Revision of the genus Pseudapanteles (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae), with emphasis on the species in Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica
Author
Fernandez-Triana, Jose L.
Author
Janzen, Daniel H.
Author
Hallwachs, Winnie
Author
Whitfield, James B.
Author
Smith, M. Alex
Author
Kula, Robert
text
ZooKeys
2014
446
1
82
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.446.8195
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.446.8195
1313-2970-446-1
6EECF6D3C26B4844B6E13E72695297F7
Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae
Pseudapanteles ruficollis (Cameron, 1911)
Figs 166- 168
Xanthomicrogaster ruficollis
Cameron, 1911: 325 (original description).
Apanteles ruficollis
: Wilkinson 1930: 281 (revised combination).
Pseudapanteles ruficollis
:
Mason 1981
: 86 (revised combination).
Lectotype.
♀ in BMNH (examined). GUYANA, no other locality or date information. Here we designate, to increase nomenclatural stability, a lectotype from the syntype series (which includes 4 ♀ and 4 ♂ all glued on the same card, with voucher code: "B.M. Type HYM. 3.c.985"). The lectotype is the female positioned at the lower row, left corner of the card (Figs 166, 168). The paralectotypes are conspecific with the lectotype.
Other material examined.
24 ♀, 11 ♂ (CNC, NMNH). COSTA RICA, ACG, Alajuela Province, Sector Rincon Rain Forest, Estacion Llanura, 135m, 10.93332, -85.25331. ACG database codes: DHJPAR0026267, DHJPAR0047117, DHJPAR0047133, DHJPAR0052908, DHJPAR0053737, DHJPAR0053754, DHJPAR0053787, 11-SRNP-76958, 13-SRNP-76587.
Diagnosis.
It belongs to the
annulicornis
species-group, and can be separated from other species within that group based on a combination of all flagellomeres brown, T2 light brown, metatibia yellow with posterior 0.1-0.2 dark brown to black, metatarsus dark brown to black, pterostigma pale with thin brown margins, and ovipositor sheaths 0.9
x
as long as metatibia.
Description.
Female. Body length 2.4-2.5 mm or 2.6-2.7 mm. Fore wing length 2.6-2.7 mm. Head color: mostly dark brown to black; except for orange on most of frons and face, and yellow clypeus, labrum, mandibles, and spot on lower corner of gena near oral foramen. Flagellomere color: all flagellomere brown to black. Mesosoma color: mostly orange, with parts or all of propodeum, metapleuron, metascutellum, and axillar complex brown to black. Metasoma color (dorsally): mostly dark brown to black, except for yellow-orange anterior 0.4-0.6 of mediotergite 1. Coxae color: all pale. Metatibia color: mostly pale, with posterior 0.1-0.2 dark. Metatarsus color: dark. Pterostigma color: pale, with thin dark margins. Mediotergite 1 length/width at posterior margin 3.6-4.0 x, rarely 3.1-3.5
x
or 4.1-4.5
x
. Mediotergite 1 maximum width/width at posterior margin 2.5-2.6
x
, 2.7-2.8
x
, rarely 2.9-3.0
x
. Mediotergite 2 width at posterior margin/length: 3.8-3.9
x
or 4.0-4.1
x
. Mediotergite 2 sculpture: Mostly smoth and polished. Ovipositor sheaths length: 0.9
x
as long as metatibia.
Male. Much darker coloration than female, especially on anteromesoscutum, propodeum, metacoxa, and metasoma.
Molecular data.
Sequences in BOLD: 5, barcode compliant sequences: 5.
Biology/ecology.
Hosts:
Desmia ufeus
,
Desmia
spp. with interim names Janzen18 and Janzen19;
Spoladea recurvalis
(
Crambidae
).
Distribution.
Cuba, Costa Rica (ACG), Guyana.
Comments.
The syntype series (from Guyana) is morphologically indistinguishable from the ACG specimens, so we treat them as conspecific. The description provided above is based on ACG specimens. All specimens of
Pseudapanteles ruficollis
in ACG have been reared from three species of
Desmia
caterpillars feeding on
Vitaceae
. In ACG, this wasp has not been reared from
Spoladea recurvalis
(
Crambidae
), the host reported for its rearing in Guyana, despite more than 190 rearing records for ACG
Spoladea recurvalis
(that produced no microgastrine braconids). This moth is host-specific to
Amaranthaceae
herbs, and no
Desmia
have been reared from any of the thousands of caterpillar rearing records from ACG
Amaranthaceae
. However, adult
Spoladea
are black with white spots, as are
Desmia
, and are frequently misidentified as "a species of
Desmia
". It is very likely that the Guyana record of
Pseudapanteles ruficollis
is actually a rearing from a batch of
Desmia
caterpillars, since the caterpillar that produced the wasps obviously could not be directly identified from an adult.