Glyptapanteles mehrdadhajibabaei Arias-Penna, sp. nov.

Glyptapanteles mehrdadhajibabaei Arias-Penna, sp. nov.Figs 160, 161 Female. Body length 2.02 mm, antenna length 2.37 mm, fore wing length 2.22 mm. Type material. Holotype: COSTA RICA • 1♀; 06-SRNP-3399, DHJPAR0005109; Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Alajuela, Sector San Cristóbal, Sendero Carmona; rain forest; 670 m; 10.87621, -85.38632; 24.iv.2006; Elda Araya leg.; caterpillar collected in fourth instar; cordwood cocoons adhered to the leaf substrate; adult parasitoids emerged on 04.v.2006; (CNC). Paratypes. • 20 (3♀, 3♂) (14♀, 0♂); 06-SRNP-3399, DHJPAR0005109; same data as for holotype; (CNC). Diagnosis. Inner spur of hind tibia slightly longer than outer spur, median area on T2 as broad as long (Fig. 160D, G), propodeal spiracle distally framed by a short concave carina (Figs 160C, 161C), petiole on T1 distally with lateral margins relatively straight, finely sculptured only distally (Fig. 160D, G), surface of metasternum flat or nearly so, precoxal groove deep with lineate sculpture (Figs 160A, 161A, D), fore wing with vein 1 cu-a curved, r vein curved, outer side of junction of r and 2RS veins not forming a stub (Figs 160I, 161F), dorsal outer depression on hind coxa present (Figs 160A, F, 161A), inner margin of eyes diverging slightly at antennal sockets, propodeum with transverse rugae (Figs 160C, 161C), and lateral grooves delimiting the median area on T2 clearly defined and reaching the distal edge of T2 (Fig. 160D, G). Coloration (Fig. 160A). General body coloration shiny black except brown scape, but proximally yellow-brown; first four-five proximal antennal flagellomeres lighter (light brown) dorsally than ventrally (dark brown), remaining flagellomeres dark brown on both sides; pedicel, labrum, and mandibles yellow-brown/reddish; glossa, maxillary and labial palps, and tegulae yellow. Eyes gray and ocelli reddish (in preserved specimen). Fore and middle legs yellow except brown claws; hind legs yellow except black coxae, distal 1/3 of femora brown, distal half of tibiae brown, and tarsomeres brown although basitarsus proximally with a yellow-brown ring. Petiole on T1 1/3 proximal reddish and 2/3 distal black, contours darkened and sublateral areas yellow-brown; T2 with median and adjacent areas brown, and lateral ends yellow-brown; T3 and beyond completely brown; distally each tergum with a narrow yellowish transparent band. In lateral view, T1-3 yellow-brown; T4 and beyond brown. S1-3 yellow-brown; S4 and beyond proximally yellow-brown, distally brown. Description. Head (Fig. 160A, E). Head rhomboid with pubescence long and dense. Proximal three antennal flagellomeres longer than wide (0.19:0.06, 0.18:0.06, 0.18:0.06), distal antennal flagellomere longer than penultimate (0.11:0.04, 0.08:0.04), antenna longer than body (2.37, 2.02); antennal scrobes-frons sloped and forming a shelf. Face with lateral depression, punctate-lacunose, interspaces wavy and longitudinal median carina present. Frons smooth. Temple wide, punctate-lacunose and interspaces wavy. Inner margin of eyes diverging slightly at antennal sockets; in lateral view, eye anteriorly convex and posteriorly straight. POL shorter than OOL (0.09, 0.13). Malar suture absent or difficult to see. Median area between lateral ocelli without depression. Vertex laterally rounded and dorsally wide. Mesosoma (Fig. 160 A–C, E). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex. Distal 1/3 of mesoscutum with lateral margin slightly dented, proximally with distinctive punctation, but distally with a polished area, interspaces wavy/lacunose. Scutellum triangular, apex sloped and fused with BS, scutellar punctation scattered throughout, in profile scutellum flat and on same plane as mesoscutum, phragma of the scutellum partially exposed; BS only very partially overlapping the MPM; ATS demilune with quite a little, complete and parallel carinae; dorsal ATS groove with semicircular/parallel carinae. Transscutal articulation with small and heterogeneous foveae, area just behind transscutal articulation smooth, shiny and nearly at the same level as mesoscutum (flat). Metanotum with BM wider than PFM (clearly differentiated); MPM