Parapanteles mariae Valerio & Whitfield, 2009

Valerio, A. A., Whitfield, J. B. & Janzen, D. H., 2009, Review of world Parapanteles Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), with description of fourteen new Neotropical species and the first description of the final instar larvae, Zootaxa 2084 (1), pp. 1-49 : 28-30

Parapanteles mariae Valerio & Whitfield , n. sp.

Figs. 4D , 10E , 12B .

Female. Body length = 2.23–2.45 mm.

Body color: Basal pleurites of metasoma yellow as ovipositor, fore and mid leg femur, tibia and tarsomeres (except telotarsus), hind leg trochantellus and anterior femur tip; basal 2/3 of hind tibia whitish yellow as tibial spurs; compound eyes silver; ocelli light yellow; palpi whitish yellow; remainder of body dark brown. Wings hyaline; forewing veins light brown with pterostigma, C+SC+R plus r plus 2RS darker than remainder of veins; hind wing with veins M+CU, cu-a and 1A transparent, remainder of tubular veins light yellow to brownish yellow.

Head. Head height/width = 1.23–1.29; compound eye height/width = 1.55–1.71; intertentorial pit distance = 0.13–0.18 mm; tentorial pit distance/distance tentorial pit to compound eye = 2.75–3.50; width of face at dorsal clypeal edge = 0.28–0.30 mm; clypeus width/height = 2.60–3.00; vertex width/distance between anterior ocelli and edge of torulus = 2.15–2.42; length of first flagellomere = 0.18–0.20 mm; first flagellomere length/width = 2.68–2.80; length of first flagellomere/length of second flagellomere = 1.00–1.08; length of first flagellomere/length of third flagellomere = 0.14–1.16; terminal flagellomere length = 0.11–0.12 mm; terminal flagellomere length/penultimate flagellomere length = 1.25–1.28; terminal flagellomere length/width = 2.25–2.50; malar space height/basal width of mandible = 0.86–1.00 ocell-ocular distance/lateral ocelli distance = 1.42–1.80. Face and clypeus with well defined punctate sculpture; frons with scrobal areas nitid, elongated and shallow, lateral areas with dense fine punctate sculpture, distal area and anterior are of vertex with few fine punctate sculpture; temple and gena and postgena with dense punctate sculpture; postgena upper 1/3 nitid and ocular ring.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma length = 0.55–0.68 mm; mesosoma length/width = 0.83–0.92; mesosoma height = 1.15–1.28 mm. Propleuron with punctate sculpture throughout its length except for upper lateral area with confused punctate sculpture (appearing as colliculate like sculpture); pronotum with lateral anterior 1/3 with a series of thin transversal ridges, ventral as upper lateral grooves with few smooth transversal ridges (especially at ventral groove), area between groves nitid but sometimes with few punctures, ventral edge 1/3 and dorsal edge 1/5 of distal edge height; mesonotum with dense punctate sculpture which becomes bigger and less dense and less defined towards scutellar groove without reaching it; scutellar groove with 7 to 8 costulae of approximately the same width, well defined and deep; scutellum with confused punctulate sculpture, lateral areas with thick transversal ridges which becomes shorter towards posterior edge; axilla through mesonotum with five short transversal ridges from lunulae edge, which only extends themselves to 1/ 3 of axilla width, remainder of axilla nitid; metanotum sub-triangular in shape, nitid; axilla through metanotum with a series of transversal short ridges next to distal edge, remainder nitid; propodeum with areola densely covered by fine confused rugulose sculpture in combination of colliculate sculpture which affects the transversal and costula (sinuate in shape), anterior and posterior sections of costula cristate and defined, anterolateral areas with colliculate sculpture except at anterior edge, posterior lateral areas with colliculate sculpture around areolar and transversal carinae, remainder of area nitid but sometimes with few sinuate lineate sculpture, spiracular area from nitid to slightly covered by fine and confused rugulose sculpture; mesopleuron with anterior 1/4 punctate, sternaulus a longitudinal depression that exhibits a transversal shallow grove at its mid length which presents few smooth punctate sculpture, dorsal edge with dense and well defined small scrobiculate sculpture, posterior edge with few short transversal ridges but remainder nitid as remainder of mesopleuron; metapleuron with medial pit present, subcoxal groove present and with a series of fine transversal ridges, dorsal edge with big and spaced transversal ridges, distal edge with transversal fine ridges but less evident and less cristate than dorsal edge, confused punctate sculpture next to distal edge sculpture, remainder of metapleuron nitid.

