Leptodrepana sorayae 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 : 100-104

Leptodrepana sorayae Dadelahi & Shaw sp. n. Figs 102-106, 128

Diagnosis.

In lateral view, the carapace bears a rounded flange posterior to the dorso-apical point. In posterior view the carapace apex terminates in a single broad point below which is a strongly arched medially notched flange. Body mostly yellowish orange; wings suffused with smoky brown pigmentation except for a white band running from the and including the parastigma.

Holotype female.

BL 2.6 mm; FWL 2.13 mm; CL 1.2 mm; CW 0.4 mm; CL/CW 3.3.

Description.

Color. Head yellow, mandibles yellow, blackish brown apically; palpi yellowish white; antennae brown with scape, pedicel and first two flagellomeres (basal) yellow; mesosoma yellowish orange except scutellar sulcus dark brown, propleural margin of pronotum and propleuron yellowish white; fore leg coxa brown, trochanter brown and apically white, trochantellus yellow, femur, tibia and tarsus orangish yellow; middle leg coxa white, trochanter mostly white, trochantellus mostly brown, femur, tibia and tarsus orangish yellow; hind leg coxa white, trochanter mostly white, trochantellus mostly brown, femur orangish yellow but dark brown dorsally, tibia white basally and orangish brown apically, tarsus orangish brown; wings suffused with smoky brown pigmentation except for white band running from parastigma (white) over veins RS+Ma, RS+Mb, 1m-cu, 2Cua and basal most portions of veins 2RS, 2M, and 3CU; remaining venation dark brown; carapace mostly orange, basally with median yellowish white patch between dorsal carinae, posterior margin of basal third of carapace with very faint ridge followed by transverse crescent shaped yellowish white patch.

Head. HW 0.9 mm; HL 0.75 mm; HW/HL 1.2; face and genae rugulose punctate; vertex and ocellar triangle coarsely rugulose-punctate; frons depressed, coarsely punctate with fine parallel lineation transverse to median carinae; clypeus punctate and apical margin rounded; occipital carina complete.

Mesosoma. Pronotum foveate antero-laterally to rugose-foveate at propleural margin; propleuron weakly foveolate-rugose; mesoscutum medially with 3-4 irregular parallel pitted grooves between notauli so that area appears neatly divided parallel lines; notauli narrow and visible anteriorly; medial mesonotal lobe granulate, lateral mesonotal lobes weakly areolate-rugose; scutellar sulcus with 6-7 well-defined depressions, all longer than wide; scutellar disc punctate; mesopleuron anteriorly rugose, medially foveate, scrobiculate groove at precoxal sulcus followed by a foveate groove together appearing as a wide grooved depression; propodeum coarsely areolate-rugose with distinct transverse carina raised into small, roughly equal, medial and lateral flanges.

Metasoma. Carapace areolate-rugose to weakly areolate-rugose at apex; in posterior view apex terminating in a single broad point with arched flanges beneath; in dorsal view, apex terminates in single point; in lateral view, posterior to apical point is rounded flange; ventral cavity distal apex.

Variation of paratype females. Color: head yellow to orange; pronotum orange to yellowish white at propleural margin; propleuron orange to yellowish white; mesosoma orange/brown; anterior and posterior portion of mesopleuron brown/black; carapace orange/brown; pattern on carapace faint; propleural margin of pronotum rugose; propleuron weakly areolate-rugose; HW 0.8-0.9 mm; HL 0.7-0.73 mm; HW/HL 1.1-1.2; BL 2.6-3.1 mm; FWL 2.1-2.3 mm; CL 1.2-1.5 mm; CW 0.36-0.44 mm; CL/CW 3.2-3.7.

Variation of paratype males. Similar to females except sometimes frons and vertex darker in color than remainder of head; antennae with 26 flagellomeres tapering apically; pronotum foveate to smooth at propleural margin; mesoscutum sometimes mottled orange/brown/black with or without lighter orange patches at anterior notauli; median area of mesoscutum without well-defined parallel grooves appearing more areolate-rugose; HW 0.7-0.8 mm; HL 0.6-0.68 mm; HW/HL 1.16-1.2; BL 2.5-2.86 mm; FWL 2.0-2.13 mm; CL 1.2-1.36 mm; CW 0.4 mm; CL/CW 3.3-3.4.

Material examined.

Holotype female: PUNTARENAS, R.F. Golfo Dulce, 3 km SW Rincon, 10 m, xii.1989-iii.1990 (P. Hanson) [UWIM]. Paratype females: 1♀, GUANACASTE, Est. Los Almendros, 300 m, Amarilla, 6-29.i.1995 (E.E. Lopez) LN 334850, 369500 #4785 [INBio]; remainder of paratype females are from PUNTARENAS province; 1♀, P. N. Corcovado, Est. Sirena, 50 m, iv–viii.1989; 2♀, same data as holotype; 1♀, same data as holotype except vi–viii.1989; 1♂, same data as holotype except S Rincon, iii–v.1989; 1♀, same data as holotype except iii–v.1989; 1♀, same data as holotype except x–xii.1990; 2♀, same data as holotype except vi.1991; 2♀, same data as holotype except i.1992; 1♀, same data as holotype except iii.1993; 4♀, same data as holotype except iv.1993; 8♀, same data as holotype except primary forest, xii.1992; 11♀, same data except ii.1993; 1♀, Puerto Jimenez, 10 m, full sun grassy weedy site, x.1991; 1♀, 1♂, same data except grassy weedy site, i–ii.1992; 1♀, 23 km N Puerto Jimenez, La Palma,10 m, in large trees, viii–ix.1991; 2♀, 5 km N Puerto Jimenez 10 m, iii–iv.1991; 2♂, Pen. Osa, Puerto Jimenez, 10 m, ii–iii.1993; 2♀, Pen. Osa, Cerro Rincon, 200 m, S del Hito, 745 m, i.1991 (Hanson & Quiros); 1♀, same data except ii.1991 (Hanson & Godoy); 2♀, San Vito Est. Biol. Las Alturas, 1500 m, xii.1991.

Remarks.

Leptodrepana sorayae may be easily distinguished from other Costa Rican species because of its many unique characters. The configuration of the carapace apex is diagnostic for this species. In lateral view, the carapace bears a rounded flange posterior to the dorso-apical point (Fig. 105). In posterior view the carapace apex terminates in a single broad point below which is a strongly arched medially notched flange. The carapace is areolate-rugose from base to apex. The wings also have a characteristic pattern. They are suffused with smoky brown pigmentation except for a white band running from the and including the parastigma over veins RS+Ma, RS+Mb, 1m-cu, 2Cua and basal most portions of veins 2RS, 2M and 3CU (Fig. 128).

Etymology.

This species name is a patronym named in honor of a sister of SDD, Soraya Elizabeth Dadelahi.