Glyptapanteles taniaariasae Arias-Penna, sp. nov.

Arias-Penna, Diana Carolina, Whitfield, James B., Janzen, Daniel H., Winifred Hallwachs,, Dyer, Lee A., Smith, M. Alex, Hebert, Paul D. N. & Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., 2019, A species-level taxonomic review and host associations of Glyptapanteles (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with an emphasis on 136 new reared species from Costa Rica and Ecuador, ZooKeys 890, pp. 1-685 : 1

Glyptapanteles taniaariasae Arias-Penna, sp. nov. Fig. 213

Female.

Body length 2.92 mm, antenna length 3.88 mm, fore wing length 3.63 mm.

Type material.

Holotype: ECUADOR • 1♀; EC-34481, YY-A234; Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, Yanayacu Road; cloud forest; 2,100 m; - 0.566667, -77.866667; 20.vii.2008; Earthwatch volunteers leg.; caterpillar collected in second instar; white solitary cocoon formed on 04.viii.2008; adult parasitoid emerged on 23.xii.2008; ( PUCE).

Diagnosis.

Face with dense fine punctations ( Fig. 213B ), distal antennal flagellomere subequal in length with penultimate, scutellum in profile convex and slightly higher than mesoscutum ( Fig. 213A ), petiole on T1 distally with lateral margins convex, petiole parallel-sided but barely narrowing at apex ( Fig. 213H ), mesoscutum punctation proximally distinct, but distally absent/dispersed ( Fig. 213F ), dorsal furrow of pronotum with a well-defined smooth band, precoxal groove deep, smooth and shiny ( Fig. 213A, J ), dorsal carina delimiting a dorsal furrow on propleuron absent. ( Fig. 213H ), anteroventral contour of mesopleuron straight/angulate or nearly so ( Fig. 213A, J ), edges of median area on T2 polished and followed by a deep groove ( Fig. 213H ), and fore wing with r vein curved, outer side of junction of r and 2RS veins forming a stub ( Fig. 213L ).

Coloration

( Fig. 213 A–M ). General body coloration satin black except apex of labrum, mandibles and pedicel brown-red/reddish; scape and all antennal flagellomeres (on both sides) dark brown; glossa, maxillary and labial palps, and tegulae light yellow-brown. Eyes gray/black and ocelli brownish/reddish (in preserved specimen). Fore and middle legs dark yellow/ light yellow-brown except tibiae and tarsomeres of middle legs with brown tints and claws brown; hind legs dark yellow/light yellow-brown except coxae dorsally with a brown spot, femora distally with a tiny brown area, tibiae distal half brown (coloration intensity increasing from proximal to distal) and proximally with a narrow brown band, and tarsomeres brown, although basitarsus proximally with a yellow band. Petiole on T1 black and sublateral areas yellow-brown; T2 with median and adjacent areas black, adjacent area with contours well-defined, and lateral ends yellow-brown; T3 mostly black except proximal corners of lateral ends; T4 and beyond completely brown; distally each tergum with a narrow yellow translucent band. In lateral view, T1-3 yellow-brown; T3 and beyond yellow-brown, but dorsally brown, extent of brown area remaining relatively constant from proximal to distal. S1-3 yellow-brown, but medially brown; S4 and beyond completely brown.

Description.

Head ( Fig. 213 A–D ). Head rounded with pubescence long and dense. Proximal three antennal flagellomeres longer than wide (0.24:0.09, 0.30:0.09, 0.25:0.09), distal antennal flagellomere subequal in length with penultimate (0.15:0.07, 0.15:0.07), antenna longer than body (3.88, 2.92); antennal scrobes-frons sloped and forming a shelf. Face flat or nearly so, dense fine punctations, interspaces smooth and longitudinal median carina present. Frons smooth. Temple wide, punctate and interspaces clearly smooth. Inner margin of eyes diverging slightly at antennal sockets; in lateral view, eye anteriorly convex and posteriorly straight. POL shorter than OOL (0.10, 0.17). Malar suture present. Median area between lateral ocelli slightly depressed. Vertex laterally pointed or nearly so and dorsally wide.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 213A, F, G, J ). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex. Distal 1/3 of mesoscutum with lateral margin slightly dented, punctation proximally distinct, but distally absent/dispersed, interspaces with microsculpture. Scutellum triangular, apex sloped and fused with BS, but not in the same plane, scutellar punctation scattered throughout, in profile scutellum convex and slightly higher than mesoscutum, phragma of the scutellum partially exposed; BS only very partially overlapping the MPM; ATS demilune with short stubs delineating the area; dorsal ATS groove with carinae only proximally. Transscutal articulation with small and heterogeneous foveae, area just behind transscutal articulation depressed centrally, smooth and shiny. Metanotum with BM wider than PFM (clearly differentiated); MPM circular without median longitudinal carina; AFM without setiferous lobes and not as well delineated as PFM; PFM thick, smooth and with lateral ends rounded; ATM proximally with a well-defined row of foveae and distally smooth. Propodeum without median longitudinal carina, proximal half curved with medium-sized sculpture and distal half relatively polished and with a shallow dent at each side of nucha; distal edge of propodeum with a flange at each side and without stubs; propodeal spiracle distally framed by a short concave carina; nucha surrounded by long radiating carinae. Pronotum with a distinct dorsal furrow, dorsally with a well-defined smooth band; central area of pronotum and dorsal furrow smooth, but ventral furrow with short parallel carinae. Propleuron with a mix of rugae and fine punctation, dorsally without a carina. Metasternum convex. Contour of mesopleuron straight/angulate or nearly so; precoxal groove deep, smooth and shiny; epicnemial ridge widen.

