Leptodrepana alexisae Dadelahi & Shaw

Dadelahi, Samin D., Shaw, Scott R., Aguirre, Helmuth & Almeida, Luis Felipe V. de, 2018, A taxonomic study of Costa Rican Leptodrepana with the description of twenty-four new species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae), ZooKeys 750, pp. 59-130 : 69

Leptodrepana alexisae Dadelahi & Shaw sp. n. Figs 1-6, 126

Diagnosis.

In dorsal view, the carapace apex of L. alexisae lacks projecting tubercles instead it has a protruding flange (Fig. 6); in posterior view, two planar points, either strongly or weakly arched between, are visible (Fig. 4). The mesopleuron has a small shiny impunctate area medially with the immediate surrounding area foveolate. The precoxal sulcus appears foveolate. In females, the flagellum is slightly dilated medially. Body mostly brownish black except basal quarter of carapace yellowish white.

Holotype female.

BL 2.07 mm; FWL 2.0 mm; CL 0.96 mm; CW 0.32 mm; CL/CW 3.

Description.

Color. Head brownish black, mandibles yellow, blackish brown apically and basally; palpi yellowish white; antennae brown with scape and pedicel yellowish white; mesosoma brownish black; legs with coxa, trochanter and trochantellus yellowish white, femur and tibia of fore leg yellow, basal half of tibia yellowish white; hind and middle legs similar to fore leg but femur and apical half of tibia dark brown; wings lightly pigmented with darker area below stigma covering apical half of 1st submarginal cell and anterior portion of 2nd submarginal cell; yellow/brown venation; carapace mostly black, basal quarter yellowish white.

Head. HW 0.63 mm; HL 0.53 mm; HW/HL 1.19; face, genae, vertex and ocellar triangle rugulose-weakly punctate; frons depressed impunctate with faint median carina; clypeus weakly punctate and apical margin rounded; occipital carina complete.

Mesosoma. Pronotum foveolate antero-laterally to weakly punctate at propleural margin; propleuron foveate to weakly areolate-rugose; mesoscutum medially weakly areolate-rugose, not greatly differentiated form mesonotal lobes; notauli indistinct; median and lateral mesonotal lobes foveolate-rugose; scutellar sulcus with 6-8 well-defined depressions, all longer than wide; scutellar disc sculptured similar to mesoscutum; mesopleuron anteriorly rugose foveolate, medially with small shiny impunctate area and remainder foveolate to weakly punctate, foveolate at precoxal sulcus and punctate postero-ventrally; propodeum coarsely areolate-rugose with distinct transverse carina raised into small and roughly equal medial and lateral flanges.

Metasoma. Carapace areolate-rugose to shiny and impunctate at apex; in posterior view apex terminates in two planar points weakly arched between; in dorsal view square rounded or truncated flange just visible below rounded carapace dorsum; in lateral view, apex terminates in sloping point below midline.

Variation of paratype females. Carapace apex strongly arched in posterior view, in dorsal view square rounded or truncated flange strongly protruding below rounded carapace dorsum; carapace apex with broad squared point in lateral view; mesopleuron foveate at precoxal sulcus; coxae with traces of yellowish brown; HW 0.63-0.7 mm; HL 0.53-0.6 mm; HW/HL1.17-1.19; BL 2.07-3.2 mm; FWL 2.0-2.4 mm.; CL 0.96-1.2 mm; CW 0.32-0.4 mm; CL/CW 3.0-3.25.

Variation of paratype males. Similar to females except antennae brown with 24 flagellomeres tapering apically; carapace apex not arched in posterior view and no protruding flange visible below rounded dorsum n dorsal view HW 0.7 mm; HL 0.58 mm; HW/HL1.21; BL 1.8 mm; FWL 1.86 mm.; CL 0.84 mm; CW 0.32 mm; CL/CW 2.62.

Material examined.

Holotype female: GUANACASTE, Arenales, W side Volcan Cacao, 900 m, 1988-1989 (no collector listed) [UWIM]. Paratype data: 1♀, same data except Sotobosque, 1100 m, ii.1989 (I. Gauld); 2♀, 1♂, Est. Mengo, SW Volcan Cacao, 1988-1989; 1♀, PUNTARENAS, R. B. Monteverde, San Luis 1040 m, L-N-250850-449250, xii.1992 (Z. Fuentes) [INBio, bar code1000-958034].

Remarks.

Leptodrepana alexisae is similar to and may be confused with L. pamelabbas . However, the following characters may be used to separate the two species. In dorsal view, the carapace apex of L. alexisae lacks projecting tubercles instead it has a protruding flange (Fig. 6). In posterior view, two planar points, either strongly or weakly arched between, are visible (Fig. 4). The mesopleuron has a small shiny impunctate area medially with the immediate surrounding area foveolate. The precoxal sulcus appears foveolate. In females, the flagellum is slightly dilated medially. However, in dorsal and posterior views, two small weakly protruding tubercles are visible at the carapace apex of L. pamelabbas (Figs 69, 71). The mesopleuron is medially rugose with wrinkles appearing somewhat parallel. At the precoxal sulcus there is a wide foveate groove. In females, the flagellum is uniform in width.

Etymology.

This species name is a patronym in honor of a sister of SDD, Alexis Satareh Dadelahi.