Hyperparasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Trigonalidae) reared from dry forest and rain forest caterpillars of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Author
Smith, David R.
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, PSI, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, c / o National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P. O. Box 37012, MRC 168, Washington, DC, 20013 - 7012, USA
sawfly2@aol.com
Author
Janzen, Daniel H.
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Author
Hallwachs, Winnie
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Author
Smith, M. Alexander
Department of Integrative Biology & The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N 1 G 2 W 1
text
Journal of Hymenoptera Research
2012
2012-10-15
29
119
144
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.29.3233
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.29.3233
1314-2607-29-119
6DFF2FB88D22453D9EA66A5083057891
8A1E6B141E16FFE08975FF947D4D2C48
574791
Taeniogonalos woodorum Smith, sp. n.
Figures 4-7
Diagnosis.
Posterior postocellar area with two yellow oblique stripes; mandible mostly yellow, teeth reddish brown; gena mostly yellow, yellow extending dorsally and onto occiput; mesoscutellum with anterior third yellow; second metasomal tergum with narrow yellow band continuous along lateral and posterior margins. Female armature absent. Male with medial flattened area on sternum 2; genitalia with parameres about half as long as gonostipes.
Female. Length, 5.0-12.0 mm (holotype 8.0 mm). Antenna black. Head black, with following yellow (
Figs 4, 5
): Interantennal area, supraclypeal area, clypeus, labrum, mandible except reddish-brown apex, mouthparts, two oblique stripes at posterior or postocellar area, broad stripe on gena behind eyes extending dorsally onto occiput. Mesosoma black with following yellow markings (
Figs 4, 5
): anterolateral spot on mesoprescutum, axillae, anterior third of mesoscutellum, metascutellum, stripe on upper pronotum and lower pronotum, broad oblique stripe on mesopleuron, broad oblique stripe on metapleuron, large lateral spots on propodeum. Legs black with inner surfaces of coxae, trochanters, extreme bases of femora, and outer surfaces of tibiae and tarsi yellow. Metasoma black with following yellow markings (
Figs 4-6
): broad stripe on posterior margin of tergum 1, narrow continuous stripe on posterior and lateral margins of tergum 2; narrow stripe on posterolateral margins of terga 3 and 4, small spot on posterior lateral margin of sternum 2. Wings hyaline, black anterioapically, mostly in radial cell; veins and stigma black. Head and body covered with fine, short,
white
hairs.
Head
: Covered with short, white hairs. Shiny, evenly punctate, punctures mostly separated by rounded ridges, interspaces less than puncture diameters; punctures on gena less dense, farther apart than those on vertex and frons, and with flat shiny
interspaces
. Antenna with 24 flagellomeres, length about twice head width. Clypeus with median length about.3
x
width. Inner margins of eyes subparallel, lower interocular distance 0.7
x
eye length; malar space about 0.15
x
eye length. Distance between eye and margin of lateral ocellus about 3.0
x
distance between inner margins of hind ocelli. Area between torruli slightly concave (
Fig. 5
). Antennal carinae low, sharp. Occipital carina complete.
Mesosoma
: Covered with short, white hairs. Shiny, evenly punctate with punctures similar to those on vertex and frons, most separated by rounded ridges, with interspaces less than puncture diameters; punctures on propleuron farther apart than those on mesonotum and separated by broader, flat interspaces; dorsoposterior section of mesepisternum, posterior downturned margin of mesoscutellum, and metapleuron, except lower margin, almost impunctate; punctures on propodeum small, denser than those on rest of mesosoma. Prescutum elevated above lateral lobes. Notaulus deep, with large punctures posteriorly; transverse row of large punctures anterior to mesoscutellum. Propodeal foramen shallowly concave at center. Hind coxa about as long as wide, with longitudinal carina on outer surface; hind basitarsomere subequal to length of remaining tarsomeres combined.
Metasoma
: Covered with fine, white hairs. Shiny, rather evenly punctate, punctures separated by rounded ridges mostly less than puncture diameters. Tergum 1 depressed at center. Armature absent from sternum 2 (
Figs 4, 6
). Sheath directed downward, rounded at apex in lateral view.
Figures 4-7.
Taeniogonalos woodorum
.
4
Lateral view, female
5
Dorsal view, female
6
Metasoma, lateral view, female
7
Male genitalia.
Figures 8-10.
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
, female.
