Glyptapanteles betogarciai 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 betogarciai Arias-Penna, sp. nov. Figs 27 , 28

Female.

Body length 2.63 mm, antenna length 3.53 mm, fore wing length 3.23 mm.

Type material.

Holotype: ECUADOR • 1♀; EC-34000, YY-A235; Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, Yanayacu Road; cloud forest; 2,100 m; - 0.566667, -77.866667; 25.vi.2008; Earthwatch volunteers leg.; caterpillar collected in third instar; white bud-like cocoons formed on 13.vii.2008; adult parasitoid emerged on 14.viii.2008; ( PUCE) . Paratype. 1 (0 ♀, 1♂) (0 ♀, 0 ♂); EC-43164, YY-A175; same data as for holotype except: 05.xi.2009; CAPEA leg.; caterpillar collected in third instar; cocoons formed on 17.xi.2009; adult parasitoid emerged on 21.xii.2009; ( PUCE) .

Diagnosis.

Propleuron with fine punctations throughout ( Figs 27J , 28F ), anteroventral contour of mesopleuron convex ( Figs 27A , 28A, F ), mesoscutum proximally with distinct punctation distally with a polished area ( Figs 27F , 28C ), T3 as long as T2 ( Fig. 27I ), dorsal outer depression on hind coxa absent ( Figs 27A, K , 28A, G ), fore wing with r vein curved, outer side of junction of r and 2RS veins not forming a stub ( Fig. 27L ), inner margin of eyes diverging slightly at antennal sockets ( Fig. 27B ), petiole on T1 finely sculptured on distal half ( Figs 27H , 28E ), propodeum without median longitudinal carina ( Figs 27G , 28D ), and lateral grooves delimiting the median area on T2 clearly defined and reaching the distal edge of T2 ( Figs 27H, I , 28E ).

Coloration

( Fig. 27 A–M ). General body coloration black except labrum, mandibles and distally pedicel with a ring reddish brown tints; glossa, maxillary and labial palps, and tegulae yellow. Eyes silver, but black mottled and ocelli whitish/reddish. Fore and middle legs yellow although tibiae and tarsomeres dark yellow/light or yellow-brown, claws dark brown; hind legs yellow except coxae black with apex yellow, tiny brown dot in apex of femora, apex of tibiae brown, and tarsomeres brown. Petiole on T1 black and sublateral areas yellow; T2 with media and wide adjacent areas black-brown, and lateral ends yellow; T3 mostly black-brown with lateral ends yellow; T4 and beyond completely black-brown; distally each tergum with a narrow whitish transparent band. In lateral view, T1-2 completely yellow; T3-4 yellow, but dorsally brown, brown area larger on T4 than T3; T5 and beyond completely brown. S1-3 completely yellow; S4-5 brown, distally with a wide yellow-brown band; hypopygium completely brown.

Description.

Head ( Fig. 27 A–D ). Head triangular with pubescence long and dense. Proximal three antennal flagellomeres longer than wide (0.25:0.08, 0.30:0.08, 0.27:0.08), distal antennal flagellomere longer than penultimate (0.15:0.06, 0.10:0.06), antenna longer than body (3.53, 2.63); antennal scrobes-frons shallow. Face flat or nearly so, with 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, 0.13). Malar suture present. Median area between lateral ocelli without depression. Vertex laterally rounded and dorsally wide.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 27A, F, G, J ). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex. Mesoscutum with narrow grooves/dents taking the place of notauli, punctation distinct proximally with polished area distally, and interspaces wavy/lacunose. Scutellum triangular, apex sloped and fused with BS, scutellar punctation scattered throughout, in profile scutellum flat and on same plane as mesoscutum, phragma of the scutellum partially exposed; BS only very partially overlapping the MPM; ATS demilune with a little and complete parallel carinae; dorsal ATS groove smooth. Transscutal articulation with small and heterogeneous foveae, area just behind transscutal articulation with a smooth, shiny and sloped transverse strip. Metanotum with BM wider than PFM (clearly differentiated); MPM semicircular without median longitudinal carina; AFM with a small lobe and not as well delineated as PFM; PFM thick and smooth; ATM proximally with semircular/undulate carina and distally smooth. Propodeum without median longitudinal carina, proximal half weakly curved with medium-sized sculpture and distal half 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 faintly concave/wavy carina; nucha surrounded by very short radiating carinae. Pronotum with a distinct dorsal furrow, dorsally with a well-defined smooth band; central area of pronotum smooth, but both dorsal and ventral furrows with short parallel carinae. Propleuron with fine punctations throughout and dorsally without a carina. Metasternum flat or nearly so. Contour of mesopleuron convex; precoxal groove smooth, shiny and shallow, but visible; epicnemial ridge elongated more fusiform (tapering at both ends).

Legs. Ventral margin of fore telotarsus entire, but with a tiny curved seta, fore telotarsus almost same width throughout and longer than fourth tarsomere (0.14, 0.09). Hind coxa with dorsal half sparsely punctate, ventral half densely punctate, and dorsal outer depression absent. Inner spur of hind tibia longer than outer spur (0.27, 0.21), entire surface of hind tibia with dense strong spines clearly differentiated by color and length. Hind telotarsus and fourth tarsomere missing.

Wings ( Fig. 27L, M ). Fore wing with r vein slightly curved; 2RS vein straight; r and 2RS veins forming a weak, even curve at their junction and outer side of junction not forming a stub; 2M vein straight; distally fore wing [where spectral veins are] with microtrichiae more densely concentrated than the rest of the wing; anal cell 1/3 proximally lacking 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 straight, 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. 27A, H, I, K ). Metasoma laterally compressed. Petiole on T1 finely sculptured on distal half, parallel-sided in proximal half, then narrowing (gradually or not), with scattered pubescence on distal half. Lateral grooves delimiting the median area on T2 clearly defined and reaching the distal edge of T2 (length median area 0.20, length T3 0.20), edges of median area obscured by weak longitudinal stripes, median area longer than broad (length 0.20, maximum width 0.18, minimum width 0.08); T2 with scarce pubescence throughout. T3 as long as T2 (0.20, 0.20) and with scattered pubescence throughout. Pubescence on hypopygium dense.

Cocoon ( Fig. 27E ). White bud-like cocoon with silk fibers evenly smooth.

Comments.

The body is completely covered with dense white pubescence. The mesosoma is more robust in the females than males.

Male

( Fig. 28 A–G ). Similar in coloration to female.

Etymology.

Humberto (Beto) García López is a Costa Rican research assistant who works at La Selva Biological Station, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica. Currently, he is involved in the project Orugas (Caterpillars) and the project Latex (focus in Piper plants).

Distribution.

Parasitized caterpillars were collected in Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station (Yanayacu Road), during June 2008 and November 2009 at 2,100 m in cloud forest.

Biology.

The lifestyle of this parasitoid species is solitary.

Host.

Undetermined species of Geometridae feeding on undetermined species of Pteridophyta. Caterpillars were collected in third instar.

Figures

Figure 27. Glyptapanteles betogarciai sp. nov. female EC- 34000 YY-A 235 A Habitus B, D Head B Frontal view D Dorsal view C Head, pronotum, propleuron, lateral view E Cocoon F Mesonotum, dorsal view G Scutellum, 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.

Figure 28. Glyptapanteles betogarciai sp. nov. male EC- 43164 YY-A 175 A Habitus B Cocoon C Mesonotum, dorsal view D Scutellum, metanotum, propodeum, dorsal view E T 1 - 2, dorsal view F Mesosoma, lateral view G Metasoma, lateral view.