Legs. Hind femur length = 0.59–0.65 mm; hind femur length/width = 2.94–3.06; hind tibia length/hind femur length = 1.12–1.21. Telotarsus with two thick and straight setae at internolateral area of it, telotarsus shorter than basitarsus in length; hind telotarsus normal in shape, not modified;

Wings. Forewing length = 2.23–2.45 mm; 1RS length = 0.08–0.09 mm; 1CUa length/1CUb length = 0.88–1.00; length RS+Ma = 0.34–0.40 mm; length M+CU = 0.72–0.82 mm; 1M length/ m-cu length = 2.00–2.30; pterostigma length/height = 1.35–1.42. Hind wing: 1M length = 0.36–0.40 mm; 1M length/2M length = 1.78–1.93; 1M length/M+CU length = 1.45–1.60; length r-m/length cu-a = 0.83–0.88; 1RSa length/ 2r-m = 1.86–2.00; 1A length = 0.15–0.18 mm.

Metasoma. First tergum basal width = 0.18–0.25 mm; first tergum length/distal width = 1.07–1.22; second tergum length/distal width = 0.34–0.36; third tergum length/distal width = 0.43–0.53; hypopygium length = 0.49–0.51 mm. First metasomal tergum with basal 2/3 nitid, remainder of tergum with clearly defined punctate sculpture to shallow and confused punctate sculpture present except at medial area which is nitid; second metasomal tergum with medial area almost completely nitid and shaped as a triangle, remainder of tergum with confused foveate sculpture; remainder of metasomal terga nitid; ovipositor relative thick and straight in lateral view, as long as hind tibial length; ovipositor sheaths setae at distal tip.

Material examined. Holotype, female,“ Costa Rica, Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao, Estación Cacao , 1150 m, 323104N 375725E, 6/vi/2002, Col. F. Quesada, 02-SRNP-9570” Paratypes: 17 females, Costa Rica: Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao , Sendero Circular, 1185 m, 233129N 375878E, 6/iii/2001, Col. P. Ramírez, five with same data except date and collector: (1) R . Franco & 18/v/1997, (1) R . Franco & 12/iv/2001, (3) M. Pereira, 19/vi/2001 & 27/vi/2001; Alajuela, ACG, Sector San Cristóbal, Rió Blanco abajo , 500 m, 320132N 386172 E, 30/iv/2002, Col. C. Cano, one same data except date and collector: G. Sihezar & 5/iv/2002; Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao, Sendero Naya , 1090 m, 322834N 375582E, 18/vi/1997, Col. R . Franco , one same data except collector and date: P. Ramírez & 19/v/2003; Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao, Sendero toma agua , 1140 m, 323276N 375882E, 28/xii/2002, one same data except collector and date: M. Pereira & 23/v/ 2003; Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao, Sendero Maritza , 760 m, 324160N 374701E, 20/v/2002, Col. M. Pereira; (2) Guanacaste, Sector Cacao, Estación Cacao, 1150 m, 323104N 375725E, 15/i/1998, Col. R . Franco , one same data except date: 6/vi/2002. Material deposited at INBio .

Male. Similar to female.

Comments. Second metasomal tergite foveate sculpture can be very shallow and sparse.

Rearing records. The holotype and all other specimens that appear to be this species were reared from an undescribed species of Lasiocampidae with the interim name of Euglyphis mariaDHJ03 feeding on Lauraceae ( Ocotea leucoxylon and O. whitei , Cinnammomum brenesii , Persea americana , Nectandra salicina and N. salicifolia ) (01-SRNP-6954, 01-SRNP-6955, 01-SRNP-6985, 02-SRNP-24583, 02-SRNP- 9418, 02-SRNP-9553, 02-SRNP-9568, 02-SRNP-9570, 97-SRNP-1130, 97-SRNP-1360, 98-SRNP-2052, 98- SRNP-2738, 02-SRNP-2878, 02-SRNP-2308, 03-SRNP-4212, 03-SRNP-4326).

Etymology. Gender, feminine. This species is named after Maria de los Angeles Mora M.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Parapanteles masoni Austin & Dangerfield fore telotarsus (A) and pronotum in dorsal view (F); fore telotarsus structure of P. tessares n. sp. (B), P. sicpolus n. sp. (C), P. mariae n. sp. (D), P. scotti n. sp. (E), P. aletiae (Riley) (G), P. paradoxus (Muesebeck) (H), and P.rarus n. sp. (I). The arrows in these figures point to the different setae on the fore telotarsus.

FIGURE 10. Female genitalia of Parapanteles tlinea n. sp. (A), P. scotti n. sp. (B), P. sicpolus n. sp. (C), P.polus n. sp. (D), P.mariae n. sp. (E), and P. lincolnii n. sp. (F).

FIGURE 12. Wing venation of Parapanteles polus n. sp. (A), P. mariae n. sp. (B), P.thrix n. sp. (C), P. continua n. sp. (D), P. paradoxus (Muesebeck) (E), and P. noae n. sp. (F).