8
Taeniogonalos
fasciatipennisDHJ01, lateral view
9
Taeniogonalos
fasciatipennisDHH01, dorsal view
10
Taeniogonalos
fasciatipennisDHJ02, lateral view.
Figures 11-14.
Taeniogonalos
fasciatipennis DHJ01.
11
Metasoma, lateral view, female
12
Female armature, sternum 2, ventral view
13
Male paramere, lateral view
14
Male genitalia.
Male. Length, 4.0-7.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female. Tyloids present, long and narrow, middle tyloids longer than half length of flagellomeres. Male genitalia with parameres about half-length of gonostipes (
Fig. 7
); sternum 2 with medial flattened area on apical half.
Figures 15-20.
Taeniogonalos gundlachii
.
15
Lateral view, female
16
Dorsal view, female
17
Metasoma, lateral view, female
18
Female armature, sternum 2, ventral view
19
Male paramere, lateral view
20
Male genitalia.
Type material.
Holotype female, "Voucher: D. H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, DB: http://Janzen.sas.upenn.edu, Area de Conservation Guanacaste, Costa Rica,"
"10-SRNP-22162,"
"DHJPAR0041177."
(USNM). Paratypes: Same data as for holotype except caterpillar rearing code (yy-SRNP-xxxx) and parasitoid individual code (DHJPARxxxxxxx); one specimen for each caterpillar collection and parasitoid rearing code. 98-SRNP-6785, DHJPAR0010613 (♂); 98-SRNP-7262, DHJPAR0016904 (♂); 98-SRNP-7361, DHJPAR0016911 (♀); 98-SRNP-15545, DHJPAR0016916 (♀); 98-SRNP-15545, DHJPAR0016899 (♀); 98-SRNP-15545, DHJPAR0016888 (♂); 99-SRNP-5503, DHJPAR0016895 (♀); 99-SRNP-5508, DHJPAR0016897 (♂); 99-SRNP-12098, DHJPAR0016891 (♀); 99-SRNP-12098, DHJPAR0016892 (♂); 99-SRNP-12098, DHJPAR0016896 (♀); 99-SRNP-12761, DHJPAR0010612 (♀); 99-SRNP-12852, DHJPAR0010604 (♂); 99-SRNP-13819, DHJPAR0010611 (♂); 99-SRNP-13823, DHJPAR0016909 (♀); 01-SRNP-3507, DHJPAR0010598 (♀); 01-SRNP-3507, DHJPAR0010599 (♀); 01-SRNP-5325, DHJPAR0010597 (♂); 01-SRNP-5932, DHJPAR0010605 (♀); 01-SRNP-9359, DHJPAR0010607 (♀); 01-SRNP-25186, DHJPAR0010600 (♂); 02-SRNP-7679, DHJPAR0010596 (♀); 02-SRNP-7978, DHJPAR0010595 (♀); 03-SRNP-6738, DHJPAR0010588 (♂); 03-SRNP-10070, DHJPAR0010585 (♀); 03-SRNP-11855, DHJPAR0010591 (♂); 03-SRNP-11855, DHJPAR0010592 (♂); 03-SRNP-11855, DHJPAR0010593 (♂); 03-SRNP-11855, DHJPAR0010594 (♂); 03-SRNP-20157, DHJPAR0010590
(
♀); 03-SRNP-20236, DHJPAR0028047 (♀); 03-SRNP-21817, DHJPAR0010586 (♀); 04-SRNP-30072 [no barcode] (♀); 04-SRNP-41595, DHJPAR0010574 (♂); 04-SRNP-55214, DHJPAR0010571 (♀); 04-SRNP-55214.1, DJHPAR0010572 (♀); 04-SRNP-55215, DHJPAR0010573 (♀); 04-SRNP-56432, DJHPAR0010581 (♀); 04-SRNP-56458, DHJPAR0010582 (♀); 05-SRNP-4939, DHJPAR0010559 (♂); 05-SRNP-7881, DHJPAR0010551 (♂); 05-SRNP-33818, DHJPAR0010569 (♂); 05-SRNP-34358, DHJPAR0010562 (♂); 05-SRNP-42584, DHJPAR0010563 (♂); 05-SRNP-42827, DHJPAR0010570 (♂); 05-SRNP-70122, DHJPAR0010560 (♂); 05-SRNP-70325, DHJPAR0010561 (♀); 06-SRNP-6781, DHJPAR0016876 (♀); 06-SRNP-6781, DHJPAR0016877 (♀); 06-SRNP-6781, DHJPAR0016878 (♂); 06-SRNP-6781, DHJPAR0016884 (♀); 06-SRNP-30294, DHJPPAR0010443 (♂); 06-SRNP-30295, DHJPAR0010554 (♂); 