Snellenius bobdressleri Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Whitfield, James B., Smith, M. Alex, Kula, Robert R., Winnie Hallwachs, & Janzen, Daniel H., 2015, Revision of the genera Microplitis and Snellenius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with a key to all species previously described from Mesoamerica, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (2), pp. 137-201 : 147-148

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius bobdressleri Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 69-75, 226

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector El Hacha, Animas, 195m, 11.05011, -85.58663, 16.iv.2013. ACG database code: DHJPAR0052256.

Paratypes.

1♀, 1♂ (CNC). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0052334, DHJPAR0053888.

Diagnosis.

The fore wing mostly infumated, dark reddish-brown metafemur, and T1 2.3 × as long as width at posterior margin differentiates this species from congeners.

Description.

Female. Scape color: Black. Mesosoma color: Black. Metasoma color: Dark brown to black. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow, yellow, black. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, orange-brown, dark reddish-brown. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow, yellow, yellow-white on anterior 0.2-0.3 and dark brown to black on posterior 0.7-0.8. Metatibia spurs color: Black. First segment of metatarsus color: Black. Tegula and humeral complex color: Black, black. Wings: Mostly infumated. Pterostigma color: Dark brown. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Brown (same color as surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.5-3.6 mm. Fore wing length: 3.0 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.9-2.1 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.8-1.9 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.19/0.09 –0.10/0.17– 0.18 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.6 × (0.29 –0.31/0.11– 0.12 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 1.6-1.7 × (0.19-0.20/0.12 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.5-1.6 x. Antenna in males: Strongly flattened. Epicnemial carina: Present. Anteromesoscutum: With strong, coarse sculpture, central area appearing elevated compared to lateral areas of anteromesoscutum, notauli wide and deeply excavated, with numerous crenulae. Scutellar disc sculpture: With deeper sculpture near margins, central part appearing slightly elevated and less sculptured. Number of carinae in scutoscutellar sulcus: One centrally, with other 2-4 smaller and partially defined carinae. Metafemur length/width: 3.5 × (0.97/0.28 mm). Metatibia length: 1.26 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.49 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.2-2.3 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.58 –0.60/0.30–0.31/0.30–0.32/0.26– 0.27 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Fully sculptured.

Male. As female but with all femora orange, metatibia mostly orange (only posterior 0.2 dark brown), T3 entirely yellow, and T2 light brown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Erebidae : Pseudbarydia crespula . Solitary parasitoid (Fig. 226).

Molecular data.

Two haplotypes, three sequences (three barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Bob Dressler in recognition of his contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.