Revision of North American Aleiodes (Part 9): the pallidator (Thunberg) species-group with description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Rogadinae)
Author
Shaw, Scott R.
Author
Marsh, Paul M.
Author
Talluto, Miranda A.
text
Zootaxa
2013
3608
3
204
214
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3608.3.4
af3c70c9-2441-48b5-a1ce-e2ae776b1ddc
1175-5326
224000
A185558F-DD40-4C25-AA5D-D1058FC1B901
ALEIODES PALLIDATOR
SPECIES-GROUP
Included Species
:
pallidator
(Thunberg) 1822
, Europe, introduced into North
America
;
lymantriae
(Watanabe) 1937
, new combination,
Japan
, introduced into North
America
;
indiscretus
(Reardon) 1970
, new combination,
India
, introduced into North
America
;
martini
new species
, Florida;
xanthoclypeus
new species
,
Canada
and northern
U.S.A.
Distinguishing Characters
. Eyes and ocelli large (
Figs 1
,
6
,
10
,
13
,
18
), diameter of lateral ocellus greater than ocell-ocular distance, lateral ocellus width usually at least
2x
wider than ocell-ocular distance; malar space shorter than basal width of mandible (
Figs 5
,
9
,
17
); hind wing vein RS sinuate (
Figs 4
,
16
), marginal cell narrowest in middle or near apical 2/3 distance from wing base; tarsal claws either entirely pectinate (
Fig. 12
) or with strong pre-apical spines along base of claw (
Fig. 3
); koinobiont parasitoids of
Lymantriidae
caterpillars (
Figs 23–28
).
Comments
. The
pallidator
species-group was defined and discussed by Fortier and Shaw (1999). Species of this group are seldom collected as commonly as those of many other
Aleiodes
species-groups; however, they are very distinctive because of their exceptionally large ocelli (
Figs 1
,
6
,
10
,
13
,
18
). This is a small group of species, most of which are known to attack
Lymantriidae
caterpillars (
Figs 23–28
). Three Old World species have been released in North
America
as potential biological control agents for the gypsy moth (
Fig. 24
).