A New Species ofAndesipolisWhitfield & Choi from the Eastern Andes of Ecuador with Notes on Biology and Classification (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rhysipolinae)

Abstract

A new species of braconid wasp, Andesipolis yanayacu, is described from the eastern Andes of Ecuador. Andesipolis yanayacu was reared as a gregarious koinobiont parasitoid of shelter building Pyralidae (Lepidoptera) larvae feeding on Urticaceae (Phenax rugosus and Boehmeria bullata). These are the first biological observations for the genus Andesipolis and the first species recorded from Ecuador. This is also the northern-most record for the genus as previously described species are from Chile. Based on morphological attributes and the newly discovered biology, Andesipolis is re-classified from the subfamily Mesostoinae into the subfamily Rhysipolinae.

Molecular phylogenetics of Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea), based on multiple nuclear genes, and implications for classification

“…However, recent molecular results suggested placement within Mesostoinae (Zaldivar‐Riverón et al , 2006). Townsend & Shaw (2009) refuted this placement and suggested Andesipolis belonged within Rhysipolinae. Similar to Zaldivar‐Riverón et al (2006), we recovered Andesipolis with other members of Mesostoinae in the concatenated analysis (Fig.…”

Zealastoa Quicke & Ward, gen. nov., a new basal cyclostome braconid wasp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from New Zealand

“…Currently, these genera are classified in the heterogeneous subfamily Mesostoinae (Shimbori et al 2017;Quicke et al 2019a). In South America, the Mesostoinae is speciose, occurs in a wide range of ecosystems and has a diverse range of hosts, gall-forming Cecidomyiidae or the larvae of semi-concealed (leaf-mining or leaf-rolling) Lepidoptera (Oda et al 2001;Townsend & Shaw 2009;Shimbori et al 2017). Recent research has shown that this clade also constitutes a considerable part of the New Zealand braconid wasp fauna (Quicke et al 2019a(Quicke et al , 2019b(Quicke et al , 2019c, but has previously received little taxonomic treatment.…”

Taxonomic revision of the New Zealand endemic parasitoid genus Rhyssaloides Belokobylskij, 1999 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

“…(Mystacinidae) (Belokobylskij, 2018). Andesipolis Whitfield & Choi, 2004 is associated with the larvae of semi-concealed, leaf-mining and leafrolling moths (Lepidoptera) (Townsend & Shaw 2009) and species of Neptihormius van van Achterberg & Berry, 2004 are known parasitoids of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera (van Achterberg & Berry, 2004;Quicke et al 2019c). Finally, the genera Rhyssaloides and Metaspathius Brues, 1922 are known as parasitoids of beetle larvae from the families Cerambycidae and Curculionidae (Muesebeck 1941;Quicke et al 2019a).…”