Bracon melissaespinozae Sharkey, 2021

Sharkey, Michael J., Janzen, Daniel H., Hallwachs, Winnie, Chapman, Eric G., Smith, M. Alex, Dapkey, Tanya, Brown, Allison, Ratnasingham, Sujeevan, Naik, Suresh, Manjunath, Ramya, Perez, Kate, Milton, Megan, Hebert, Paul, Shaw, Scott R., Kittel, Rebecca N., Solis, M. Alma, Metz, Mark A., Goldstein, Paul Z., Brown, John W., Quicke, Donald L. J., Achterberg, C. van, Brown, Brian V. & Burns, John M., 2021, Minimalist revision and description of 403 new species in 11 subfamilies of Costa Rican braconid parasitoid wasps, including host records for 219 species, ZooKeys 1013, pp. 1-665 : 1

Bracon melissaespinozae Sharkey sp. nov. Figure 60

Diagnostics.

BOLD:ACJ4722. Consensus barcode. AATTTTATATTTTTTATTTGGGATATGGTCTGGAATAATTGGTTTATCTATAAGTTTAATTATTCGATTAGAATTGAGAATACCTGGTAGATTATTAGGTAATGATCAAATTTATAATAGTATAGTAACAGCTCATGCTTTAATAATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCAATTATATTAGGAGGTTTTGGGAATTGATTAATTCCTTTAATGTTAGGAGCTCCTGATATAGCTTTCCCACGTTTAAATAATATAAGTTTTTGGTTATTAATCCCCTCTTTAATTTTATTATTATTAAGAAGAATTTTAAATGTAGGGGTAGGAACAGGTTGAACTATATATCCACCTTTATCATCAAATATAGGACATAGAGGTTTATCTGTTGATTTAGCTATTTTTTCTTTACATTTAGCAGGTATTTCTTCAATTATAGGATCAATTAATTTTATTTCAACTATTTTAAATATACATTTAAAAATATTAAAATTAGATCAATTAACATTATTAATTTGATCAATTTTTATTACAACTATTTTATTATTGTTATCATTACCTGTTTTAGCGGGAGCAATTACTATATTATTAACTGATCGAAATTTAAATACTTCTTTTTTTGATTTTTCAGGAGGAGGTGATCCAATTTTATTTCAACATTTATTT.

Holotype ♀.

Guanacaste, Sector Santa Maria, Light Site Trail, Volcán Santa Maria, 10.75772, -85.30598, 840 meters, caterpillar collection date: 29/viii/2012, wasp eclosion date: 10/ix/2012, 16 wasps eclosed. Depository: CNC.

Host data. Gregarious parasitoid of unknown caterpillar in leaf nest on Smilax spinosa (Smilacaeae).

Caterpillar and holotype voucher codes. 12-SRNP-13169, DHJPAR0051204.

Paratypes.

15 specimens, same data as holotype, still labelled with 12-SRNP-13169. Depository: CNC.

Etymology.

Bracon melissaespinozae is named in honor of Melissa Espinoza’s proactive and growing abilities as a science reporter for all things ACG for the ACG web site (www.acguanacaste.ac.cr).

Figures

Figure 60. Bracon melissaespinozae, holotype.