06-SRNP-33412, DHJPAR0016873 (♀); 06-SRNP-34200, DHJPAR0016875 (♀); 06-SRNP-34577, DHJPAR0016886 (♀); 06-SRNP-34579, DHJPAR0016887 (♂); 06-SRNP-42284, DHJPAR0010555 (♀); 06-SRNP-42284, DHJPAR0010556 (♂); 06-SRNP-42284, DHJPAR0010557 (♂); 06-SRNP-42814, DHJPAR0016882 (♀); 06-SRNP-42819, DHJPAR0016883 (♀); 06-SRNP-43560, DHJPAR0016874 (♀); 06-SRNP-65304, DHJPAR0016885 (♂); 08-SRNP-2414, DHJPAR0027762 (♂); 08-SRNP-2414, DHJPAR0027763 (♂); 08-SRNP-6017, DHJPAR0030373 (♂); 08-SRNP-32269, DHJPAR0030377 (♀); 08-SRNP-41835 [no barcode] (♀); 08-SRNP-42172, DHJPAR0030374 (♀); 08-SRNP-42172, DHJPAR0030375 (♀); 08-SRNP-42172, DHJPAR0030376 (♀); 09-SRNP-2888, DHJPAR0036406 (♀); 09-SRNP-5008, DHJPAR0036682 (♀); 09-SRNP-32681, DHJPAR0038544 (♀); 09-SRNP-32752, DHJPAR0038545 (♀); 09-SRNP-32752, DHJPAR0038546 (♀); 09-SRNP-33385, DHJPAR0038543 (♂); 09-SRNP-69541, DHJPAR0036404 (♂); 09-SRNP-70610, DHJPAR0036405 (♀); 09-SRNP-73449, DHJPAR0037846 (♂); 09-SRNP-80526, DHJPAR0037847 (♂); 10-SRNP-1030, DHJPAR0039355 (♀); 10-SRNP-4609, DHJPAR0041181 (♀); 10-SRNP-22641, DHJPAR0041178 (♂); 10-SRNP-32041, DHJPAR0041179 (♂); 10-SRNP-42215, DHJPAR0041180 (♀); 10-SRNP-73124, DHJPAR0041176 (♀); 10-SRNP-73289, DHJPAR0041174 (♀); 10-SRNP-80666, DHJPAR0041175 (♂); 11-SRNP-2784, DHJPAR0045823 (♀); 11-SRNP-2784, DHJPAR0045824 (♂); 11-SRNP-2859, DHJPAR0044983 (♀); 11-SRNP-2911, DHJPAR0045822 (♂); 11-SRNP-71666, DHJPAR0045825 (♂); 11-SRNP-80954, DHJPAR0044984 (♀). Deposited in INBio, USNM, CNC, BMNH.
Other specimens.
03-SRNP-38118, DHJPAR0010587 (metasoma missing); 06-SRNP-6781, DHJPAR0016872 (metasoma missing); 09-SRNP-72860, DHJPAR0040090 (broken).
Specimens examined.
100; 98 submitted for DNA barcoding, 89 of which yielded complete DNA barcodes publically available from BOLD.
Etymology.
Taeniogonalos woodorum
is named in honor of Monty and Grace Wood of Ottawa, Canada in recognition of their three decades of intense and enthusiastic taxonomic and spiritual participation in the tachinid fly inventory of Area de
Conservacion
Guanacaste and in
INBio's
inventory of the flies of Costa Rica.
Barcode.
The DNA barcodes of the 89
Taeniogonalos woodorum
specimens longer than 400 bp have less than 1% intraspecific divergence (0.702% avg, max 2.523%, min, 0%). They are 9% divergent from the DNA barcodes of
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
DHJ01 and
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
DHJ02.
Discussion.
The mostly black color with yellow maculation, as described and illustrated, and lack of female armature on metasomal sternum 2 help distinguish this species from most other New World species of
Taeniogonalos
. The females of
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
,
Taeniogonalos gundlachii
,
Taeniogonalos lugubris
(Westwood), and
Taeniogonalos ornata
(Smith) have distinct armature on sternum 2, and the latter three are mostly yellow or reddish-brown with black maculation. The females of
Taeniogonalos enderleini
(De Santis) and
Taeniogonalos jucunda
(Westwood) from South America lack female armature.
