Heterospilus rama 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 : 272-273

Heterospilus rama Marsh sp. n. Figure 185

Female.

Body size: 2.5-3.0 mm. Color: head dark brown, occasionally face lighter brown; scape yellow without lateral longitudinal brown stripe, flagellum brown with apical white annulus, apical 3-5 flagellomeres brown; mesosoma and metasomal terga dark brown; wing veins including stigma brown; legs yellow. Head: vertex granulate, rarely with transverse weak rugae behind ocelli; frons granulate; face granulate; temple in dorsal view narrow, sloping behind eye, width less that 1/2 eye width; malar space greater than 1/4 eye height; ocell-ocular distance 2-2.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus; 20-22 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: mesoscutal lobes granulate; notauli scrobiculate, meeting at scutellum in triangular rugose area; scutellum granulate; prescutellar furrow with 3-5 cross carinae; mesopleuron granulate; precoxal sulcus weakly scrobiculate or smooth, shorter than mesopleuron; venter granulate; propodeum with basal median areas margined, granulate, basal median carina absent, areola not 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 absent or rarely weakly present, vein M+CU shorter than vein 1M. Metasoma: first tergum longitudinally costate, length equal to apical width; second tergum longitudinally costate; anterior transverse groove present, straight; posterior transverse groove present; third tergum costate anteriorly, granulate posteriorly; terga 4-7 granulate; ovipositor as long as 1/2 length of metasoma.

Holotype female.

Top label (white, printed) - Costa Rica: Heredia [;] Puerto Viejo [;] OTS, La Selva, 100m [;] iv.1991, P. Hanson; second label (red, partially printed and hand written) - HOLOTYPE [;] Heterospilus [;] rama [;] P. Marsh. Deposited in ESUW.

Paratypes.

1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas, ACO [;] Golfito, R.F. Golfo Dulce [;] Est. Agujas, 250-350m [;] 4-20.vi.1999, J. Azofeifa [;] L.S. 276750-526550 #52746 [;] Amarilla (ESUW). 2 ♀♀, Costa Rica: Limon, ACLAC [;] Central, R.B. Hitoy Cerere [;] Send. Espavel, 560m [;] 19. v– 19.vi.1998, E. Rojas [;] L.S. 400702-570120 #52200 [;] Malaise trap (ESUW). 9 ♀♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] San Vito, Estac. Biol. [;] Las Alturas, 1500m [;] xii.1991, i.1992, ii.1992 and 15-31 Oct. 1991, Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica, Puntarenas [;] San Vito, 1200m café [;] III-IV-1996, P. Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: [;] Puntar [;] Golfo Dulce, 3km [;] SW. Rincon, 10m [;] VI-VII 1989, Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: Puntarenas [;] R.F. Golfo Dulce, [;] 24km W. Piedras Blancas, [;] 200m, [;] Feb. 1992, Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: [;] Puntar. Golfo Dulce [;] 24km W Piedras Blancas [;] 200m, vi-viii 1989 [;] Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: Puntarenas [;] Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce [;] 3km SW of Rincon, 10m [;] Mar-April 1992, P. Hanson [;] primary forest, Malaise trap (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: Puntarenas [;] RF Golfo Dulce el 200m [;] 24km W Piedras Blancas [;] P. Hanson xi.1992 (TAMU).

Comments.

The absence of hind wing vein SC+R, the strongly granulate and dull mesoscutum and the granulate apical metasomal terga are distinctive for this species.

Etymology.

Named for the Rama, an indigenous people of Nicaragua.