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Citation: Kula RR (2013) A new brachypterous species of Heterospilus Haliday (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from the Neotropical Region. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 33: 83–90. doi: 10.3897/JHR.33.4009
A new species, Heterospilus michaeli Kula, from the Neotropical Region is described and differentiated from all other New World species of Doryctinae with brachypterous or apterous individuals. It is the first species of Heterospilus Haliday in the Neotropical Region known to exhibit brachyptery and the fourth described brachypterous species of Heterospilus worldwide. Errors and omissions in a recently published article on brachypterous and apterous doryctines in the New World are corrected.
Apterous, aptery, brachyptery, Neotropical, parasitoid, taxonomy
Specimens of the new species described herein were borrowed from the University of Wyoming Insect Museum, Laramie, U.S.A. (ESUW). They were examined as in
Terminology for morphological features, setation, and surface sculpture follows references listed in the materials and methods of
Species of Doryctinae in the New World, excluding ypsistocerines, that exhibit brachyptery, microptery, or aptery.
| Species | ♀ wing condition | ♂ wing condition |
|---|---|---|
| Aptenobracon formicoides Marsh | apterous | apterous |
| Ecphylopsis costaricensis Marsh | micropterous | micropterous |
| Ecphylus arcuatus | macropterous | micropterous |
| Ecphylus lepturgi Rohwer | apterous macropterous |
apterous macropterous |
| Ecphylus pacificus Marsh | apterous macropterous |
apterous |
| Ecphylus schwarzii (Ashmead) | apterous macropterous |
apterous |
| Heterospilus belokobylskiji Kula | brachypterous | brachypterous |
| Heterospilus michaeli Kula, new species | brachypterous | brachypterous |
| Heterospilus vincenti Kula | brachypterous | brachypterous |
| Oroceguera andersoni Seltmann and Sharkey | apterous | unknown |
| Pambolidea yuma Ashmead | micropterous brachypterous macropterous |
apterous micropterous |
| Psenobolus ficarius Ramirez and Marsh | macropterous | brachypterous |
| Psenobolus parapygmaeus Ramirez and Marsh | macropterous | brachypterous |
| Psenobolus triangularis van Achterberg and Marsh | unknown | brachypterous |
Heterospilus michaeli Kula, new species can be differentiated from some brachypterous or apterous doryctines in the New World (excluding ypsistocerines) by the condition of the wings (Table 1). Additionally, Heterospilus michaeli can be differentiated from all brachypterous or apterous New World species of Doryctinae using the same morphological features
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http://species-id.net/wiki/Heterospilus_michaeli
Figs 1–2female. Top label (white; partially handwritten, partially typewritten) = “Costa Rica: Guanacaste [;] Santa Rosa National Pk. [;] 300m, Malaise, Ian Gould [sic] [;] 14.vi 1986”. Second label (white; partially handwritten, partially typewritten) = “Bosque Humedo [;] mature dry forest [;] high proportion [;] evergreen species [;] Sun.” Third label (white; typewritten) = “BH-11-0 [;] 14. Vi. 86” (ESUW).
1 ♀ 9 ♂ same data as holotype (6 ♂ ESUW, 1 ♀ 3 ♂ USNM); 1 ♂ Costa Rica: Guanacaste Santa Rosa Natl. Park 300m, ex. [sic] Malaise trap Site #: Dates: 24.v–14.vi 1986 I.D. Gauld & D. Janzen [H] open regenerating woodland <10 years old [C] more or less fully shaded as possible (ESUW).
The vertex is entirely strigate in Heterospilus michaeli; it is smooth except a pair of small strigulate areas posterolaterad the lateral ocelli in Heterospilus belokobylskiji and entirely coriaceous in Heterospilus vincenti. The frons is entirely strigate in Heterospilus michaeli; it is entirely coriaceous in Heterospilus vincenti. The head is yellow in Heterospilus michaeli (Fig. 1); it is brown in Heterospilus belokobylskiji (
Female (Fig. 1).
Lateral habitus images of Heterospilus michaeli, scale bars = 1.00 mm. 1 Holotype female 2 Paratype male.
Body length. 2.10–2.51 mm.
Head. HL 0.72–0.74× HW, HW 1.09–1.11× TW, FW 1.73–1.85× FH, EL 0.77–0.83× EH, MSH 0.72× EH, F1L 0.87–0.94× F2L; antenna with 20 flagello-meres; mandible with two teeth, tooth closest to labiomaxillary complex shorter than other tooth, setiferous; malar space smooth, setiferous, malar suture absent; clypeus with roughly apical 1/3 setiferous and basal 2/3 glabrous; face entirely smooth or smooth mesally and rugulose laterally, glabrous mesally and setiferous laterally; frons strigulate, glabrous except one to two setae along margin of eye; vertex strigulate, setiferous; ocelli present and small but slightly larger than in Heterospilus belokobylskiji and Heterospilus vincenti; gena smooth with a few strigae posteriorly, setiferous; occiput smooth, glabrous except a few setae ventrally on both sides of head.