Taeniogonalos enderleini
occurs in southeastern Brazil, is mostly black with some yellow maculation, but the posterior lower part of the mesopleuron and the metapleuron are reddish brown and the postocellar area lacks yellow marks.
Taeniogonalos jucunda
(Westwood) was described from
"Amaz."
, and the color was described as mostly reddish brown, head yellow, and the scutellum black, all of which differ from the color of
Taeniogonalos woodorum
.
Hosts and biology.
Taeniogonalos woodorum
is the most frequently reared of the ACG
Trigonalidae
, known only from ACG rain forest, and superficially resembles
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
and
Taeniogonalos gundlachii
(see below). It is the only species of trigonalid that has been reared from the sample of more than 220,000 wild-caught ACG rain forest caterpillars. This microgeographic and ecosystem separation from the parapatric and adjacent ACG dry forest of
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
(see below) allows first-pass species-level identification of
Taeniogonalos woodorum
even if key morphological traits are invisible and DNA barcodes have not been obtained from the specimen, such as when the reared wasp escapes or the abdomen is broken off and lost or consumed in analysis. This method of ecology-based identification cannot, however, be used for specimens from the narrow ecotone between ACG dry forest and rain forest, where both species of
Taeniogonalos
have been reared from caterpillars found in the same hectare. The presence of
Taeniogonalos woodorum
was first noticed in 2006 by its strikingly different (15%) DNA barcode from that of
Taeniogonalos fasciatipennis
(also called
Taeniogonalos gundlachii
at that time). Adult
Taeniogonalos woodorum
, as is the case with the other ACG
Taeniogonalos
, is a Batesian and Mullerian mimic of
Polybia
wasps (
Vespidae
; abundant in ACG) in body size, color pattern, and flight/walking behavior.
Taeniogonalos woodorum
has been reared 97 times from 14 caterpillar families (
Arctiidae
,
Crambidae
,
Elachistidae
,
Geometridae
,
Hesperiidae
,
Lasiocampidae
,
Noctuidae
,
Notodontidae
,
Nymphalidae
,
Pyralidae
,
Saturniidae
,
Sphingidae
,
Thyrididae
,
Uraniidae
), parasitized by
Braconidae
(
Bassus
,
Dolichogenidea
,
Glyptapanteles
,
Meteorus
,
Stantonia
,
Zelomorpha
),
Ichneumonidae
(
Agrypon
,
Charops
,
Dusona
,
Eiphosoma
,
Hyposoter
,
Leurus
,
Microcharops
,
Xiphosomella
,
Zaglyptomorpha
) and Tachinidae (at least
Anoxynops
,
Agryrochaetona
,
Argyrophylax
,
Belvosia
,
Calolydella
,
Campylochaeta
,
Chrysotachina
,
Drino
,
Eucelatoria
,
Eujuriniodes
,
Eumea
,
Genea
,
Houghia
,
Hyphatrophaga
,
Lespesia
,
Patelloa
,
Phytomyptera
,
Winthemia
). The host caterpillars of these primary parasitoids may all be characterized as exposed leaf feeders (even these pa
rticular
species of leaf rollers and tiers,
Crambidae
,
Elachistidae
,
Pyralidae
,
Thyrididae
, venture out of their leaf-silk nests to feed on fully exposed leaf blades), and no one species dominates this diverse list. While it is evident that
Taeniogonalos woodorum
can develop in a very wide variety of host caterpillars and primary parasitoids, experience with other apparent
"generalists"
in the ACG inventory warns that when much larger sample sizes have accumulated, it may become evident that certain taxa and ecologies are either being avoided by ovipositing wasps or the eggs/larvae do not survive their tour in the host or primary parasitoid.
It remains a mystery as to why this hyperparasitoid remains microgeographically restricted to ACG rain forest and does not venture into the extensive adjacent dry forest with its many thousands of species of potential caterpillar and primary parasitoid hosts only a few hundred meters away. Indeed, there is a single record of
Taeniogonalos woodorum
(DHJPAR0016846) well into the microgeographic distribution of
Taeniogonalos
fasciatipennisDHJ02 (see below), emphasizing the parapatric nature of the distribution of these two species of
Taeniogonalos
. However, in remaining restricted to rain forest, it is representative of the thousands of other species of ACG
Lepidoptera
,
Hymenoptera
, and
Diptera
which are faithful to their respective ecosystems, even at the time when the intense six month rainy season turns the adjacent dry forest in a very wet ecosystem.