Exoryza ritaashleyae Fernandez-Triana

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Whitfield, James B., Smith, M. Alex, Dapkey, Tanya, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2016, Review of the world species of Exoryza (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae), with description of five new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 63 (2), pp. 195-210 : 199-201

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Exoryza ritaashleyae Fernandez-Triana sp. n. Figs 20-25

Holotype.

Female, CNC. COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao, Sendero Cima, 1,460m, 10.93328, -85.45729, 18.xii.2008, coll. D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs. DNA voucher code: DHJPAR0031500.

Paratypes.

3 #F (CNC, NMNH). Costa Rica, Guanacaste, ACG, same locality than holotype. DNA voucher codes: DHJPAR0034091, DHJPAR0034103, DHJPAR0034150.

Diagnostic description.

Body color. Head (except for clypeus and mandibles), mesosoma and metasoma (dorsally) dark brown to black; laterotergites, sternites and hypopygium partially yellow, partially dark brown; antennal flagellomeres dark brown to black; tegula and wing base yellow-white; pterostigma mostly brown (with small pale spot on proximal 0.1); legs mostly yellow-white except for metacoxa (black on proximal 0.6-0.7, white-yellow on distal 0.4-0.3), metafemur (distal 0.1 dorsally brown), metatibia (distal 0.1 dark brown), and metatarsus (dark brown). Body ratios. Flagellomere 2 length/width: 3.5 x. Flagellomere 14 length/width: 1.6 x. Malar line/mandible width: 1.1 x. Metafemur length/width: 3.6 x. Metatibial inner/outer spur length: 1.0 x. T1 length/width at posterior margin: 1.2 x. T2 length/width at posterior margin: 0.4 x. Ovipositor sheaths length/metatibia length: 1.3 x. Body measurements (all in mm). Body length: 3.5-3.8. Fore wing length: 3.6-4.1. Flagellomere 2 length/width: 0.30/0.085. Flagellomere 14 length/width: 0.12/0.075. Flagellomeres 1/2/3/14/15/16 length: 0.29/0.30/0.30/0.12/0.11/0.15. OOL: 0.14. POL: 0.12. Diameter of posterior ocellus: 0.08. Malar line/mandible width: 0.11/0.10. Metafemur length/width: 0.98/0.27. Metatibia length: 1.25. First segment of meta tarsus length: 0.57. Metatibial inner/outer spur length: 0.26/0.25. T1 length/width at anterior margin/width at posterior margin: 0.52/0.35/0.42. T2 length/width at posterior margin: 0.22/0.58. T3 length: 0.21. Ovipositor sheaths length: 1.6-1.9.

Male.

Unknown.

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, Guanacaste, ACG (Sector Cacao), 1,460m.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Rita Ashley from Huacas, Nicoya, for her serious enthusiasm for understanding and protecting the wild nature that occurs all around her, and specifically for causing 20 Guanacaste school children and their teachers to begin to share that enthusiasm.