Lathrapanteles heleios Williams, 1985

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L, 2014, Towards the conservation of parasitoid wasp species in Canada: Preliminary assessment of Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Biodiversity Data Journal 2, pp. 1067-1067 : 1067

Lathrapanteles heleios Williams, 1985

Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 2; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Aylmer West; Event: eventDate: 24-31.viii.1972; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 2; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Leeds-Grenville County forest; verbatimLatitude: 44.6288; verbatimLongitude: -76.359; Event: eventDate: 1.x.2008; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 2; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Mer Blue, Ottawa; Event: eventDate: 10.vi.1975; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 5; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Ottawa, city garden; verbatimLatitude: 45.3561; verbatimLongitude: -75.707; Event: eventDate: 1.ix.2007; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 1; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Spencerville; Event: eventDate: 15.viii.1978; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC

Distribution

Figs 15, 16

Since the original description ( Williams 1985) this species is known to be distributed in southern Ontario (Ontario, Mer Blue, and Spencerville). Here additional specimens recently collected are reported from two new localities in the same region (Ottawa city garden, and Leeds-Grenville County forest). Altogether, 43 specimens are deposited in the CNC, comprising 100% of the global range of the species. The genus Lathrapanteles has three described species in the Nearctic and one in the Neotropics, but Lathrapanteles heleios is the only Canadian endemic, and the species with the most restricted distribution within the genus. Nothing is known about the hosts caterpillars parasitized by this braconid wasp.

Conservation

Assessment using the prioritization criteria developed by COSEWIC. Existing global conservation status: None (species is not listed on Natureserve nor has it been assigned a Canadian national conservation status rank). Canadian population size and trends: No information on population size is available, but the species has been collected over a span of 33 years, usually on early July (but ranging from June to early October). Threats: Residential and commercial development - medium to high (some of the areas where the species occur in Canada are already heavily populated); Agriculture and aquaculture - unknown; Human intrusions and disturbance - medium; Natural system modifications - high (alteration of the natural areas currently protected would likely extirpate the species from Canada); Invasive and other problematic species and genes - unknown but likely low, unless another wasp species parasitizing the same host would be introduced (and then competing for the same host, an scenario not likely to occur); Climate change and severe weather - unknown. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Recorded from a few localities in southern Ontario. Limiting biological factors: Unknown.