Lytopylus jessicadimauroae Sharkey

Sharkey, Michael J., Clutts, Stephanie, Tucker, Erika M., Janzen, Daniel, Hallwachs, Winnie, Dapkey, Tanya & Smith, M. Alex, 2011, Lytopylus Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) species from Costa Rica, with an emphasis on specimens reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, ZooKeys 130, pp. 379-419 : 389

Lytopylus jessicadimauroae Sharkey sp. n. Figs 1213

Description.

Body length 6.0 - 6.3 mm. Ovipositor length 5.2 - 5.4 mm. Gena acute posterolaterally. Longitudinal groove on interantennal prominence absent. Protuberances on occiput absent. Propodeum with carinae forming areolae, median areola not rounded anteriorly. Notauli well-impressed, smooth without crenulae, or with one or two crenulae restricted to extreme anterior apex along border of mesoscutum. Posterior margin of syntergum 2+3 straight. Median syntergite 2 + 3 mostly smooth with longitudinal striae in the transverse grooves, and striae over much of the third lobe. Forewing mostly or entirely infuscate. Color as in Figs 12, 13. Color variation: The three paratypes differ in having more pale coloration on the thorax than does the holotype, although none is completely pale.

Distribution.

Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. Click here for a distribution map.

Biology.

All four rearings are from elachJanzen01 Janzen241, a common leaf-rolling Elachistidae ( Stenomatinae ) that attacks only Casearia arguta ( Salicaceae - formerly, Flacourtiaceae ) in ACG dry forest. The host caterpillar very distinctively rolls the leaf from the tip to the base instead of from side to side. The tubular cavity in the roll is full of silk and fecal pellets. The wasp cocoon is spun inside the leaf roll. While this caterpillar is abundant, the caterpillars from only about 50 leaf rolls were reared to obtain these four wasps. No other parasitoids were encountered in these caterpillars. This is the only "deep dry forest" Lytopylus encountered by the inventory, as all the others are from rain forest or from the interface between dry forest and rain forest.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Jessica Dimauro of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who has enthusiastically supported the conservation of the ACG forest occupied by this parasitoid wasp.

Material examined.

Holotype: ♀ H6611 (DHJPAR0015415) Costa Rica: Guanacaste: Area de Conservación Guanacaste: Sector Santa Rosa, Area Administrativa 11.viii.1999, 10.8376N, 85.6187W, 295m [AEI].

Paratypes [AEI]: Costa Rica: Guanacaste: Area de Conservación Guanacaste: Sector Santa Rosa: Area Administrativa:, 10.8376N, 85.6187W, 295m: H7076, sex unknown, metasoma largely destroyed by dermestids (DHJPAR0015504) 14.vii.1980. ♀ H6616 (DHJPAR0015505) 12.vii.1980. Bosque San Emilio: 22.x.1987, 10.8438N, 85.6138W, 300m. ♂ H7074 (DHJPAR0015506).