Prasmodon aureus Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield, 2014

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Whitfield, James B., Smith, M. Alex, Braet, Yves, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Review of the Neotropical genus Prasmodon (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae), with emphasis on species from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 37, pp. 1-52 : 10-12

Prasmodon aureus Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figs 7-12

Type locality.

ECUADOR, Napo, Limoncocha, 250m.

Holotype.

♀ in CNC. Specimen labels: 1. ECUADOR, Napo, Limoncocha, 250m, 15-28.VI.1976, S. & J. Peck. 2. DNA Voucher, CNCHYM 01955.

Description.

Female. Body length 5.5-5.6 mm. Fore wing length 5.9-6.0 mm. Body color: meso- and metasoma entirely yellow-orange (with the exception of a very small black spot on axillar complex) ( Figs 7, 11, 12 ). Scape color: entirely yellow ( Fig. 11 ). Flagellomeres color: all flagellomeres brown to black ( Figs 11, 12 ). Tegula and humeral complex color: both pale. Mesotibia color: entirely yellow. Metatibia color: posterior 0.1-0.3 dark brown to black. Metatibia spurs color: yellow-orange. Metatarsus color: dark brown to black (except for anterior 0.7 or less of first metatarsomere). Fore wing color pattern: uniformly and entirely infumate (except for small hyaline area near veins (RS+M)b and 2M). Fore wing veins color: most veins golden yellow ( Figs 8, 10 ). Pterostigma color: mostly yellow, with central part brown ( Fig. 10 ). Hypostomal carina: highly raised ( Fig. 9 ). Scutoscutellar sulcus: with 4 impressions ( Fig. 11 ). Areolet height÷vein r length (fore wing): 0.2 ×. Hind wing subbasal cell: mostly with setae. Hind tarsal claws: with pectination uniform, teeth thick and relatively evenly spaced. Shape of mediotergite 1: distinctly narrowing posteriorly, width at posterior margin clearly less than width at anterior margin and median width. Mediotergite 1 length÷width at posterior margin 6.1-6.5 ×. Mediotergite 2 width at posterior margin÷length: 3.1-3.5 ×. Ovipositor sheaths length: 0.5 × as long as metatibia.

Male. Unknown.

Molecular data.

Sequences in BOLD: 1, barcode compliant sequences: 0.

Biology and ecology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Ecuador, Napo.

Etymology.

From Latin “aureus” = golden, referring to the yellow coloration of the fore wing veins, a unique feature among all known species of Prasmodon .

Figures

Figures 7 - 12. Prasmodon aureus. 7 Habitus 8 Fore wing 9 Head and mesosoma (partially), lateral view 10 Detail of fore wing 11 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 12 Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view.

Figures 1 - 6. Prasmodon almasolisae 1 Habitus 2 Fore wing 3 Antenna (partially) 4 Metatibia 5 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 6 Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view.