Legs ( Fig. 213A ). Ventral margin of fore telotarsus excavated with conspicuous curved seta over this excavation, fore telotarsus almost same width throughout and longer than fourth tarsomere (0.17, 0.10). Hind coxa with dorsal half sparsely punctate, ventral half densely punctate, and dorsal outer depression present. Inner spur of hind tibia longer than outer spur (0.46, 0.31), entire surface of hind tibia with dense strong spines clearly differentiated by color and length. Hind telotarsus longer than fourth tarsomere (0.18, 0.16).

Wings ( Fig. 213L, M ). Fore wing with r vein curved; 2RS vein straight; r and 2RS veins forming a weak, even curve at their junction and outer side of junction forming a distinct stub; 2M vein slightly curved/swollen; distally fore wing [where spectral veins are] with microtrichiae more densely concentrated than the rest of the wing; anal cell completely covered by microtrichiae; subbasal cell with microtrichiae virtually throughout; veins 2CUa and 2CUb completely spectral;vein 2 cu-a present as spectral vein, sometimes difficult to see; vein 2-1A proximally tubular and distally spectral, although sometimes difficult to see; tubular vein 1 cu-a curved, incomplete/broken and not reaching the edge of 1-1A vein. Hind wing with vannal lobe very narrow, subdistally and subproximally straightened, and setae evenly scattered in the margin.

Metasoma ( Fig. 213A, H, I, K ). Metasoma laterally compressed. Petiole on T1 completely smooth and polished, with faint, satin-like sheen, virtually parallel-sided over most of length, but barely narrowing at apex, apex truncate (length 0.37, maximum width 0.25, minimum with 0.20), and with scattered pubescence concentrated in the first distal third. Lateral grooves delimiting the median area on T2 clearly defined and reaching the distal edge of T2 (length median area 0.17, length T2 0.17), lateral grooves deep, median area broader than long (length 0.17, maximum width 0.25, minimum width 0.13); T2 with a distinctive row of pubescence only at the distal margin. T3 longer than T2 (0.26, 0.17) and with a distinctive row of pubescence only at the distal margin. Pubescence on hypopygium dense.

Cocoons ( Fig. 213E ). White or beige oval cocoon with ordered silk fibers, but covered by a net.

Comments.

The limit between the mesopleuron and the metasternum with a flattened area, the petiole on T1 distally slightly wider and lateral margins more curved (convex) than proximally ( Fig. 213H ), the body is stout, short and covered with dense pubescence, and the hind coxae is stout ( Fig. 213A ).

Male.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Tania Milena Arias-Penna is a Colombian entomologist. Her research has been focused on taxonomy and systematics of ants ( Ponerinae) and parasitoid wasps ( Platygastroidea). She is DCAP’s sister.

Distribution.

Parasitized caterpillar was collected in Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station (Yanayacu Road), during July 2008 at 2,100 m in cloud forest.

Biology.

The lifestyle of this parasitoid species is solitary.

Host.

Pantherodes unciaria Guenée ( Geometridae : Ennominae) feeding on Boehmeria bullata ( Urticaceae ). Caterpillar was collected in second instar.

Figures

Figure 213. Glyptapanteles taniaariasae sp. nov. male EC- 34481 YY-A 234 A Habitus B-D Head B Frontal view C Lateral view D Dorsal view E Cocoon F Mesonotum, dorsal view G Metanotum, propodeum, dorsal view H T 1 - 2, dorsal view I, K Metasoma I Dorsal view K Lateral view J Mesosoma, lateral view L, M Wings L Fore M Hind.