish-brown in apical ½, pedicel yellowish-brown, flagellomeres yellowish-brown ventrally and dark brown dorsally (Fig. 641). Mandibles and palpi yellowish-white. Head including lower face black and shiny (Fig. 637). Frons close to eyes with two irregular rows of setae (Fig. 492). Vertex with very weak reticulation, smooth lateral to posterior ocelli (Fig. 493). Occipital margin rounded (Fig. 493).

Mesosoma black and shiny (Fig. 636). Each sidelobe of mesoscutum with eight setae. Scutellum 0.9 × as long as wide; with weak reticulation (Fig. 494). Dorsellum along anterior margin with a very narrow groove that is divided by longitudinal carinae (Fig. 796), groove medially 0.1 × as long as length of dorsellum. Propodeum with very weak reticulation (Fig. 796); anteromedially with a triangular cup; propodeal callus with 15 setae. Legs yellowish-brown (Fig. 636). Fore wing: costal cell with one complete row of setae on ventral surface, and margin with three setae close to marginal vein; with 18 admarginal setae mainly in one row, in apical ⅓ in two rows.

Gaster yellowish-brown with lateral margins black (Fig. 639).

Ratios. HE/MS/WM = 1.5/1.0/1.0; POL/OOL/POO = 6.1/3.6/1.0; OOL/DO = 1.5; WE/WF/WH/HH = 1.0/2.8/4.6/3.4; WH/WT = 1.1; PM/ST = 1.4; TS1/TS2/LT/LT1/LT2/LT3/LT4 = 4.7/2.4/7.8/3.1/1.6/1.0/1.9; LP/WP = 0.6; MM/LG = 1.0.

Male. Length of body 1.7 mm. Scape yellowish-white, slightly expanded and widest in the middle (Fig. 643), sensory pores confined to apicoventral ⅔. Similar to female except gaster shorter and black with a large yellowish-white spot in apical ½ (Fig. 640).

Ratios. LC/WS = 3.1; MM/LG = 1.3.

Hosts and biology.

Plathypena scabra ( Howard 1885), Spodoptera frugiperda feeding on Cipura campanulata ( Iridaceae ) (new record) (both hosts are Noctuidae ).

Distribution.

USA (D.C.) ( Howard 1885), Costa Rica (Guanacaste Province) (new record).

Remarks.

Euplectrus platyhypenae was described from one female and one male but no primary type was selected. The male labeled "Euplectrus platyhypenae How. ms.", "No.657, P.o, July 11.82", "Type No. 1655, U.S.N.M.", is hereby selected as lectotype.

The name of this species is frequently misspellt in the literature, as " Euplectrus plathypenae ", as is also the host Spodoptera frugiperda , as " Spodoptera fugiperda ".