Snellenius sandyknappae 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 : 158-159

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius sandyknappae Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 189-195, 224, 225

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Pitilla, Pasmompa, 440m, 11.01926, -85.40997. ACG database code: DHJPAR0020763.

Paratypes.

11♀, 6♂ (BMNH, CNC, USNM, INBio, INHS). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0020493, DHJPAR0020585, DHJPAR0020586, DHJPAR0020587, DHJPAR0020588, DHJPAR0020589, DHJPAR0020759, DHJPAR0020760, DHJPAR0020761, DHJPAR0020762, DHJPAR0020764, DHJPAR0020766, DHJPAR0020767, DHJPAR0020768, DHJPAR0020769, DHJPAR0030871, 07-SNRP-33753.

Diagnosis.

The unique combination of wings slightly infumated, body mostly black (at the lightest dark brown), tegula clearly lighter in color than darker humeral complex, all coxae dark brown to black, metatibial spurs yellow white, and host ( Helia argentipes ) separate this species from all other ACG Snellenius .

Description.

Female. Scape color: Dark brown to black. Mesosoma color: Black. Metasoma color: Dark brown to black. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Brown, black, black. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow brown, brown, black. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow brown, brown, black (except for anterior 0.1-0.2 white). Metatibia spurs color: Yellowish white. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown to black. Tegula and humeral complex color: Brown, dark brown. Wings: Slightly infumated. Pterostigma color: Brown. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Brown (same color as surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.2-3.4 mm. Fore wing length: 2.8-3.1 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.3-2.4 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0-2.1 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.16 –0.17/0.07/0.14– 0.15 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 3.1-3.2 × (0.28-0.29/0.09 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.2-2.3 × (0.19 –0.20/0.08– 0.09 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.4-1.5 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. Metafemur length/width: 3.7-3.8 × (0.90 –0.93/0.24– 0.25 mm). Metatibia length: 1.20 mm (1.18-1.22 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.44-0.45 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 1.8 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.46 –0.47/0.25–0.26/0.24/0.25– 0.26 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Fully sculptured.

Male. As female but T2 yellow or light brown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Host.

Erebidae , Helia argentipes . Solitary parasitoid (Figs 224, 225).

Molecular data.

One haplotype, 18 sequences (18 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Sandy Knapp in recognition of her contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.