Microplitis marini Whitfield, 2003

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., Whitfield, James B., Smith, M. Alex, Kula, Robert R., Winnie Hallwachs, & Janzen, Daniel H., 2015, Revision of the genera Microplitis and Snellenius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with a key to all species previously described from Mesoamerica, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (2), pp. 137-201 : 147

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Microplitis marini Whitfield, 2003 Figures 53-61, 220, 221, 230-233

Microplitis marini Whitfield, 2003: 52. Original description.

Holotype.

Female (USNM) (examined). COSTA RICA: Guanacaste province, ACG, Sector Cacao, Sendero Arenales, 1080m, 10.92471, -85.46738.

Specimens examined.

56♀, 42♂ (BMNH, CNC, INBio, INHS, USNM). COSTA RICA, ACG, database codes: DHJPAR0004756, DHJPAR0005012, DHJPAR0013865, DHJPAR0013882, DHJPAR0013883, DHJPAR0013885, DHJPAR0020898, DHJPAR0030925, DHJPAR0030931, DHJPAR0034178, DHJPAR0034207, DHJPAR0047037, DHJPAR0052976, DHJPAR0052977, 08-SRNP-6882, 08-SRNP-72721, 12-SRNP-69030, 13-SRNP-42973, 13-SRNP-76897.

Diagnosis.

The combination of T1 sculptured on posterior 0.3-0.5 (especially near lateral margins), notauli marked by relatively deep impressions, areolet relatively larger (vein 3RSa as long as vein r-m), metafemur and metatibia entirely yellow to yellow orange, scape entirely black, body and fore wing length, wasp cocoons grouped in one or two large clusters dorsally on the host larva, and host species differentiates this species from congeners.

Description

(see Comments below). Female. Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 3.0-3.4 mm (X = 3.2 mm). Fore wing length: 2.5-3.2 mm (X = 3.0 mm). Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.9-3.0 × (0.24 –0.27/0.08– 0.09 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.2-2.4 × (0.17 –0.18/0.07– 0.08 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.4-1.5 x. Metafemur length/width: 3.2-3.5 × (0.79 –0.82/0.23– 0.26 mm). Metatibia length: 1.00-1.16 mm (X = 1.05 mm). First segment of metatarsus length: 0.35-0.38 mm (X = 0.37 mm).

Distribution.

Costa Rica, ACG.

Hosts.

Sphingidae : Xylophanes tersa . Gregarious parasitoid (Figs 220, 221).

Molecular data.

Four haplotypes, 13 sequences (11 barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Comments.

Janzen et al. (2003) provided an extensive description and several illustrations of this species. Here we only add some measurements taken from specimens included in the list of 'Specimens examined’, as well as additional color pictures of the holotype (Figs 230-233). Microplitis marini is morphologically similar to Microplitis francopupulini , but differs in some morphological, biological and molecular traits (see Comments for francopupulini above).

The host record for Microplitis marini is here limited to Xylophanes tersa . Janzen et al. (2003: 54) included in the original description of the species a series of 14 females and one male from Arizona (USA), reared from Xylophanes falco , although those specimens were left out of type series. Based on our experience with the Microgastrinae fauna of ACG, and the significant number of morphologically cryptic species found (which mostly differ in host ranges and molecular data such as DNA barcodes) we consider it unlikely that the specimens from Arizona are conspecific with those from ACG. A morphological re-examination of the US material, and (ideally) obtaining DNA barcodes for those specimens would be needed before concluding in that regard, but for now we exclude them (and their associated host record) from the species concept of Microplitis marini as presented here.