Reclassification of Bracon mendocinus, a gall‐associated doryctine wasp, and description of a new closely related species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract

One of the first reported gall-associated braconids, from 1910, Bracon mendocinus Kieffer and Jö rgensen, is removed from the subfamily Braconinae and transferred to the doryctine genus Allorhogas, A. mendocinus (Kieffer and Jö rgensen) comb. nov. A new species morphologically similar to A. mendocinus, A. joergenseni Martinez and Zaldivar-Riveró n sp. nov., is also described. Additionally a neotype is designated for B. mendocinus Kieffer and Jö rgensen. We base our conclusions on the morphological examination of recently collected specimens from central Argentina associated with galls on Lycium chilense (Solanaceae), as well as on the DNA variation at 28S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial DNA genes.

New species of Allorhogas Gahan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared from galls on Lycium cestroides Schltdl. (Solanaceae) in Argentina

“…This is the second record for the genus of a species associated with galls on representatives of the plant family Solanaceae, after the recent rediscovery of Allorhogas mendocinus (Kieffer & Jörgensen) (originally described as Bracon mendocinus ) from galls on Lycium chilense Bert. (Martínez et al . 2008).…”

“…(2005) catalogued 28 species in the genus, mostly from the New World. Since then, five species have been described or reclassified in Allorhogas (Martínez et al . 2008; Penteado‐Dias & Carvalho 2008; Chavarría et al .…”

“…Recently, Yu et al (2005) catalogued 28 species in the genus, mostly from the New World. Since then, five species have been described or reclassified in Allorhogas (Martínez et al 2008;Penteado-Dias & Carvalho 2008;Chavarría et al 2009;Centrella & Shaw 2010), raising the number of described species to 32, excluding Heterospilus desantisi (Monetti) (Aquino et al 2010).…”

Systematics and evolution of gall formation in the plant‐associated genera of the wasp subfamily Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

“…Allorhogas is one of the most speciose doryctine genera in the Neotropics perhaps only after Heterospilus and Notiospathius . This neglected genus is currently receiving more attention, and several new species have been described during the last decade (Martínez et al , ; Penteado‐Dias & de Carvalho, ; Chavarría et al , ; Centrella & Shaw, , ; Martínez et al , ; Martínez & Zaldívar‐Riverón, ). These and previous studies (e.g.…”

Three new species of gall-associated Allorhogas wasps from Costa Rica (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae)

“…Later, two more species of Allorhogas from Brazil were found to form galls in the seeds of Fabaceae (Marsh et al, 2000): A. brasiliensis Marsh on Balizia pedicellaris (Dc.) Allorhogas mendocinus (Kieffer & Jö rgensen) was hypothesized to be a bud gall inducer on Lycium chilense Miers ex Bertero (Solanaceae) in Argentina, although more data are necessary (Martinez et al, 2008). In Costa Rica, Allorhogas argentinus Marsh is known to make galls in the seeds of Abarema macradenia (Pittier) Barneby & Grimes (cited as Pithecellobium), and Allorhogas hansoni Marsh is associated with Inga vera Willd.…”