semicircular without median longitudinal carina; AFM with a small lobe and not as well delineated as PFM; PFM thick, smooth and with lateral ends rounded; ATM proximally with a groove with some sculpturing and distally smooth. Propodeum with transverse rugae, proximal half weakly curved with medium-sized sculpture and distal half with a shallow dent at each side of nucha or rugose; distal edge of propodeum with a flange at each side and without stubs; propodeal spiracle distally framed by a short concave carina; nucha surrounded by very short radiating carinae. Pronotum with a distinct dorsal furrow, dorsally with a well-defined smooth band; central area of pronotum smooth, but both dorsal and ventral furrows with short parallel carinae. Propleuron with fine rugae and dorsally without a carina. Metasternum flat or nearly so. Contour of mesopleuron straight/angulate or nearly so; precoxal groove deep with faintly transverse lineate sculpture; epicnemial ridge elongated more fusiform (tapering at both ends). Legs. Ventral margin of fore telotarsus slightly excavated and with a tiny curved seta, fore telotarsus almost same width throughout and longer than fourth tarsomere (0.11, 0.08). Hind coxa with punctation only on ventral surface, dorsal outer depression present. Inner spur of hind tibia longer than outer spur (0.18, 0.16), entire surface of hind tibia with dense strong spines clearly differentiated by color and length. Hind telotarsus as equal in length as fourth tarsomere (0.11, 0.10). Wings (Fig. 160I, J). Fore wing with r vein slightly curved; 2RS vein straight; r and 2RS veins forming an angle at their junction and outer side of junction not forming a stub; 2M vein slightly curved/swollen; distally fore wing [where spectral veins are] with microtrichiae more densely concentrated than the rest of the wing; anal cell 1/3 proximally lacking microtrichiae; subbasal cell with microtrichiae virtually throughout; veins 2CUa and 2CUb completely spectral; vein 2 cu-a absent; vein 2-1A proximally tubular and distally spectral, although sometimes difficult to see; tubular vein 1 cu-a curved, incomplete/broken and not reaching the edge of 1-1A vein. Hind wing with vannal lobe very narrow, subdistally and subproximally straightened, and setae evenly scattered in the margin. Metasoma (Fig. 160A, D, F–H). Metasoma laterally compressed. Petiole on T1 finely sculptured only distally, parallel-sided in proximal half and then narrowing (length 0.31, maximum width 0.17, minimum width 0.10) and with scattered pubescence concentrated in the first distal third. Lateral grooves delimiting the median area on T2 clearly defined and reaching the distal edge of T2 (length median area 0.13, length T2 0.13), edges of median area polished and lateral grooves deep, median area as broad as long (length 0.13, maximum width 0.13, minimum width 0.09); T2 with scattered pubescence only distally. T3 longer than T2 (0.22, 0.13) and with scattered pubescence throughout. Pubescence on hypopygium dense. Cocoons (Fig. 4Z). Light brown oval cocoons with ordered silk fibers, but covered by a net. Cordwood cocoons adhered to the leaf substrate. Comments. Both sexes with slim body. Male (Fig. 161 A–G). Similar in coloration and shape to female. Etymology. Mehrdad Hajibabaei is an expert in molecular evolutionary biology and bioinformatics. He has been one of the pioneers in the use of high-throughput genomics technologies, such as microarrays and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for the assessment of biodiversity in samples as varied as natural health products to bulk environmental samples. He is an Assistant Professor at Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO), University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Distribution. The parasitized caterpillar was collected in Costa Rica, ACG, Sector San Cristóbal (Sendero Carmona), during April 2006 at 670 m in rain forest. Biology. The lifestyle of this parasitoid species is gregarious. Host. Carathis septentrionalis Becker (Erebidae: Arctiinae) (Fig. 4Z) feeding on Nectandra martinicensis (Lauraceae). Caterpillar was collected in fourth instar.

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