Snellenius jorgegomezlauritoi 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 : 152

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius jorgegomezlauritoi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 123-128

Holotype.

♀ in CNC. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Santa Rosa, Area Administrativa, 295 meters, 10.83764, -85.61871. ACG database code: 90-SRNP-2193.

Diagnosis.

The combination of metasoma entirely light orange yellow, the metasoma black, and wings infumated separate this species from all other ACG Snellenius .

Description.

Female. Scape color: Light brown yellow. Mesosoma color: Black. Metasoma color: Light orange yellow. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow, yellow, yellow. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, yellow, yellow. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow, yellow, mostly light yellow brown (with only posterior 0.1 brown). Metatibia spurs color: Light yellow brown. First segment of metatarsus color: Brown. Tegula and humeral complex color: Yellow, light brown yellow. Wings: 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 mm. Fore wing length: 3.2 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.9 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.6 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.17/0.09/0.14 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.8 × (0.28/0.10 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.0 × (0.20/0.10 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.4 x. 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 complete, four partial. Metafemur length/width: 3.8 × (0.88/0.23 mm). Metatibia length: 1.15 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.48 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.2 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.52/0.24/0.26/0.24 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Mostly sculptured.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Host.

Noctuidae : Stauropides persimilis . Solitary parasitoid.

Molecular data.

None.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Jorge Gómez Laurito in recognition of his contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.