Heterospilus mercury Marsh

Marsh, Paul M., Wild, Alexander L. & Whitfield, James B., 2013, The Doryctinae (Braconidae) of Costa Rica: genera and species of the tribe Heterospilini, ZooKeys 347, pp. 1-474 : 380-381

Heterospilus mercury Marsh sp. n. Figure 260

Female.

Body size: 2.5 mm. Color: head and mesosoma dark brown, metasoma dark brown with apical terga often lighter; scape light brown; flagellum brown; wing veins brown, stigma yellow; legs yellow. Head: vertex smooth; frons smooth; face smooth; temple in dorsal view narrow, width less than 1/2 eye width; malar space equal to 1/4 eye height; ocell-ocular distance about twice diameter of lateral ocellus; 24-28 flagello meres. Mesosoma: mesoscutal lobes smooth; notauli scrobiculate, meeting posteriorly in rectangular costate area; scutellum smooth; prescutellar furrow with 1 cross carina; mesopleuron smooth; precoxal sulcus smooth, shorter than mesopleuron; venter smooth; propodeum with basal median areas margined, smooth, basal median carina present, areola not distinctly margined, areolar area rugose, lateral areas entirely rugose. Wings: fore wing vein r shorter than vein 3RSa, vein 1cu-a beyond vein 1M; hind wing vein SC+R present, vein M+CU shorter than vein 1M. Metasoma: first tergum longitudinally costate, length greater than apical width; second tergum longitudinally costate; anterior transverse groove weak or absent; posterior transverse groove weak or absent; third tergum entirely smooth; terga 4-7 smooth; ovipositor as long a metasomal terga 1 and 2 combined.

Holotype female.

Top label (white, printed) - Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] R.F. Golfo Dulce, [;] 3km. SW. Rincon, 10m, [;] x-xii.1990, Paul Hanson; second label (red, partially printed and hand written) - HOLOTYPE [;] Heterospilus [;] mercury [;] P. Marsh. Deposited in ESUW.

Paratypes.

1 ♀, same data as holotype except date of ii.1992 (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: [;] Puntarenas [;] Golfo Dulce [;] 15km W. Piedras [;] Blancas, 100m, [;] xii 1990, P. Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Alajuela, ACA [;] San Carlos, R.F. Arenal [;] Sendero Pilon, 600m, Malaise [;] 26. x– 22.xi.1999, G. Carballo [;] L.N. 269100-457900 #54376 (ESUW). 1 ♀, top label - Costa Rica: Limon [;] ACLAC, Central [;] Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere [;] Est. Hitoy Cerere, 140m; second label - Sendero Toma de Agua [;] 17 Sept. - 10 Oct. 1999 [;] F. Umana, Malaise trap [;] L.N. 184600-643400 #53497 (ESUW). 1 ♀, top label - COSTA RICA, Heredia: [;] Est. Biol. La Selva, 50- [;] 150m, 10°26'N, 84°01'W [;] Oct 1998, INBio-OET; second label - 29 Octubre 1998 [;] Borde suampo [;] M/18/720 (INBC).

Comments.

The yellow stigma, smooth mesoscutum and single cross carina in the prescutellar furrow are distinctive for this species.

Etymology.

Named for the Roman god Mercury.