Metaplagia Coquillett, 1895: 102 [also 1895: 97]. Type species: Metaplagia occidentalis Coquillett, 1895, by original designation.

Metavoria Townsend, 1915: 101. Type species: Metavoria orientalis Townsend, 1915, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood 1987: 1250, and further clarified in O'Hara and Wood 1998: 755.

Agathomyia Reinhard, 1959: 228 (preocc. by Verrall, 1901). Type species: Agathomyia cordata Reinhard, 1959, by original designation. Synonymy proposed by Wood 1987: 1250, and further clarified in O'Hara and Wood 1998: 763.

Anzamyia Reinhard, 1960: 103. (nomen novum for Agathomyia, 1959 Reinhard).

Other species included in Metaplagia Coquillett

Metaplagia brevicornis Brooks, 1945: 81. Holotype male (CNC), by original designation. Type locality: Canada, Manitoba, Teulon.

Agathomyia cordata Reinhard, 1959: 229. Holotype female (UCDC) (1 female paratype in CNC), by original designation. Type locality: USA, California, Riverside County, Anza.

Metavoria facialis Reinhard, 1956: 123. Holotype female (CNC). Type locality: USA, Utah, Fruitland.

Metaplagia occidentalis Coquillett, 1895: 103. Holotype male (USNM, Type No. USNMENT01519725), by original designation. Type locality: USA, California, San Diego County.

Metavoria orientalis Townsend, 1915: 101. Holotype female (USNM, Type No. USNMENT01519726), by original designation. Type locality: USA, Virginia, Arlington.

Male, head: frontal vitta wide, 1/3-1/6th width of front-orbital plate; with 2–3 proclinate orbital setae and 1–2 reclinate orbital setae; ocellar setae proclinate slightly divergent; eye bare, not descending beyond the level of the vibrissa; fronto-orbital plate coloration ranging from shining silver to gold; fronto-orbital plate with short black setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae; fronto-orbital setae not extending below lower margin of pedicel, with fronto-orbital setulae sometimes extending below lower margin of pedicel; pedicel orange, with a black-dark brown post pedicel; arista bare and subequal to slightly shorter than postpedicel, distinctly-thickened on basal 1/2-2/3, ranging from dark orange to dark brown-black; lower margin of face almost level with vibrissa, not visible in profile; facial ridge bare, but with setulae along parafacial sometimes so close to facial ridge as to be confused with facial ridge setulae; palps either straight or with a slight club at apex, sparsely setulose. Thorax: tomentosity ranging from pale beige-gray to dark grey or silver over a black ground color; thorax black ground color tomentum of thorax ranging from pale brassy to silver grey; prosternum bare; 3–4 postpronotal setae arranged in a straight line; supra-alar setae 1–2:3; intra-alar setae 2–3:3; dorsocentral setae 3:3–4; acrostichal setae 3:3; katepisternum with 3 setae. Scutellum black ground color, with tomentum ranging from gray to pale brassy; with five pairs marginal setae; apical scutellar setae 1/2–1/3 as long as subapical scutellars, sub-erect, slightly above marginal plane; basal scutellar subequal in length to subapical setae; subapical setae straight, ranging from divergent to convergent. Legs: dark reddish-brown to black ground color; tarsal claws and pulvilli ranging from shorter than to longer than last tarsomere. Wings: slightly longer than abdomen; translucent slightly hyaline; R₁ and R₄₊₅ can be setulose, setulae of R₄₊₅ ranging from node to crossvein r-m or beyond. Abdomen: ground color black, pale silver tomentum in varying degrees on T3–T5, ST1+2 typically glabrous; middorsal depression on ST1+2 reaching to hind margin of tergite; median marginal setae present on T3 and complete rows on T4 and T5; median discal setae absent on all tergites; sex patch absent.

Terminalia: posterior margin of sternite 5 with a deeply excavated and wide U-shaped (sometimes sculptured) median cleft; lateral lobes of sternite apically rounded, often with setae along caudal margin; basal section 1/5 the length of apical lobes. Epandrium often with 3–4 long, strong setae along anal edge. Cerci, in posterior view, medially separated, but parallel and often touching so as to appear fused, with a few short setae on basal half. In lateral view, bowed and sharply tapered apically. Surstylus well-developed, stout basally in lateral view, like a stout broadly rounded triangle terminating in a small knob, appearing hooked or slightly beaked apically; in posterior view, basally enlarged and apically straight.

