Bracon tihisiaboshartae Sharkey, 2021

Sharkey, Michael J., Janzen, Daniel H., Hallwachs, Winnie, Chapman, Eric G., Smith, M. Alex, Dapkey, Tanya, Brown, Allison, Ratnasingham, Sujeevan, Naik, Suresh, Manjunath, Ramya, Perez, Kate, Milton, Megan, Hebert, Paul, Shaw, Scott R., Kittel, Rebecca N., Solis, M. Alma, Metz, Mark A., Goldstein, Paul Z., Brown, John W., Quicke, Donald L. J., Achterberg, C. van, Brown, Brian V. & Burns, John M., 2021, Minimalist revision and description of 403 new species in 11 subfamilies of Costa Rican braconid parasitoid wasps, including host records for 219 species, ZooKeys 1013, pp. 1-665 : 1

Bracon tihisiaboshartae Sharkey sp. nov. Figures 72 , 73

Diagnostics.

BOLD:AAA5367. Consensus barcode. TGTATTATATTTTTTATTTGGAATATGAGCYGGAATAATTGGTTTATCAATAAGTTTAATTATTCGTTTAGAATTAGGRATACCAGGTAGTTTAYTAGGTAATGATCAAATTTATAATAGTATAGTTACAGCKCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCAGTAATATTAGGAGGWTTTGGTAATTGATTAGTTCCTTTAATATTAGGTGCTCCTGATATAGCTTTYCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGATTATTAATTCCTTCATTAATTTTATTATTATTAAGAAGAATTTTAAATGTTGGTGTAGGRACAGGCTGAACTATTTATCCTCCTTTATCTTCTATAATAGGTCATAGAGGWATATCTGTRGATTTATCTATTTTYTCTTTACATTTAGCTGGTATTTCTTCTATTATAGGATCGATTAATTTTATTACAACAATTTTAAATATACATTTATTAATATTAAAATTAGATCAATTAACTTTATTTATTTGATCAATTTTTATTACAACTATTTTATTATTATTATCTTTACCTGTATTAGCAGGAGCTATTACTATAYTATTAACTGATCGAAATTTWAATACTTCATTTTTTGATTTTTCTGGAGGTGGGGATCCAATTYTATTTCAACATTTATTT. Bracon tihisiaboshartae and B. alejandromasisi occupy the same BIN. Bracon tihisiaboshartae can be differentiated from B. alejandromasisi by the color of the metasomal terga: entirely yellow in B. tihisiaboshartae and partly black in B. alejandromasisi . The two can also be differentiated based on their host caterpillars and style of cocoons, see note below.

Holotype ♀.

Guanacaste, Sector Mundo Nuevo, Quebrada Tibio Perla, 10.76261, -85.42979, 330 meters, caterpillar collection date: 17/xi/2013, wasp eclosion date: 1/xii/2013, 26 wasps eclosed. Depository: CNC.

Host data. Gregarious parasitoid of Memphis boisduvali ( Nymphalidae ) feeding on Mespilodaphne veraguensis ( Lauraceae ) (Fig. 72 )

Caterpillar and holotype voucher codes. 13-SRNP-57185, DHJPAR0054608.

Paratype.

Host = Memphis pithyusa : DHJPAR0040072. Depository: CNC.

Note.

Bracon alejandromasisi and Bracon tihisiaboshartae are placed in the same BIN, but their COI barcodes differ by ca. 1%, and each is reared from different genera of caterpillars ( Consul , Memphis ) feeding on very different plants ( Piper , Croton ). The cocoons of the former are dark brown and tightly fill the caterpillar nest (Fig. 32 ), whereas the cocoons of the later are white-golden and form an irregular mass in a much looser leaf roll nest of the host caterpillar, not filling it (Fig. 73 ). Experience has shown that with this level of difference within ACG ecosystems and hosts, larger sample sizes demonstrate that this species-level taxonomic hypothesis is almost certainly correct.

Etymology.

Bracon tihisiaboshartae is name in honor of Tihisia Boshart in specific recognition of her rapid and high-quality rendering of artwork for Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera patronyms for major Costa Rican decision-makers helping ACG.

Figures

Figure 32. Bracon alejandromasisi 09 - SRNP- 20369, dark brown cocoons filling the ultimate instar caterpillar nest of Consul fabius (Nymphalidae), with black exit holes cut by the adult wasps.

Figure 72. Bracon tihisiaboshartae, holotype.

Figure 73. Bracon tihisiaboshartae (09 - SRNP- 56390 - DHJ 474143. jpg) white-golden cocoons piled together in two masses on the leaf, rather than filling the nest cavity as the case with Bracon alejandromasisi; wasp exit hole is in the mass on the left.