Snellenius vickifunkae Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield

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 : 159

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Snellenius vickifunkae Fernandez-Triana & Whitfield sp. n. Figures 203-208

Holotype.

♀ in USNM. COSTA RICA: ACG, Guanacaste Province, Sector Santa Rosa, Bosque Humedo, 290m, 10.85145, -85.60801. ACG database code: DHJPAR0024695.

Paratypes.

1♀ (CNC) COSTA RICA, ACG, database code: DHJPAR0013327; 1♀ (CNC) Costa Rica: San Jose, Ciudad Colon, 800m, xii.1989-i.1990, L. Fournier.

Diagnosis.

The combination of body color (mesosoma dark brown to black, metasoma with T1 reddish brown with posterior 0.1 orange brown, T2-T3 yellow, rest of metasoma dark brown), anterior 0.6 of metatibia light yellow, and fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a transparent or light yellow (clearly much lighter than most of surrounding veins) separate this species from all other ACG Snellenius .

Description.

Female. Scape color: Dark brown. Mesosoma color: Dark brown to black. Metasoma color: T1 reddish brown with posterior 0.1 orange brown, T2-T3 yellow, rest of metasoma dark brown. Coxae color (pro-, meso-, metacoxa): Brown, brown, dark brown (holotype) or yellow, yellow, dark brown (paratype). Femora color (pro-, meso-, metafemur): Yellow, yellow (but partially brown), dark brown. Tibiae color (pro-, meso-, metatibia): Orange yellow, orange yellow, anterior 0.6 light yellow and posterior 0.4 dark brown. Metatibia spurs color: Yellow. First segment of metatarsus color: Dark brown. Tegula and humeral complex color: Dark brown, dark brown (holotype) or dark brown, yellow (paratype). Wings: Hyaline. Pterostigma color: Brown with small pale spot at base. Fore wing veins 1RS and (RS+M)a: Entirely or partially transparent or light yellow (clearly much lighter than most of surrounding veins). Body length (head to apex of metasoma): 2.5-2.6 mm. Fore wing length: 2.2-2.3 mm. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter: 2.1-2.2 x. Interocellar distance/posterior ocellus diameter: 1.8-2.0 x. Ocular-ocellar line/posterior ocellus diameter/interocellar distance: 0.13 –0.14/0.06/0.11– 0.13 mm. Antennal flagellomere 2 length/width: 2.7-3.0 × (0.21/0.07-0.08 mm). Antennal flagellomere 14 length/width: 2.5 × (0.15/0.06 mm). Length of flagellomere 2/length of flagellomere 14: 1.4 x. Epicnemial carina: Present. Anteromesoscutum: With relatively shallower and sparser sculpture, central area not appearing elevated compared to lateral areas of anteromesoscutum, notauli slightly to strongly excavated. Scutellar disc sculpture: With deeper sculpture near margins, central part appearing slightly raised and less sculptured. Number of carinae in scutoscutellar sulcus: Four to five. Metafemur length/width: 4.0-4.1 × (0.70 –0.72/0.17– 0.18 mm). Metatibia length: 0.93-1.00 mm. First segment of metatarsus length: 0.39-0.40 mm. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin: 2.7-2.8 x. Mediotergite 1 length/width at anterior margin/maximum width/width at posterior margin: 0.36 –0.40/0.18–0.20/0.19–0.22/0.13– 0.15 mm. Mediotergite 1 sculpture: Mostly sculptured.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Costa Rica.

Host.

Unknown.

Molecular data.

Two haplotypes, two sequences (two barcode-compliant) in BOLD.

Comments.

One of the paratypes (DHJPAR0013327), which is in bad condition, has a brown metafemur. However, the holotype, which is in good condition, has a black metafemur.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Vicki Funk in recognition of her contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.