Female as in male, except in the following aspects: head: tomentum of fronto-orbital plate and parafacial can sometimes differ from that of the conspecific male; fronto-orbital plate and parafacial up to 0.5x wider than in males.

Metaplagia can be distinguished by the following combination of traits: head distinctly conical; males with upper frontal setae reclinate; proclinate orbital setae in both sexes; frontal setae descending below level of pedicel; both sexes with well-developed lateral vertical setae; eye bare; parafacial setulose, but not with strong stout setae, only hair-like setulae; genal dilation very slightly developed; prementum shorter than height of head with an enlarged labellum; prosternum bare; three postsutural supra-alar setae, the anteriormost reduced and much weaker than first postsutural dorsocentral seta; scutellum with four pairs of marginal setae and one pair of erect to semi-erect apical setae; one or two pairs of sub-erect discal setae on scutellum, in line with subapical setae; vein M₁ ending separately in wing margin; anepimeral seta short, not extending beyond edge of lower calypter; wing vein R₄₊₅ setulose.

From Manitoba, Canada east to Newfoundland and south to Costa Rica.

Within the ACG inventory, Metaplagia has only been reared from the Lepidoptera family Sphingidae: Lepidoptera throughout the diverse ecosystems of the research area.

Our present revision of Metaplagia increases the range of the genus, taking it from being a Nearctic endemic genus to a complete New World distribution, inclusive of both the Nearctic and Neotropical Regions.

Both Plagiomima Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891 and Metaplagia are extremely similar genera; however, these can be very easily distinguished by the conformation of their mouthparts (Wood and Zumbado 2010). After careful examination of the holotype of Metaplagia latifrons Reinhard and based on the generic concepts and diagnostic features of both Metaplagia and Plagiomima, the authors hereby propose that species Metaplagia latifrons Reinhard, 1956 be transferred into the genus Plagiomima, as Plagiomima latifrons (Reinhard) comb. n. We base this taxonomic action on the similarities presented between the slender elongated mouthparts and the slender apically pointed surstyli present in Metaplagia latifrons, both diagnostic features observed in the genus Plagiomima, yet absent from the genus Metaplagia.

Male (Fig. 2), head (Fig. 2c, d): fronto-orbital plate wide, coloration silver with gold tomentum over uppermost 50%, appearing as pale brassy gold along upper 50% of occipital margin of eye; vitta wide, 1/3 width of fronto-orbital plate; ocellar setae lateraloclinate with a slight proclinate skew; with 3 proclinate orbital setae (middle proclinate orbital seta most often shorter and thinner than the other two) and 1 reclinate orbital seta fronto-orbital plate with short black setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae; fronto-orbital setulae extending below lower margin of the pedicel, well into the angle of parafacial; parafacial wholly silver tomentose; palps either slightly spathulate at tips, apically acutely inwardly curved, sparsely setulose along outer margins, inner margin appearing bare; arista dark brown-black. Thorax (Fig. 2a, b): black ground color with pale grey to brassy tomentum; 4 postpronotal setae; supra-alar setae 2:3; intra-alar setae 3:3; dorsocentral setae 3:3; acrostichal setae 3:3; katepisternum with 3 setae. Infrasquamal setae present. Scutellum black ground color, with tomentum concolorous with thorax; with five pairs marginal setae; apical scutellar setae 1/2 as long as subapical scutellars, sub-erect, arising above plane of marginal setae; basal scutellar subequal in length to subapical setae; subapical setae convergent, lateral scutellar setae can be convergent or strongly divergent. Legs: black ground color; mid tibia with 2–3 strong anteroventral setae; tarsal claws and pulvilli shorter than last tarsomere. Wings: R₁ bare, R₄₊₅ setulose from node to crossvein r-m. Abdomen (Fig. 2a, b): ground color black; ST1+2 glabrous black, pale silver tomentum, occupying anterior 60% of T3–T5; tomentum not extending to ventral surface of abdomen; median marginal setae present on T3 and complete rows on T4 and T5.

a

b

c

d

Figure 2.

Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. habitus images a–d: male, holotype n. DHJPAR0018627

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Terminalia (Fig. 3): posterior margin of sternite 5 with a deeply excavated U-shaped median cleft (Fig. 3d); lateral lobes of sternite apically rounded, with a vestiture of short setae along disc, 3x as long along caudal margin; basal section 1/5 the length of apical lobes. Cerci, in posterior view, medially separated and parallel, not often touching medially, with a few short setae on basal half (Fig. 3a). In lateral view, bowed and sharply tapered apically (Fig. 3b). Surstylus well-developed, stout basally in lateral view, like a broadly rounded triangle, appearing hooked or slightly beaked apically (Fig. 3b, c); in posterior view, basally enlarged and apically straight.

a

b

c

d

Figure 3.

Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. terminalia images a–d: male, paratype n. DHJPAR0018631

a: caudal view  
b: lateral view  
c: oblique view  
d: sternite 5, ventral view  

Female (Fig. 4) as in male, except in the following aspects: head (Fig. 4c, d): frontal vitta 1/2 width of fronto-orbital plate overall brown with a light gold sheen of tomentum; overall head of females 1/5 wider than that of males; setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae more dense than in males; 3–4 rows of parafacial setulae. Legs (Fig. 4a, b): mid-tibia with 3–4 irregularly-sized strong anteroventral setae.

a

b

c

d

Figure 4.

Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. habitus images a–d: female, paratype n. DHJPAR0052509

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. can be distinguished from all other Metaplagia by the following combination of traits: fronto-orbital plate at least 50% gold, with a silver parafacial and setulae on vein R₄₊₅ not extending beyond crossvein r-m. Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. can be separated from Metaplagia occidentalis by the presence of gold on the fronto-orbital plate. Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. is clearly distinguished by its COI sequence clustered within the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) BOLD:AAE2876.

Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. is named in honor of Leah Dennis for her many years of coordinating and administrating a plethora of problems and events in the Academic Office of the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, 5–275 m elevation.

Metaplagia leahdennisae sp. n. has been reared eight times from one species of Lepidoptera in the family Sphingidae: Agrius cingulata (Fabricius, 1775) in dry forest.

Male (Fig. 5), head (Fig. 5c, d): fronto-orbital plate wide, coloration silver to pale grey; vitta wide, 1/3 width of fronto-orbital plate ocellar setae lateraloclinate with a slight proclinate skew; with 3–4 proclinate orbital setae (middle proclinate orbital seta most often shorter and thinner than the other two) and 1 reclinate orbital seta fronto-orbital plate with short black setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae; fronto-orbital setulae extending below lower margin of pedicel, well into angle of parafacial; parafacial wholly silver tomentose with a distinct row of parafacial setulae along inner margin of parafacial approaching facial ridge, seemingly continuous with fronto-orbital setulae; palps either slightly spathulate at tips, apically acutely inwardly curved, extremely sparsely setulose along inner margin, remainder appearing bare; arista dark brown-black. Thorax (Fig. 5a, b): black ground color with pale grey tomentum; 3–4 postpronotal setae; supra-alar setae 2:3; intra-alar setae 3:3; dorsocentral setae 3:3; acrostichal setae 3:3; katepisternum with 3 setae. Infrasquamal setae present. Scutellum black ground color, with tomentum concolorous with thorax; with five pairs marginal setae; apical scutellar setae 1/2 as long as subapical scutellars, sub-erect, arising above plane of marginal setae; basal scutellar subequal in length to subapical setae; subapical setae convergent, lateral scutellar setae can be convergent or strongly divergent. Legs: black ground color; mid tibia with 2–3 strong anteroventral setae; tarsal claws and pulvilli shorter than last tarsomere. Wings: R₁ bare, R₄₊₅ setulose from node up to, but not beyond, crossvein r-m. Abdomen (Fig. 5a, b): ground color black; ST1+2 glabrous black, pale silver tomentum occupying anterior 50% of T3–T5; tomentum not extending to ventral surface of abdomen; median marginal setae present on T3, and complete rows on T4 and T5.

a

b

c

d

Figure 5.

Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. habitus images a–d: male, holotype n. DHJPAR0059091

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Terminalia (Fig. 6): posterior margin of sternite 5 with a deep and narrow excavated U-shaped median cleft (Fig. 6d); lateral lobes of sternite apically rounded, with a vestiture of short setae along disc, 3x as long along caudal margin; basal section 1/3 the length of apical lobes. Cerci, in posterior view, medially separated and parallel not touching medially, with a few short setae on basal half (Fig. 6a); in lateral view, bowed and sharply tapered to a point apically (Fig. 6b, c). Surstylus well-developed, stout basally in lateral view, rounded basally and appearing hooked or slightly beaked apically; in posterior view, basally enlarged and apically straight.

a

b

c

d

Figure 6.

Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. terminalia images a–d: male, paratype n. DHJPAR0019809

a: caudal view  
b: lateral view  
c: oblique view  
d: sternite 5, ventral view  

Female (Fig. 7) as in male, except in the following aspects: head (Fig. 7c, d): fronto-orbital just under 1/2 of head width, vitta 1/3 width of fronto-orbital plate; overall head of females 1/5 wider than that of males; legs (Fig. 7b): mid-tibia with 3–4 irregularly-sized strong anteroventral setae.

a

b

c

d

Figure 7.

Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. habitus images a–d: female, paratype n. DHJPAR0018644

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. can be distinguished from all other Metaplagia by the following combination of traits: frontal vitta indistinct around ocellar triangle, infrasquamal setae present, fronto-orbital plate at pale gray or silver, with a silver parafacial and setulae on vein R₄₊₅ not extending beyond crossvein r-m, surstylus sharp at tip. Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. can be separated from Metaplagia occidentalis by the presence of infrasquamal setae and from Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. by the presence of a distinct row of setulae along the facial ridge. Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. is clearly distinguished by its COI sequence clustered within the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) BOLD:AAD5563.

Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. is named in honor of Linda Robinson for her many years of coordinating and administrating a plethora of problems and events for the undergraduate biology teaching laboratories of the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, 85–300 m elevation.

Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. has been reared 17 times from two species of Lepidoptera in the family Sphingidae: Manduca sexta (Linnaeus, 1763), Manduca sextaDHJ02 and Manduca sextaDHJ03, in dry forest.

Male (Fig. 8), head (Fig. 8c, d): fronto-orbital plate wide, gold tomentum over its entirety; vitta wide, 1/5 width of fronto-orbital plate; ocellar setae lateraloclinate with a slight proclinate skew; with 2 proclinate orbital setae and 1 reclinate orbital seta fronto-orbital plate with short black setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae; fronto-orbital setulae extending below lower margin of the pedicel, well into angle of parafacial; parafacial wholly gold tomentose; palps either slightly spathulate at tips, apically acutely inwardly curved, 3–4 setulae along lower margin, inner margin appearing bare; arista light brown-dark orange, distinctly lighter color than postpedicel. Thorax (Fig. 8a, b): black ground color with pale brassy tomentum; 4 postpronotal setae; supra-alar setae 2:3; intra-alar setae 3:3; dorsocentral setae 3:3; acrostichal setae 3:3; katepisternum with 3 setae. Infrasquamal setae present. Scutellum black ground color, with tomentum concolorous with thorax; with five pairs marginal setae; apical scutellar setae 1/2 as long as subapical scutellars, sub-erect, arising above plane of marginal setae; basal scutellar subequal in length to subapical setae; subapical setae convergent, lateral scutellar setae can be convergent or strongly divergent; 2 pairs of scutellar discal setae set wider apart than subapical setae. Legs: black ground color; mid tibia with 2–3 strong anteroventral setae; tarsal claws and pulvilli shorter than last tarsomere. Wings: R₁ bare, R₄₊₅ setulose from node to crossvein r-m. Abdomen (Fig. 8a, b): ground color black; ST1+2 glabrous black, silver-pale brassy tomentum occupying anterior 90% of T3–T5; tomentum thin to absent along ventral surface of abdomen; median marginal setae present on T3 and complete rows on T4 and T5.

a

b

c

d

Figure 8.

Metaplagia paulinesaribasae sp. n. habitus images a–d: male, holotype n. DHJPAR0018646

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Terminalia: holotype male not dissected.

Female: unknown at this time.

Metaplagia paulinesaribasae sp. n. can be easily distinguished from all other Metaplagia by the following combination of traits: both fronto-orbital and parafacial gold and setulae on vein R₄₊₅ not extending beyond crossvein r-m. It is distinguishable from all other congeners by the presence of an entirely gold fronto-orbital plate and parafacial. Metaplagia paulinesaribasae sp. n. is clearly distinguished by its COI sequence clustered within the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) BOLD:AAX4230.

Metaplagia paulinesaribasae sp. n. is named in honor of Pauline Saribas for her many years of coordinating and administrating a plethora of problems and events in the Academic Office of the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, 280 m elevation.

Metaplagia paulinesaribasae sp. n. has been reared once from one species of Lepidoptera in the family Sphingidae: Manduca lefeburii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844), in dry forest.

