Gonatocerus triguttatus Girault, 1916

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2006, A key to the Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) egg parasitoids of proconiine sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in the Nearctic region, with description of two new species of Gonatocerus, Zootaxa 1203, pp. 1-38 : 22-24

Gonatocerus triguttatus Girault, 1916

( Fig. 20 )

Gonatocerus triguttatus Girault 1916: 297 –298.

Gonatocerus triguttatus Girault : Huber 1988: 55 –57 (lectotype designation, redescription, diagnosis, distribution); Triapitsyn and Phillips 2000: 201 –202 (distribution, first known host record from eggs of H. coagulata ); Triapitsyn, Bezark and Morgan 2002: 40 (distribution, host associations); Triapitsyn, Hoddle and Morgan 2002: 654 (distribution, host associations); Logarzo et al. 2004: 486 (distribution, host associations).

Type locality

Caroni, Trinidad Island, Trinidad and Tobago.

Material examined

ECUADOR. ZAMORA, Chinchire, Río Bombuscaro, 4.12°S, 78.98°W, 1100 m, 26.iv–4.vii.1986, P. Hibbs [1 female, CNCI]. MEXICO. NUEVO LEÓN, Monterrey, Ciudad Universitaria, 20.vii.1983, M.A. Rodríguez­Pérez [6 females, 6 males, UANL]. TAMAULIPAS: Gómez Farías: 26.iii.2001, D. Morgan, C. Pickett, S.M. Myartseva, A. Ríos (ex. eggs of Oncometopia sp. on an undetermined plant) [1 female, UCRC]; 26.iii.2001, D. Morgan, C. Pickett, S.M. Myartseva, A. Ríos (ex. eggs of Homalodisca sp. on coffee) [4 females, UCRC]; 23°02’56’’N, 99°09’24’’W, 13–15.iii.2003, S.V. Triapitsyn, E.Ya. Shouvakhina, S.N. Myartseva (ex.? Homalodisca sp. or? Oncometopia sp. on orange) [1 female, UCRC]. Llera de Canales, 23°19.023’N, 99°01.510’W, 26.iii.2005 (emerged 13.iv. 2005 in UCR quarantine), S.V. Triapitsyn (ex. H. coagulata eggs on orange leaf) [3 females, UCRC]. Municipio Hidalgo, near Ejido Benito Juárez, 24°01’20’’N, 99°16’08’’W, Hotel Hacienda Santa Engracia: 15.iv.2002 (emerged 1–2.v. 2002 in UCR quarantine), S.N. Myartseva (ex.? O. clarior egg mass on orange leaf) [3 females, 1 male, UCRC]. 12–14.iii.2003, S.V. Triapitsyn, E.Ya. Shouvakhina, S.N. Myartseva (ex.? Homalodisca sp. or? Oncometopia sp. on citrus leaf) [2 females, UCRC]. VERACRUZ: Tampico, 13.ii.2001, G. Simmons, A. Ríos (ex. Oncometopia sp. eggs on hibiscus leaf) [2 females, UCRC]. NICARAGUA. MASAYA, Las Flores, 12°00.208’N, 86°01.190’W, 410’ el., 16.iii.2004, M.S. Hoddle (ex. egg mass of a proconiine sharpshooter on avocado leaf) [2 females, 1 male, UCRC]. USA. CALIFORNIA, Riverside Co., Riverside, i.2002, D.J.W. Morgan et al. (from CDFA Mt. Rubidoux Field Station insectary colony on H. coagulata eggs, originally from Tamaulipas, Mexico) [10 females, 6 males, UCRC]. TEXAS: Brazos Co., College Station, Texas A&M University campus, 25.viii.2001, S.V. Triapitsyn, V.V. Berezovskiy (ex. H. coagulata eggs on crape myrtle) [7 females, 4 males, UCRC]. Cameron Co., Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary: 6.vii.1982, G. Gibson [1 female, CNCI]; 21.vii.1997, M.W. Gates [1 female, UCRC]. Hidalgo Co, Weslaco: 20.iii.2001, W.C. Warfield (ex. H. coagulata egg mass) [1 female, UCRC]; 4.iv.2001, W.C. Warfield (ex. H. coagulata eggs on Sophora sp. leaves) [1 female, 2 males, UCRC]; 9.iv.2001, W.C. Warfield (ex. H. coagulata eggs on Sophora secundiflora leaf) [2 females, UCRC]; 17.iv.2001, W.A. Jones (ex. H. coagulata egg mass on Sophora secundiflora ) [1 female, UCRC]; 21.iii.2005, J.H. de León et al. (from lab. colony on H. coagulata eggs) [3 females, 2 males, UCRC].

Diagnosis

The main distinguishing features of this species are as follows (mostly after Huber 1988). Body length (female) 1520–1880. Head and mesosoma of female generally yellow, gaster light yellow with brown bands on terga. Mesonotum of male slightly darker, with light brown or brown areas. Longitudinal sensilla present on all funicle segments (F1–F8) of the female antenna. Submedial carinae on the propodeum thick, distinct, reaching the dorsellum. Wings hyaline; cubital row of microtrichia on forewing blade complete, extending to base of marginal vein. Habitus of the female is shown in Fig. 20 . Gonatocerus triguttatus is closely related to G. uat S. Triapitsyn and G. ashmeadi Girault (see cladogram in Triapitsyn et al. 2006).

Distribution

Ecuador (new record), Mexico, Nicaragua (new record), Peru ( Logarzo et al. 2004), Trinidad and Tobago, USA (Florida, Texas). Introduced into California against H. coagulata (initially from Tamaulipas, Mexico and then from Texas) and established there ( Morgan et al. 2000; Morgan et al. 2002; Triapitsyn, Bezark and Morgan 2002; Pilkington et al. 2005).

Hosts

Homalodisca coagulata (Say) , H. liturata Ball (under laboratory conditions and also likely in the field following introduction into southern California), Oncometopia clarior (Walker) , O. nigricans (Walker) , Oncometopia sp., and Pseudometopia amblardii (Signoret) or P. phalaesia (Distant) . Some aspects of the biology of G. triguttatus were studied by Irvin and Hoddle (2004; 2005a, b).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Gonatocerus triguttatus (female). Photo by Jack Kelly Clark, University of California.