Prasmodon zlotnicki Valerio & Rodriguez, 2005

Valerio, Alejandro A., Rodriguez, Josephine J., Whitfield, James B. & Janzen, Daniel H., 2005, Prasmodon zlotnicki, a new Neotropical species of the genus Prasmodon Nixon (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from Costa Rica, with the first host records for the genus, Zootaxa 1016 (1), pp. 29-38 : 31-34

Prasmodon zlotnicki Valerio & Rodriguez , n. sp.

( Figs. 1A, 1B, 1E, 1F, 1H , 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G )

Female. Body length = 4.55–4.65 mm.

Body color. Distal four flagellomeres of antenna bright yellow, remainder of antenna as well as mid area of metasomal terga 3–8, distal 2/5 of hind and mid tibial leg, hind leg 2 nd to 5 th tarsomeres, mid leg 3 rd to 5 th tarsomeres, ventrodistal 1/3 of hind coxae, tibial spurs, mid­frontal and lateral areas of mesonotum as well as interocular area dark brown. All tarsal claws and tips of mandibles dark brown. Remainder of mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum, remainder of terga 3 rd to 8 th, as well as laterotergites and ocelli, yellow. Compound eyes silverish white (in dead specimens); remainder of body and first metasomal tergum whitish yellow. Wings infumate with dark brown veins.

Head. Head height/width = 1.17–1.18; compound eye height/width = 1.67–1.68; intertentorial pit distance = 0.25–0.28 mm; tentorial pit distance/distance tentorial pit to compound eye = 10–11; width of face at dorsal clypeal edge = 0.43–0.44 mm; clypeus width/height = 3.00–3.33; vertex width/distance between anterior ocelli and edge of torulus = 2.08–2.16; length of first flagellomere = 0.35–0.38 mm; first flagellomere length/ width = 2.00–2.15; length of first flagellomere/length of second flagellomere = 1.08–1.11; length of first flagellomere/length of third flagellomere = 1.08–1.11; distal flagellomere length = 0.25 mm; distal flagellomere length/penultimate flagellomere length = 1.11–1.18; distal flagellomere length/width = 2.5; malar space height/basal width of mandible = 0.50– 0.57; ocell­ocular distance/lateral ocelli distance = 2.50–2.67. Head densely fine setose (including clypeus and labrum) except for scrobal areas of frons glabrous.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma length/width = 1.27–1.31; mesosoma length = 0.94–0.95 mm; mesosoma height = 1.20–1.30 mm. Propleuron with a series of transverse ridges on anterior 2/3, remainder without ridges but with fine punctulate sculpturing; propleuron with anterior lateral 1/2 with conspicuous transverse ridges, remainder nitid and glabrous except for dorsal edge on posterior upper corner with setosity, ventrolateral edge expanded and about 1/3 height of posterior edge; mesonotum and scutellum densely covered with fine punctate sculpturing, notauli well demarcated; scutellar groove with 6 to 7 well defined costulae of uniform width; axilla through mesonotum with transversal ridges on area next to scutellum, remainder nitid; metanotum depressed with one large distinct costula; axilla through metanotum with short thick ridges on posterior edge, remainder nitid; propodeum nitid except for carination, costular, transverse and medial longitudinal carinae present, complete and well defined; transverse carina slightly sinuate but medio longitudinal carina straight; spiracular area nitid with spiracles well defined by carinae; mesopleuron with sternaulus forming a nitid depressed area, remainder with fine punctate sculpturing; metapleuron nitid except for short transverse ridges throughout the length of metapleural suture.

Legs. Femur length = 1.22–1.25 mm; hind femur length/width = 3.10–3.16; hind tibia length/hind femur length = 1.40–1.41. Fore telotarsus normal in shape; tarsal claws pectinate with last two teeth thick, sharp and separated.

Wings. Forewing length = 5.2–5.4 mm; 1RS length = 0.08–0.10 mm; 1CUa length/ 1CUb length = 0.30–0.31; length RS+Ma = 0.71–0.72 mm; length M+CU = 1.78–1.82 mm; 1M length/ m­cu length = 1.70–1.75; pterostigma length/height = 2.27–2.30. Hind wing: 1M length = 1.04–1.08 mm; 1M length/2M length = 2.59–2.69; 1M length/M+CU length = 2.26–2.30; length r­m/length cu­a= 0.60–0.64; 1RSa length/2r­m = 1.29–1.34; 1A length = 0.34–0.35 mm.

Metasoma. First tergum basal width = 0.94–0.95 mm; first tergum length/distal width = 2.06–2.50; second tergum length/distal width = 0.28–0.32; third tergum length/distal width = 0.38–0.40; hypopygium length = 0.7–0.9 mm; first metasomal segment sharply narrowing posteriorly, nitid as are remainder terga; ovipositor sheaths 0.46–0.50X as long as hind tibia length and densely setose; ovipositor elongate and narrow in lateral view and as long as hind tibia.

Material examined. Holotype, female, “ Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector San Cristobal, Sendero Corredor , 620 m, 317739N 384297E, 6/vii/2002, [Col.] G. Sihezar; voucher code 02­SRNP­18182 & eclosed 07/29/ 2002.” Paratype, one female, voucher code 02­SRNP­18180 with same data and eclosing date as holotype .

The holotype and paratype are deposited at Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad ( INBio), Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica .

Rearing records. Specimens were reared from Neurophyseta camptogrammalis ( Crambidae : Spilomelinae) caterpillars living in leaflet rolls of, and feeding on, the foliage of the rain forest tree fern Alsophila firma (Cyatheaceae) . One parasitoid per caterpillar was reared, the wasp larva emerged from the newly killed last instar/prepupal host larva. The wasp larva spins a single large elongate­ovoid white cocoon glued lightly to the leaf within a few millimeters of the host carcass.

Etymology. Prasmodon zlotnicki is named in honor of Dr. Brad Zlotnick of San Diego, California, in recognition of his two decades of enthusiastic attention to, and support of, the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (including the partial purchase of the forest in which P. zlotnicki can be found).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Prasmodon zlotnicki n. sp. A: mesonotum. B: body in lateral view. E: ovipositor and ovipositor sheaths. F: dorsal view of body. H: hind wing and forewing. Prasmodon eminens Nixon. C: lateral view of body. D: mesonotum. G: dorsal view of body.

FIGURE 2. Prasmodon zlotnicki n. sp. A: mesonotum. B: first metasomal tergum. C: hind tarsal claw. E: ovipositor and ovipositor sheath. F: tip of ovipositor. G: propodeum. Prasmodon eminens Nixon. D: hind tarsal claw. H: propodeum.