Aleiodes capillosus Townsend, 2009

Shimbori, Eduardo Mitio & Shaw, Scott Richard, 2014, Twenty-four new species of Aleiodes Wesmael from the eastern Andes of Ecuador with associated biological information (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae), ZooKeys 405, pp. 1-81 : 24-25

Aleiodes capillosus Townsend, 2009 Figure 2

Diagnosis.

Body length 5.6 mm; antenna with 42 segments; head color black, with small brown spot at gena; malar space 1.8 × basal width of mandible, ocelli small, ocell– ocular distance 2.0 × width of lateral ocellus; occipital carina completely absent; mesopleuron mostly smooth, epicnemial carina absent; apex of hind tibia without comb of flattened setae; propodeum smooth, without median carina; metasomal tergite 1 white with a black oval spot medially, reminder terga mostly black, laterally white; ovipositor sheaths about 2/3 of the hind basitarsus length.

Additional characters.

Last flagellomere lanceolate; mesoscutum with carina on posterior margin varying from present only in front of scutellar sulcus to completely absent; scutellar sulcus with one to five incomplete carina; fore wing vein 1M slightly to moderately curved at base; hind wing vein 2-1A present and relatively long, vein m-cu present and pigmented but never tubular, interstitial to vein r-m; ovipositor sheaths about 2/3 as long as hind basitarsus.

Morphological variation.

The non-type material fits well in original description, but most of the mummies are considerably lighter.

Material.

Type material examined. (UWIM)

Non-type material: 2 females and 2 males, ECUADOR, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, Napo Province, S00°35.9', W77°53.4', 2163 m; voucher numbers: ♀, YY-53697: Geometridae on Piper sp1 ( Piperaceae ) [probably collected as mummy]; ♂, YY-40671: Geometridae on Alnus acumiata ; ♀, YY-40675: Geometridae on Alnus acumiata ; ♂, YY-40655: Geometridae on Alnus acumiata .

Biology.

Aleiodes capillosus has been reared from unidentified Geometridae caterpillars on Diplazium vesiculosum ( Dryopteridaceae ). The non-type specimens were also reared from Geometridae , but on Alnus acumiata ( Betulaceae ) and Piper sp. ( Piperaceae ). Feeding on these plant species by the geometrid caterpillars is not confirmed.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality, YBS, Napo province, ECUADOR, at 2,163 meters elevation.

Discussion.

Aleiodes capillosus is very similar to Aleiodes marilynae sp. n. (for a discussion on distinguishing characters see discussion section under Aleiodes marilynae sp. n.). These are the only two species in the gressitti species-group from Neotropical Region. As well as the morphological similarities in the adult parasitoids, the host mummies of Aleiodes capillosus and Aleiodes marilynae are very similar. Both produce a relatively swollen mummy with a strongly shrunken thorax, where it is attached to a leaf or branch in a distinct angle.