Snellenius johnkressi 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 : 151-152

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius johnkressi Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 110-116

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Santa Rosa, Argelia, 5m, 10.78004, -85.66405. ACG database code: DHJPAR0053098.

Paratypes.

10♀, 11♂ (BMNH, CNC, INBio, INHS, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0053008, DHJPAR0053009, DHJPAR0053012, DHJPAR0053015, DHJPAR0053018, DHJPAR0053042, DHJPAR0053048, DHJPAR0053068, DHJPAR0053072, DHJPAR0053074, DHJPAR0053077, DHJPAR0053078, DHJPAR0053081, DHJPAR0053085, DHJPAR0053087, DHJPAR0053091, DHJPAR0053097, DHJPAR0053103, DHJPAR0053104, DHJPAR0053113.

Diagnosis.

The combination of hyaline wings, mesosoma and metasoma mostly black or dark reddish brown, metafemur and metatibia (posterior 0.6) dark brown separates this species from all other ACG Snellenius except for Snellenius felipechavarriai . It is distinguishable from the latter species by narrower T2 and scutoscutellar sulcus with 3-5 carinae (only one clearly defined carina in Snellenius felipechavarriai ).

Description.

Female. Scape color: Dark brown. Mesosoma color: Black. Metasoma color: Dark brown to black. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Orange, orange brown, black. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Orange, dark brown, black. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Orange, orange brown, yellow white on anterior 0.2 and dark brown to black on posterior 0.8. Metatibia spurs color: Yellow white. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown to black. Tegula and humeral complex color: Dark orange to dark brown, brown to black. Wings: Hyaline. Pterostigma color: Brown. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Brown (same color as surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.0 mm (2.9-3.0 mm). Fore wing length: 2.8 mm (2.8-2.9 mm). Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.8-2.0 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0-2.1 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.14 –0.16/0.07–0.09/0.15– 0.18 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.7-3.1 × (0.26 –0.28/0.08– 0.10 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 1.8-2.0 × (0.14 –0.18/0.07– 0.10 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.6-1.9 x. Antenna in males: Of normal appearance, not 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: Three complete, two incomplete. Metafemur length/width: 3.4-3.6 × (0.77 –0.86/0.23– 0.25 mm). Metatibia length: 1.11 mm (1.07-1.15) mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.44 mm (0.42-0.45 mm). Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.3-2.4 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.50 –0.53/0.30/0.27–0.29/0.21– 0.23 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Fully sculptured.

Male. As in female but scape and T1 orange yellow, and T2 partially yellow, orange yellow, or light brown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Erebidae : Bulia mexicana . Solitary parasitoid.

Molecular data.

Six haplotypes, 20 sequences (20 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

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