Male (Fig. 9), head (Fig. 9c, d): fronto-orbital plate wide, coloration silver with gold tomentum over uppermost 50%, appearing as pale brassy gold along upper 25% of occipital margin of eye; frontal vitta wide, 1/5 width of fronto-orbital plate almost entirely covered in gold tomentum; ocellar setae strongly proclinate slightly divergent; with 3 proclinate orbital setae (middle proclinate orbital seta most often almost hair-like reduced) and 1 reclinate orbital seta fronto-orbital plate with only a sparse few short black setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae; sparse fronto-orbital setulae extending below lower margin of the pedicel (very few), these not intermingled with those in angle of parafacial; parafacial wholly silver tomentose with a single row of parafacial setulae mid-way along parafacial near facial ridge; palps slightly spathulate at tips almost oar-shaped, apically acutely inwardly curved, setulose along outer margins, inner margin appearing bare; arista dark brown-black. Thorax (Fig. 9a, b): black ground color with pale grey with a slightly brassy tinged tomentum, laterally this color transitions to a darkened grey tomentum; 4–5 postpronotal setae; supra-alar setae 2:3; intra-alar setae 3:3; dorsocentral setae 3:3-4; acrostichal setae 3:3; katepisternum with 3 setae. Infrasquamal setae absent. Scutellum black ground color, with tomentum concolorous with disc of thorax; with four pairs marginal setae; apical scutellar setae absent; basal scutellar 2/3 length of subapical setae; subapical setae convergent, lateral scutellar setae strongly divergent. Legs: black ground color; mid tibia with 2–3 strong anteroventral setae; tarsal claws and pulvilli shorter than last tarsomere. Wings: R₁ bare, R₄₊₅ setulose from node slightly beyond crossvein r-m. Abdomen (Fig. 9a, b): ground color black; ST1+2 glabrous black, pale silver tomentum occupying anterior 60% of T3–T5; tomentum extending to ventral surface of abdomen on T4 and T5; median marginal setae present on T3 and complete rows on T4 and T5.

a

b

c

d

Figure 9.

Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. habitus images a–d: male, holotype n. DHJPAR0018640

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Terminalia (Fig. 10): posterior margin of sternite 5 with a deeply excavated and sculptured U-shaped median cleft (Fig. 10d); lateral lobes of sternite apically rounded, widened at mid-point and tapering again towards base, with a vestiture of short setae along disc, 3x as long along caudal margin; basal section slightly less than 1/5 the length of apical lobes. Cerci, in posterior view, medially separated, with a few short setae along entire length, setae lengthening posteriorly towards anal operculum (Fig. 10a). In lateral view, bowed and sharply tapered apically (Fig. 10b, c). Surstylus well-developed, stout basally in lateral view, like a broadly rounded triangle, appearing like a rounded ellipsoid leaf shape; in posterior view, basally enlarged and apically straight.

a

b

c

d

Figure 10.

Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. terminalia images a–d: male, holotype n. DHJPAR0018725

a: caudal view  
b: lateral view  
c: oblique view  
d: sternite 5, ventral view  

Female (Fig. 11) as in male, except in the following aspects: head (Fig. 11c, d): fronto-orbital just under 1/2 of head width, vitta 1/4 width of fronto-orbital plate; ocellar setae lateraloclinate; post-pedicel slightly orange along basal 1/5. Legs (Fig. 11b): mid-tibia with 3–4 irregularly-sized strong anteroventral setae.

a

b

c

d

Figure 11.

Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. habitus images a–d: female, paratype n. DHJPAR0062861

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. can be distinguished from all other Metaplagia by the following combination of traits: fronto-orbital plate at least 75% gold, with a silver parafacial and setulae on vein R₄₊₅ extending well beyond crossvein r-m. Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. can be separated from M. leahdennisae and M. paulinesaribasae by the presence of setulae on R₄₊₅ extending well beyond crossvein r-m and it is separated from M. facialis and M. cordata by the presence of gold on its fronto-orbital plate. Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. is clearly distinguished by its COI sequence clustered within the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) BOLD:AAB3286.

Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. is named in honor of Robin Sherwood for her many years of coordinating and administrating a plethora of problems and events in the Academic Office of the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, 250–300 m elevation.

Metaplagia robinsherwoodae sp. n. has been reared 28 times from one species of Lepidoptera in the family Sphingidae: Manduca rustica (Fabricius, 1775), in dry forest.

