Apanteles samarshalli Fernandez-Triana , 2010

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

Apanteles samarshalli Fernandez-Triana, 2010

Materials

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 1; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Rondeau Provincial Park; Event: samplingProtocol: Malaise trap; eventDate: 19.viii-11.ix.1973; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC Type status: Other material. Occurrence: individualCount: 1; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: Point Pelee National Park, Cactus Field, Cedar/Savannah; verbatimElevation: 168 m; verbatimLatitude: 41.939; verbatimLongitude: -82.516; Event: eventDate: 5-12.ix.2012; Record Level: collectionID: BIOUG03931-F03; institutionCode: BIO Type status: Other material. Occurrence: individualCount: 1; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: near Brockville; verbatimElevation: 112 m; verbatimLatitude: 44.621; verbatimLongitude: -75.773; Event: eventDate: 10.vi.2010; Record Level: collectionID: BIOUG01035-G03; institutionCode: BIO Type status: Other material. Occurrence: individualCount: 2; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: near Brockville; verbatimElevation: 112 m; verbatimLatitude: 44.621; verbatimLongitude: -75.773; Event: eventDate: 28.vii.2010; Record Level: collectionID: BIOUG01035-G03; institutionCode: BIO Type status: Other material. Occurrence: individualCount: 1; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: near Brockville; verbatimElevation: 112 m; verbatimLatitude: 44.621; verbatimLongitude: -75.773; Event: eventDate: 18.vi.2010; Record Level: collectionID: BIOUG01035-G03; institutionCode: BIO Type status: Other material. Occurrence: individualCount: 1; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: near Brockville; verbatimElevation: 112 m; verbatimLatitude: 44.621; verbatimLongitude: -75.773; Event: eventDate: 3.viii.2010; Record Level: collectionID: BIOUG01035-G03; institutionCode: BIO Type status: Other material. Occurrence: individualCount: 2; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Ontario; verbatimLocality: near Brockville; verbatimElevation: 112 m; verbatimLatitude: 44.621; verbatimLongitude: -75.773; Event: eventDate: 5.viii.2010; Record Level: collectionID: BIOUG01035-G03; institutionCode: BIO

Distribution

Figs 3, 4

The distribution of this species was originally reported from southern Canada (Rondeau Provincial Park) to the Florida keys in the United States ( Fernandez-Triana 2010). Subsequent work has expanded the known range towards tropical areas such as Mexico ( Fernández-Flores et al. 2013) and Costa Rica ( Fernandez-Triana et al. 2014). Canada remains as the northern limit, representing less than 5% of the global range of the species. Until now only a single female specimen, collected in 1973 in Rondeau Provincial Park, was known from Canada ( Fernandez-Triana 2010); here additional specimens are reported from two new localities (Ontario, Point Pelee National Park and Brockville, specimens deposited in BIO). The new records, all from 2012, confirm the current presence of Apanteles samarshalli in Canada, significantly expand the distribution of the species in southern Ontario, and slightly expand its northern range up to 45°N. Nothing is known about the hosts caterpillars parasitized by Apanteles samarshalli , but most of the specimens have been collected in hammock forests, and most of the known localities share in common the presence of oaks trees (genus Quercus ) or cedar ( Juniperus , Cupressus ).

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. 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 but likely low (climate change increasing the temperatures would not affect much the presence of this species in Canada, because it is already distributed in warmer areas). Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Recorded from a few localities in southern Ontario. Limiting biological factors: Unknown.