Iconella isolata (Muesebeck, 1955)

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Cardinal, Sophie, Whitfield, James B., Winnie Hallwachs,, Smith, M. Alex & Janzenr, Daniel H., 2013, A review of the New World species of the parasitoid wasp Iconella (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae), ZooKeys 321, pp. 65-87 : 77-79

Iconella isolata (Muesebeck, 1955) stat. r. Figures 23-29

Apanteles etiellae isolatus Muesebeck, 1955: 161.

Type locality.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, St. Augustine.

Holotype.

♀, NMNH (not examined). Paratypes. 2 ♀ and 1 ♂, CNC (examined).

Specimens examined.

11 ♀, 5 ♂ (CNC) British Guiana, Cayman islands (Grand Cayman, Georgetown), Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis (Nevis, Round Hill), Trinidad & Tobago (Paradise Mt., St. Augustine, and Tacarigua). Collecting dates of specimens examined: February, March and December (1950-1965).

Description.

Promefur color: mostly yellow, dark brown area limited to anterior 0.2 or less, rarely dark brown on anterior half, yellow on posterior half. Meso- and meta- femur color: mostly dark brown but with proximal 0.1-0.2 × yellow to orange. Metatibia and metatarsus color: Metatibia mostly yellow, at most with very small and faint brown spot on posterior 0.1 × or less; metatarsus mostly yellow, except for brown area on posterior half of first tarsomerus. Tegula and humeral complex color: tegula and humeral complex fully yellow to yellowish-white (Fig. 29). Pterostigma color: centrally transparent, with yellow-white margins (Fig. 24). Fore wing veins color: most of veins transparent or at most yellowish-white, margins of same color than interior of vein. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 2.4 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.7 mm, 2.8 mm or 2.9 mm. Fore wing length: 2.8 mm, 2.9 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.1 mm or 3.2 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.9 × or 2.0 ×. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.9 ×, 2.0 × or 2.1 × (Fig. 27). Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.2 ×, 2.3 × or 2.5 ×. Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 1.3 × or 1.4 ×. Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 2.3 ×, 2.4 × or 2.5 ×. Metafemur length/width: 3.2 × or 3.3 ×. Mesoscutellar disc: mostly smooth with few, scattered punctures near margins (Fig. 29). Number of pits in scutoscutellar sulcus: usually 12 or less, ocasionally reaching up to 14 pits. Propodeum background sculpture: anterior 0.2-0.4 × with fine puntures; posterior 0.6-0.8 × mostly smooth, at most with some small carinae (mostly radiating from strong, longitudinal median carina) (Fig. 28). Mediotergite 1 width at anterior margin/width at posterior margin: 2.1 ×, 2.6 × or 2.8 ×. Mediotergite 2 width at posterior margin/length: 3.6 ×, 3.7 ×, 3.8 ×, 4.5 × or 4.6 × (Fig. 26). Ovipositor sheaths length/metatibial length: 1.0 × (Fig. 25).

Male. As female.

Molecular data.

No DNA barcode sequence was available for this species, the only one among the New World species without molecular data.

Biology/ecology.

Host: Ancylostomia stercorea ( Pyralidae ).

Distribution.

British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago.

Comments.

Until now, Iconella isolata had been considered to be a subspecies of Iconella etiellae . After study of numerous specimens, we have found consistent and significant differences in morphology, hosts and geographical distribution and thus consider Iconella isolata as a different species on its own. Cayman Islands and Saint Kitts & Nevis are new locality records, based on CNC specimens. The specimen from Cayman Islands represents the westernmost locality, and it expands considerably the previously known distribution of the species in the Caribbean islands.