Heterospilus caritus 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 : 214-216

Heterospilus caritus Marsh sp. n. Figure 145

Female.

Body size: 2.0-2.5 mm. Color: body dark brown, apical metasomal terga yellow; scape yellow with lateral longitudinal brown stripe, flagellum brown with apical white annulus, apical 3-5 flagellomeres brown; wing veins including stigma brown, legs yellow. Head: vertex granulate; frons granulate; face granulate; temple in dorsal view narrow, sloping behind eye, width less than 1/2 eye width; malar space slightly greater than 1/4 eye height; ocell-ocular distance slightly greater than 2.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus; 19-21 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: mesoscutal lobes granulate; notauli weakly scrobiculate or smooth anteriorly, absent or weak posteriorly; scutellum granulate; prescutellar furrow with 5 cross carinae; mesopleuron granulate; precoxal sulcus smooth, shorter than mesopleuron; venter granulate; propodeum with basal median areas margined, granulate, basal median carina absent, areola usually indistinct, rarely weakly indicated, areolar area rugose, lateral areas rugose apically, small granulate area basally. Wings: fore wing vein r shorter than vein 3RSa, vein 1cu-a beyond vein 1M; hind wing vein SC+R absent, vein M+CU shorter than vein 1M. Metasoma: first tergum longitudinally costate-granulate, often granulate medially, length equal to or longer than apical width; second tergum longitudinally costate-granulate; anterior and posterior transverse grooves present and indicated by row of distinct pits; third tergum granulate except for costate transverse groove; terga 4-7 granulate; ovipositor as long as or slightly shorter than metasomal tergum 1.

Holotype female.

Top label (white, printed) - Costa Rica: Puntarenas, ACO [;] Golfito, Est. Agujas, 250-350m [;] 15. viii– 15.ix.1999, J. Azofeifa [;] L.S. 276750-526550 #53264 [;] Malaise trap; second label (red, partially printed and hand written) - HOLOTYPE [;] Heterospilus [;] caritus [;] P. Marsh. Deposited in ESUW.

Paratypes.

1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas, ACO [;] Golfito, R.F. Golfo Dulce [;] Est. Agujas, 250-350m [;] 4-22.v.1999, J. Azofeifa [;] L.S.276750-526550 #52779 [;] Red de Golpe (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas, ACO [;] Golfito, R.F. Golfo Dulce [;] Est. Agujas, Cerro Rincon [;] 600-745m, Malaise trap [;] 15. viii– 15.ix.1999, J. Azofeifa [;] L.S.275500-521950 #53268 (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] ACO, Golfito, RF Golfo Dulce [;] Est. Agujas, 250-300m [;] 2-22.x.1999, J. Azofeifa [;] L.S. 276750-526550 #53490 [;] Amarilla (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] R.F.Golfo Dulce, 3km [;] SW Rincon, 10m [;] Malaise-primary forest [;] viii.1991, P. Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] Res. Forestal Golfo Dulce [;] 3km. SW Rincon, 10m [;] xii.1992, P. Hanson [;] Malaise, primary forest (ESUW). 5 ♀♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] R.F. Golfo Dulce, [;] 3km.SW. Rincon, 10m [;] ii.1992, vi.1991 and xii.1992, Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA, Puntar [;] Golfo Dulce, 10km W [;] Piedras Blancas, 100m [;] VI-VII 1989, Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: Puntar [;] Golfo Dulce 3km SW [;] Rincon [;] 10m, xii 1989-iii 1990 [;] Col. Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] Pen. Osa, Cerro Rincon [;] 200 meters S. del hito [;] 745m el., virgin forest [;] i.1991, Hanson & Quiros [;] ex. Malaise trap (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntarenas [;] R.F. Golfo Dulce, 24km. W [;] Piedras Blancas, 200m [;] III.1993, P. Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Puntar. [;] P.N. Corcovado [;] Est. Sirena, 50m [;] x-xii 1990 (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). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: Limon [;] 4km NE Bribri [;] 50m, IX-XI 1989 [;] col. Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: [;] Limon [;] 7km SW Bribri [;] 50m, xi 1989 [;] Col. Paul Hanson (ESUW). 1 ♀, Costa Rica: Guanacaste [;] Est. Cacao, 1000-1150m [;] ix.1996, I. Villegas, Malaise [;] L.N. 323150-375500 #47559 (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA: Heredia, Est. [;] Biol. La Selva OTS [;] M.03.389, 30.VI.1995 (ESUW). 1 ♀, COSTA RICA, Alajuela [;] Jabillos, 100m [;] 24/III/1989 [;] col. Paul Hanson (ESUW).

Comments.

The weak or absent notauli posteriorly, the short ovipositor and the granulate metasomal terga 4-7 are distinctive for this species.

Etymology.

The specific name is from the Latin caritus, meaning lacking or devoid of, in reference to the absent notauli posteriorly.