Snellenius kerrydresslerae 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 : 153

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius kerrydresslerae Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 136-142, 223

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Santa Elena, Vado Quebrada Calera, 305m, 10.86677, -85.6465. ACG database code: DHJPAR0013881.

Paratypes.

7♀, 3♂ (BMNH, CNC, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0004092, DHJPAR0004095, DHJPAR0004309, DHJPAR0004310, DHJPAR0004311, DHJPAR0004312, DHJPAR0004313, DHJPAR0013821, DHJPAR0013899, 03-SRNP-14142.

Diagnosis.

The fore wing mostly infumated, black metafemur, and T1 2.8 × as long as width at posterior margin differentiates this species from congeners.

Description.

Female. Scape color: Dark brown. Mesosoma color: Black. Metasoma color: Black. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Yellow, brown, dark brown to black. Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): orange yellow, mostly brown, black. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): orange yellow, orange yellow, anterior 0.2 orange yellow and posterior 0.8 dark brown to black. Metatibia spurs color: Dark brown to black. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown to black. Tegula and humeral complex color: Dark, dark. Wings: Infumated. Pterostigma color: mostly dark, with small pale spot at base. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Brown (same color as surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.4-3.6 mm (X = 3.5 mm). Fore wing length: 3.1-3.2 mm (X = 3.1 mm). Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.0 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.18/0.09/0.18 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.5-2.7 × (0.32/0.12-0.13 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 1.5-1.6 × (0.19/0.12-0.13 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.7 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: Three. Metafemur length/width: 3.7 × (0.95/0.26 mm). Metatibia length: 1.25-1.30 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.48-0.50 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.7 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.59 –0.60/0.28– 0.29/0.27/0.22 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Fully sculptured.

Male. As female but with T2 (entirely) and T3 (partially) yellow to light yellow brown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Host.

Erebidae , Orodesma pulverosa . Solitary parasitoid (Fig. 223).

Molecular data.

One haplotype, ten sequences (10 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Etymology.

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