Austrostelis costaricensis Griswold, 2025

Austrostelis costaricensis Griswold , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

( Figs. 5 View Figures 1–5 , 10 View Figures 6–10 , 15 View Figures 11–15 , 20)

DIAGNOSIS: Unique among known Austrostelis in the bicolored wings with yellow veins and dark tips and the entirely yellow and reddish metasoma ( Fig. 5 View Figures 1–5 ). Presumably this would apply to males since markings do not differ significantly between sexes in Austrostelis . Additionally, it differs from A. mexicana and A. bicolor in F10 white, F9 no longer than broad instead of longer than broad and subantennal suture nearly straight ( Fig. 10 View Figures 6–10 ).

Figures 16–20. Austrostelis metasoma T1 and T2. 16. A. bicolor female holotype. 17. A. bicolor male paratype (BBSLID116102). 18. A. mexicana female holotype. 19. A. mexicana male paratype (BBSLID116107). 20. A. costaricensis female holotype. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

DESCRIPTION: Female. Body length, 5.6 mm; intertegular distance, 1.50 mm. Body with black marks limited to head and mesosoma, metasoma dorsally largely orange with yellow markings ( Figs. 5 View Figures 1–5 , 10 View Figures 6–10 , 15 View Figures 11–15 ). Forewing bicolored, smoky apically, yellow in marginal cell, stigma yellow, veins surrounding marginal cell light ( Fig. 5 View Figures 1–5 ). Labrum long, extending full length of fossa, completely covering mouthparts in repose. Mandible 4-toothed, third tooth weak, obtuse, gap dorsal to it no deeper than one ventral to it. Clypeus with moderate, nearly contiguous punctures. Subantennal suture nearly straight ( Fig. 10 View Figures 6–10 ). Juxtantennal carinae with convex flare dorsally. Flagellum black except dark red on F1, white on F10 ( Fig. 5 View Figures 1–5 ) and sometimes F9; penultimate segment no longer than broad. Pronotal collar extending medially as narrow groove nearly to the level of the parapsidal suture. Scutum polished; punctation dense but not contiguous, punctures regular ( Fig. 15 View Figures 11–15 ). Scutellum with apical margin very broadly, evenly convex, carinate except medially; laterally, at margin with axilla, exceeding the axillar length. Axilla broadly rounded laterally, not angulate ( Fig. 15 View Figures 11–15 ). Mesepisternum with punctation dense, punctures medially larger than those on scutum laterally. Metapleuron with puncture row along anterior margin, disc without punctures on ventral half, posterior margin distinctly angulate near middle. T2 with lateral margin in dorsal view strongly convex; punctation of subapical band slightly smaller than on disc, not fine; apical impunctate margin narrow (Fig. 20). T3–T6 with rather dense, suberect golden pubescence. T6 with small preapical pit medially, without transverse preapical striae.

Male: unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: Name recognizes the country of origin of this species.

DISTRIBUTION: Costa Rica.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype female: “ COSTA RICA, San José Ciudad Colón, 800m VI-VII 1990 col. Luis Fournier ” . Paratype female: “ COSTA RICA Guanacaste Maritza Biol.Sta. Volcan Orosi, 12-II-1995 F.D. Parker ” ( HOLO102 ) . Holotype deposited in Museo de Zoologia , Universidad de Costa Rica ( MZUCR); paratype in BBSL .

COMMENTS: Austrostelis costaricensis runs to couplet 3 in Parizotto et al. (2018), where it agrees with A. appendiculata , known only from Brazil, in the entirely yellow mandible but the mesepisternum lacks the black discal spot. The markings and body size of A. costaricensis make it almost impossible to distinguish visually from the co-occurring Hypanthidioides ( Saranthidium) panamensis (Cockerell) .