Snellenius phildevriesi 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 : 156

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius phildevriesi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 169-175, 228, 229

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Del Oro, Bosque Aguirre, 620m, 11.00060, -85.43800. ACG database code: DHJPAR0041580.

Paratypes.

3♀, 4♂ (BMNH, CNC, USNM, INBio, INHS). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0005014, DHJPAR0040510, DHJPAR0040517, DHJPAR0041587, DHJPAR0041956, DHJPAR0045347.

Diagnosis.

The combination of body color (yellow orange), metatibia (mostly or entirely dark red brown) and wings (with dark brown infumation, veins and pterostigma mostly brown), as well as hosts ( Erebidae , Gonodonta spp) separates this species from all other ACG Snellenius except for Snellenius isidrochaconi . No female specimens are known from Snellenius isidrochaconi but males of both species are distinguishable by slight differences in size, interocellar area color, carination pattern in the propodeum, and the absence in Snellenius phildevriesi of a rather acute projection on the posterior margin of the metascutellum. Additionally, the two species have over 4 % of base pair differences in the barcoding region, and the caterpillars that they parasitize, although belonging to the same genus ( Gonodonta ), feed on host plants in different families.

Description.

Female. Scape color: Partially brown, partially yellow. Mesosoma color: Yellow orange. Metasoma color: Yellow orange. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow, yellow, yellow. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, yellow, yellow. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Yellow, yellow, anterior 0.8 reddish orange and posterior 0.2 dark brown to black. Metatibia spurs color: Brown. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown to black. Tegula and humeral complex color: Yellow, yellow. Wings: 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): 3.8 mm. Fore wing length: 3.6-3.7 mm (X = 3.7 mm). Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.9 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.3-1.6 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.17/0.09/0.12-0.14 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.2-2.3 × (0.32 –0.33/0.14– 0.15 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 1.9-2.1 × (0.21 –0.22/0.10– 0.11 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.4-1.6 x. Antenna in males: Flattened on central and apical segments. 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: 3.7-4.1 × (0.95 –0.98/0.24– 0.26 mm). Metatibia length: 1.40 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.45-0.50 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 3.2-3.5 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.57 –0.59/0.19–0.20/0.16–0.17/0.17– 0.18 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Partially sculptured.

Male. Similar to female. The following morphological details are provided to allow for comparison against the morphologically similar Snellenius isidrochaconi (see Comments below). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.8 mm. Fore wing length: 3.6-3.7 mm (X = 3.7 mm). Metafemur length: 0.98-1.00 mm. Metatibia length: 1.30-1.40 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.52-0.56 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.57 –0.58/0.21–0.22/0.17–0.20/0.17– 0.19 mm.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Host.

Erebidae : three species of Gonodonta (feeding on Piper and Annonaceae ), and Hemeroblemma schausiana DHJ02. Solitary parasitoid (Figs 228, 229).

Molecular data.

Five haplotypes, 10 sequences (10 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

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

Comments.

One male specimen was significantly much smaller than the rest (3.2 mm of body and fore wing lengths), and it was excluded from the description provided above.