Mesosoma. ML 3.07–3.33× MW, ML 1.93–2.06× MH, MW 0.62–0.63× MH, SSL 0.40–0.45× SSW; pronotal collar with transverse carina or transverse rugosities, anterior portion rugulose and posterior portion crenulate, collar setiferous anteriorly and mesally, pronope absent, lateral portion of pronotum rugulose to rugose except pronotal groove crenulate, roughly setiferous along margins and glabrous mesally; notauli complete and meeting posteromesally, crenulate-rugose; mesoscutal midpit absent; mesoscutum (excluding lateral margin and notauli) coriaceous, setiferous along margins and notauli; scutellar sulcus with median longitudinal carina only or median longitudinal carina and pair of crenulae adjacent to carina; scutellar disc weakly cor-iaceous, setiferous along lateral and posterior margins; propodeum strongly carinate, setiferous, carinae forming hastate areola mesally, sculpture within areola areolate-rugose, basal 1/2 of propodeum divided into median and lateral areas by dorsal lateral carinae, median area coriaceous and lateral area rugose to areolate-rugose, apical 1/2 areolate-rugose; subalar groove crenulate; precoxal sulcus present in roughly anterior 1/2 of mesopleuron, crenulate; posterior mesopleural furrow crenulate; mesopleuron (excluding subalar groove, precoxal sulcus, and posterior mesopleural furrow) coriaceous, setiferous except glabrous area between subalar groove and precoxal sulcus; metapleuron areolate-rugose, setiferous; metacoxa with anteroventral basal tubercle.
Forewing. Brachypterous, extending slightly posteriad middle of propodeum (including fringe); hyaline; stigma absent but with thickened sclerotization at wing apex; venation limited to one tubular vein each along anterior and posterior margins (likely C+SC+R and 1A, respectively) and one tubular vein mesally (likely M+CU), vein along posterior margin converging with vein mesally slightly before wing apex, vein mesally converging with vein along anterior margin at wing apex.
Hind wing. Brachypterous, extending slightly posterior to middle of propodeum (including fringe); basal and subbasal cells enclosed by veins, with veins enclosing cells differing in width and sclerotization but especially wide and sclerotized mesally posterior to apex of subbasal cell.
Metasoma. T1L 0.91× T1W; subcylindrical; ovipositor with minute teeth ventrally, EOL about 2.07–2.21× T2+T3L; ovipositor sheaths setiferous, setae increasing in density anteriorly to posteriorly; T1 costate-rugose, dorsal carinae sharply defined in roughly anterior 1/4 of tergum then blending posteriorly with other sculpture on tergum, setiferous; T2 costate-rugose, setiferous; transverse groove between T2+T3 weakly impressed, one specimen with and one without smooth transverse band posteriad impression; T3 anterior 1/2 costate and posterior 1/2 smooth, setae forming single transverse row in middle of tergum; T4–T8 smooth, setae forming single transverse row in middle or posterior 1/2 of tergum.
Color. Head (excluding mouthparts and antenna) yellow, mouthparts whitish yellow except mandible yellow with teeth brown, antenna yellow; mesosoma brownish yellow to yellow; wing venation tan; legs yellow to brownish yellow; T1 brownish yellow to yellow, T2–T8 yellow.
(Fig. 2). As in female except:
Body length. 1.79–2.36.
Head. HL 0.71–0.76× HW, HW 1.09–1.14× TW, FW 1.50–1.90× FH, MSH 0.62–0.68× EH, PMPL 0.60–0.80× F1L; antenna with 17–20 flagellomeres; gena smooth with a few strigae posteriorly or entirely smooth.
Mesosoma. ML 3.00–3.27× MW, ML 2.08–2.25× MH, MW 0.64–0.70× MH, SSL 0.40–0.50× SSW; lateral portion of pronotum smooth with a few rugosities to rugose except pronotal groove crenulate; notauli crenulate-rugose to crenulate; scutellar disc weakly coriaceous or entirely smooth; mesopleuron (excluding subalar groove, precoxal sulcus, and posterior mesopleural furrow) rugulose to coriaceous.
Forewing. Brachypterous, extending roughly to middle or posterior margin of T1 (including fringe); one specimen with indistinct veins likely corresponding to 1RS, 1M, RS+M, and 1CU in addition to three distinct horizontal veins (likely C+SC+R, M+CU, and 1A).
Hind wing. Brachypterous, extending roughly to or slightly posteriad middle of T1 (including fringe); stigma slightly apicad middle of wing, subelliptical; basal and subbasal cells enclosed by tubular veins except delimited distally by stigma, basal cell delimited ventrally by M+CU vein, 1M vein absent; R1 vein tubular.
Metasoma. T1L 1.21–1.36× T1W; transverse groove between T2+T3 weakly impressed, with or without smooth transverse band posteriad impression; T3 anterior 1/2 costate to costate-rugulose and posterior 1/2 smooth; T4–T8 smooth except T4 sometimes (40%) with a few faint carinae mesally.
Color. Antenna yellow proximally transitioning to whitish yellow or white distally; metathoracic leg with coxa, femur, and tibia brown in one specimen; T3–T5 yellow with posterior edge brown or slightly darker.
Unknown.
This species is named for the author’s son, Michael Alden Kula.
I thank Paul M. Marsh (Kansas State University) for sending the specimens. I also thank Taina Litwak (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA-ARS) for capturing and digitally enhancing the lateral habitus images. Specimens of the new species were discovered through research carried out as part of NSF DEB 0717365. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.