Helconichia brenesi Sharanowski and Sharkey

Sharanowski, Barbara J. & Sharkey, Michael J., 2007, Description of three new species of Helconichia Sharkey & Wharton (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Ichneutinae) with a revised key to all species, Zootaxa 1502, pp. 45-53 : 48-51

Helconichia brenesi Sharanowski and Sharkey , sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Helconichia brenesi can be distinguished from all other species of Helconichia by the following combination of characteristics: forewing vein (RS+M)b present, anal region of forewing uniformly setose, and pronotum and mesoscutum orange in color.

Male ( Fig. 2A ). Length: 2.80–2.90 mm.

Color: Head orange except vertex near ocelli melanic; antenna melanic; pronotum, propleuron, and mesonotum orange; metanotum, mesopleuron, propodeum, metapleuron, and metasoma melanic; all coxae, trochanters, and trochantelli off-white, remaining segments of fore and midleg testaceous except tarsal claws brown; hind femur testaceous, hind tibia testaceous ventrally and brown dorsally, hind tarsus brown, becoming melanic apically; wings infuscate.

Head: Antenna with 23 flagellomeres; setae of eye long, at least 3X diameter of one ommatidium; head without Y-shaped, lamellate carina between antennal sockets; vertex punctate and sparsely setiferous.

Mesosoma: notaulus deeply crenulate; median areola of metanotum partially bifurcated posteriorly with longitudinal carina; propodeum with posterior median longitudinal carina (as in Fig. 4 F); propodeal areola wide, ratio of areola width (at widest point):length 0.98; propodeal areola innervated with several rugulae. Wings: forewing (RS+M)b present, ratio of 2RS:3RSa length 1.22; anal region uniformly setose (as in Fig. 4 H); hind wing with 3 hamuli, anal region uniformly setose, subbasal cell uniformly setose.

Metasoma: median tergite 1 with length (from base of dorsal carina) to apical width ratio 0.87; dorsal carinae of median tergite 1 almost meeting medially to form rugulose protuberance, distance between carinae at narrowest point much smaller than distance from carinae to lateral margin of tergite.

Female: Unknown

Biology: Unknown

Type material: HOLOTYPE, %: “ COSTA RICA: Prov. Heredia 9km NE Vara Blanca 10°14'N 84°06'W 1450–1550m 15/M/02/052, 20.iii.2005 INBio-OET-transect”. Deposited in the National Biodiversity Institute ( INBio), Costa Rica.

PARATYPE, 1 %: same as holotype except “15/M/04/079” and “ 05.iv.2005.” Deposited at the Hymenoptera Institute, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky.

Etymology: This species is named in honor of Danilo Brenes, one of the several hard-working collectors with the ALAS Project in Costa Rica.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Lateral habitus of male holotype of Helconichia brenesi Sharanowski & Sharkey, sp. nov. B. Lateral habitus of female holotype of H. areolata Sharkey & Wharton.

FIGURE 4. A. Head of Helconichia reina Sharanowski & Sharkey, sp. nov., anterior view. Arrow showing Y-shaped lamellate inter-antennal carina. B. Forewing of H. reina. C. Forewing of H. trichiops Sharkey & Wharton. Arrow pointing to forewing vein (RS + M) b. D. Propodeum of H. reina, dorsal view. E. Propodeum of H. areolata Sharkey & Wharton, dorsal view. F. Propodeum and first metasomal tergum of H. trichopteryx Sharkey & Wharton, dorsal view. Arrow showing posterior longitudinal median carina of propodeum. G. Basal region of forewing of H. reina. H. Basal region of forewing of H. sarria Sharanowski & Sharkey, sp. nov.