Cremnops yucatanus Berta

Tucker, Erika M., Chapman, Eric G. & Sharkey, Michael J., 2015, A revision of the New World species of Cremnops Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 3916 (1), pp. 1-83 : 80

Cremnops yucatanus Berta

[ Plate 33 , Figs A–I]

Cremnops yucatanus Berta de Fernandez, 1998. Female.

Diagnosis. Distinguished by two distal hind tibial spines, non-prominent scutal flange, a weak or often nonfoveolate sternaulus, and a neotropical distribution.

Description. Holotype: female. Body length 6 mm (5.5–6.3 mm).

Head (Figs C & F). Thirty-four (32–37) flagellomeres. Lateral carina of frons weak, ending immediately anteriad lateral ocellus. Malar space 0.8x (0.6–1.1x) eye height.

Mesosoma (Figs D, E & H). Median mesonotal lobe weakly depressed medially. Notaulus smooth (sometimes weakly foveolate). Scutellar sulcus with 1 (1–3) longitudinal carina. Hind margin of posterolateral scutal flange not prominent; lobed (to 90° to obtuse or reduced and blunt). Mesoscutellar trough without longitudinal carinae laterally. Metanotal trough without extensive longitudinal carinae laterally. Sternaulus with 1 (to 3) pit(s); about 1/ 3x (to 1/ 2x) length of mesopleuron. Discrimen smooth. Medial propodeal areola with 3 (3–5) transverse carinae. Metapleuron rugose on ventral margin.

Hind leg (Fig. I). Femur length about 3x width. Distal tibia with 2 (or 3) spines. Inner tooth of inner and outer claws symmetrical (or asymmetrical).

Fore wing (Fig. G). Hyaline with melanic tint. 2nd submarginal cell about as high as wide.

Metasoma (Figs A & B). 1st median tergite length about 2x apical width, apical width about 2.3x basal width.

Body Color Orange, except melanic as follows: vertex of head, spot on malar space, most of metasomal tergites, hind trochanter, trochantellus, distal tibia, tarsus (to melanic head, ventral mesosoma ).

Biology. Host —Unknown.

Adults Collected —February to October.

Geographic Range —Northern Mexico at a latitude of about 25°N south to Brazil. See map in Appendix II.

Comments. Difficult to distinguish from C. cameronii and C. plesiopectoralis , C. yucatanus can be separated by little, or lack of, melanic coloration (compared to varying amounts of melanic coloration), yellowish (instead of orange) mesosoma coloration, and a weak, or absent sternaulus (compared to a sternaulus with 3–5 pits).

Cremnops melanoptera is similar to C. yucatanus , but can be distinguished by the breadth of the face. Cremnops melanoptera has a broader face with the ventral margin of the face about 1/2 the interocular distance, while the ventral face margin of C. yucatanus is about 1/3 the interocular distance.

Etymology. Named after the Yucatan peninsula where the type was collected ( Berta 1998).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: female, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, VII-22–25–62, coll. H.E. Evans, ( MCZ) (H8925). Non-Types: 37 ( ESSIG), 18 ( CAS), 37 ( CNC), 26 ( MNHN), 16 ( MCZ), 42 ( FSCA), 3 ( UCDC), 18 ( HIC). For holotype and additional images see Appendix VIII.

Figures

PLATE 33. Cremnops yucatanus. A. lateral habitus; B. dorsal habitus; C. lateral head; D. mesopleuron; E. mesoscutum; F. face; G. wings; H. propodeum; I. hind leg.