Male (Fig. 12), head (Fig. 12c, d): fronto-orbital plate wide, coloration silver with pale brassy tomentum over uppermost 10%, appearing as pale brassy gold along upper 25% of occipital margin of eye; vitta wide, 1/3 width of fronto-orbital plate; ocellar setae lateraloclinate with a slight proclinate skew; with 3 proclinate orbital setae (middle proclinate orbital seta shorter and thinner than the other two) and 1 reclinate (often outwardly lateraloclinate) orbital seta; fronto-orbital plate with a sparse vestiture of short black setulae interspersed amongst frontal setae; fronto-orbital setulae not extending below pedicel; parafacial wholly silver tomentose, upper 1/3 of parafacial with small grouping of short black setulae in line with frontal setae, but separated from fronto-orbital plate; palps very slightly spathulate at tips, apically acutely inwardly curved, sparsely setulose along ventral surface, inner and upper surfaces appearing bare; arista dark brown-black. Thorax (Fig. 12a, b): black ground color with pale grey tomentum, brassy tones can occur under certain light; 4 postpronotal setae, anteriormost seta thin and weak almost hair-like; supra-alar setae 2:3; intra-alar setae 3:3; dorsocentral setae 3:3; acrostichal setae 3:3; katepisternum with 3 setae. Infrasquamal setae present. Scutellum black ground color, with tomentum concolorous with thorax; with five pairs marginal setae; apical scutellar setae 1/2 as long as subapical scutellars, sub-erect, arising above plane of marginal setae; basal scutellar 2/3 length of subapical setae; subapical setae convergent, lateral scutellar setae can be convergent or strongly divergent. Legs: black ground color; mid tibia with 2–3 strong anteroventral setae; tarsal claws and pulvilli as long as last tarsomere. Wings: R₁ bare, R₄₊₅ setulose from node to crossvein r-m. Abdomen (Fig. 12a, b): ground color black; ST1+2 glabrous black, pale silver tomentum occupying anterior 75% of T3 and T4, T5 pale brassy-grey tomentose over entirety; tomentum extending to ventral surface of abdomen, but not completely; median marginal setae present on T3 and complete rows on T4 and T5.

a

b

c

d

Figure 12.

Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. habitus images a–d: male, holotype n. DHJPAR0018732

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Terminalia (Fig. 13): posterior margin of sternite 5 with a deeply excavated U-shaped median cleft (Fig. 13d); lateral lobes of sternite apically rounded, with a vestiture of short setae along disc, 2x as long along caudal margin; basal section 1/2 the length of apical lobes. Cerci, in posterior view, sharply pointed and slightly medially separated and parallel, almost touching medially, with a few short setae on basal half (Fig. 13a). In lateral view, curved and sharply tapered apically (Fig. 13b). Surstylus well-developed, stout basally in lateral view, broadly rounded; in posterior view, basally enlarged and apically straight.

a

b

c

d

Figure 13.

Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. terminalia images a–d: male, paratype n. DHJPAR0018733

a: caudal view  
b: lateral view  
c: something  
d: sternite 5, ventral view  

Female (Fig. 14) as in male, except in the following aspects: head (Fig. 14c, d): fronto-orbital wider than males, just over 1/2 of head width entirely bright silver tomentose, frontal vitta 2/5 width of fronto-orbital plate; overall head of females 1.5x wider than that of males; legs (Fig. 14b): mid-tibia with 3–4 irregularly-sized strong anteroventral setae.

a

b

c

d

Figure 14.

Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. habitus images a–d: female, paratype n. DHJPAR0018722

a: dorsal view  
b: lateral view  
c: frontal view  
d: three quarters view  

Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. can be distinguished from all other Metaplagia by the following combination of traits: frontal vitta indistinct around ocellar triangle, infrasquamal setae present, fronto-orbital plate at pale gray or silver, with a silver parafacial and setulae on vein R₄₊₅ not extending beyond crossvein r-m, surstylus rounded at tip. Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. can be separated from Metaplagia occidentalis by the presence of infrasquamal setae and from Metaplagia lindarobinsonae sp. n. by the presence of a small circular formation of setulae on the parafacial and not distinct row of setulae along the facial ridge. Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. is clearly distinguished by its COI sequence clustered within the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) BOLD:AAD5456.

Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. is named in honor of Svetlana Kozik for her years of coordinating and administrating a plethora of problems and events for the undergraduate biology teaching laboratories of the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste Province, 10–280 m elevation.

Metaplagia svetlanakozikae sp. n. has been reared seven times from one species of Lepidoptera in the family Sphingidae: Agrius cingulata, in dry forest.