Microplitis julioalbertoi Fernandez-Triana

Fernandez-Triana, Jose, 2018, Ten unique and charismatic new species of Microgastrinae wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from North America, ZooKeys 730, pp. 121-148 : 140-141

Microplitis julioalbertoi Fernandez-Triana sp. n. Fig. 9

Holotype.

Female, CNC, UNITED STATES. Holotype locality: Millen, Georgia, USA.

Holotype labels.

First label: Millen Ga./25.VIII.1957/J.G. Chillcott. Second label: CNC666523.

Paratype.

1 ♀ (CNC), United States: GA, Hiawassee, Towns County, 610m.

Other material.

1 ♀ (CNC), United States: CT, East Hartford.

Diagnosis.

This is one of three species of Microplitis described in this paper with elongate mouth parts (the other two being M. juanmanueli and M. mariamargaritae ). Until now, no Microplitis in North America had been reported to have that character. M. julioalbertoi has a much shorter and stout metafemur (2.6 × as long as wide; as compared with 2.8-3.3 × in the other two species). It further differs from M. mariamargaritae in having an enlarged and acute hypopygium, with much longer ovipositor sheaths; and it can be separate from M. juanmanueli because of its normal-sized metasoma (metasoma being extraordinarily large in M. juanmanueli ). M. julioalbertoi is also similar to M. jorgeluisi , but that species does not have elongated mouth parts, its palpi are yellow (dark brown in M. julioalbertoi ) and the ovipositor sheaths do not have any setae (ovipositor with apical 0.3 with numerous setae which are as long as ovipositor sheaths width in M. julioalbertoi ).

Description.

Body reddish-brown, legs mostly orange-yellow (except for coxae). Wings entirely infumated, veins dark brown. Head finely sculptured, mesosoma and metasoma mostly smooth dorsally (except for strongly sculptured T1). Ovipositor sheaths smooth, with setae as long as sheaths width. Head elongate; malar line longer than mandible base; labrum large; mandibles very long and strongly curved; glossa elongate. Hypopygium elongate and sharply acute, projecting considerably beyond last tergum. Ovipositor sheaths relatively long. Fore wing with vein R1 much shorter than pterostigma. Legs with tarsal claws simple. Body measurements (mm). Measurements (mm). Body L: 5.2 (5.2-5.5); fore wing L: 4.2 (4.3-4.5); ovipositor sheaths L: 0.95 (0.77-0.83); metafemur L/W: 1.04/0.40 (1.10/0.45); metatibia L: 1.54 (1.64); metatibia inner/outer spurs L: 0.16/0.16 (0.16/0.15); first segment of metatarsus L: 0.48 (0.49); F1/2/3/14/15/16: 0.27/0.26/0.25/0.14/0.13/0.20 (0.28/0.27/0.25/0.15/0.15/0.19); ocular–ocellar line: 0.24 (0.22); interocellar distance: 0.22 (0.17); posterior ocellus diameter: 0.09 (0.09).

Distribution.

United States: GA, CT.

Etymology.

Named after my brother Julio Alberto, as appreciation for his love and for all the experiences we have lived together over the years (including helping me to collect insects).

Comments.

The location of the female specimen from CT is roughly 1,500 kilometers north of the specimens from GA. However, no morphological differences to separate them could be found, and thus all are kept as one species for now (although the CT specimen is not considered as a paratype). No biological or molecular data is known for this species.