Revision of the neotropical genus Sendaphne Nixon (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae)

Abstract

The Neotropical genus of parasitoid wasps Sendaphne (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) is revised and the following six new species are described, all authored by Fernández-Triana and Whitfield: anitae, bennetti, broadi, dianariaspennae, penteadodiasae, and rogerblancoi. The greatest species richness is found in northern South America, but the genus extends north to 23° N in Mexico. Most species have been collected in rainforest below altitudes of 900 m, with only a few species found in cloud forests up to 1900 m. Nothing is known of the host caterpillars for these parasitoid wasps.

Revision of the genus Promicrogaster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with a key to all species previously described from Mesoamerica

“…Around 40% of the species were found at low-mid elevation (0-500 m) whereas almost 60% of the species were collected at altitudes over 1,000 m. This strongly contrasts with the closely related genus Sendaphne, which has been mostly found at altitudes between 100-900 m with just a few species found in cloud forests (Fernandez-Triana et al 2014d). …”

“…These characters follow a recent revision of the related genus Sendaphne (Fernandez-Triana et al 2014d), so as to facilitate future comparisons between species in those two genera.…”

“…Within Microgastrinae, it can only be confused with Sendaphne, but the later has a much less transverse mediotergite 2, the apex of ovipositor is not sinuate, the propodeum is entirely or mostly smooth, and the first discal cell is much wider (e.g., Fernandez-Triana et al 2014d). …”

Two new species and distribution records for the genus Bohayella Belokobylskij, 1987 from Costa Rica (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cardiochilinae)

“…nov. collected at a low altitude of 100 m (Figs 3F, 4B). The melanism associated with high elevation was confirmed not only in braconid wasps such as members of the genus Sendaphne Nixon, 1965 (Nixon 1965) (Fernandez-Triana et al 2014 and Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael, 1835) (Abe et al 2013), but also in other hymenopteran insects such as members of a vespid species, Agelaia pallipes (Olivier, 1792) (de Souza et al 2020) as well as an undescribed scelionid species of Lapitha Ashmead, 1893 (Mora and Hanson 2019). According to Abe et al (2013), emerged adults of M. pulchricornis were more melanistic when cocoons were reared at lower temperatures, and the effects of the melanism resulted in increasing body temperatures and improved flight ability of adult M. pulchricornis.…”

Revision of the North American species of Promicrogaster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae), with an updated key to all described species in North and Meso America

“…It is a very distinctive genus defined by the combination of elongate and bilobate glossa, large polished areas on lateral face of scutellum, and ovipositor shape and length. Within Microgastrinae, it can only be confused with Sendaphne, but the later has a much less transverse mediotergite 2, the apex of the ovipositor is not sinuate, the propodeum is entirely or mostly smooth, and the first discal cell is much wider (e.g., Fernández-Triana et al 2014b).…”