Meteorus margarita Jones

Jones, Guinevere Z. & Shaw, Scott R., 2012, Ten new species of Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Ecuador reared at the Yanayacu Biological Center for Creative Studies, Zootaxa 3547, pp. 1-23 : 12-14

Meteorus margarita Jones , new species

( Figs 28–33 )

Holotype Female. Body length 5.0 mm; fore wing length 4.0 mm.

Body color: Head black with mostly black face, yellowish marks on ventral portion, roundish area of yellow centered in the face below the antennal sockets; antennae dark brown; mandibles light yellow; palpi cream; fore- and mid-coxae cream; hind coxae cream anteriorly, dark brown posteriorly; fore- and mid- tibia pale yellow; hind femur cream; hind tibia brown; mesosoma dark yellow dorsally; mesosoma light yellow laterally; propodeum and metasoma black dorsally; wings dark brown with dark brown venation; tergites one and two black; ovipositor light brown with brown sheath.

Head: Antenna with 31 flagellomeres; flagellar length/width ratios as follows: F1 = 3.0, F2 = 3.0, F3 = 2.5, F29 = 2.0, F30 = 2.0, F31 = 2.8; ocelli large, OCOD /OCD ratio of 1.3; eyes nearly parallel with face maximum width minimum to minimum width ratio of 1.1, eyes large with head height 1.3 X eye height; minimum face width to clypeus width ratio 1.1; malar space 2.7 X mandible width; mandibles strongly twisted; clypeus finely rugose longitudinally; face and frons smooth; complete occipital carina in a distinct upside-down “v” shape.

Mesosoma: Slightly defined mesonotal lobes with lightly foveolate notauli ( Fig. 32 ); pronotum, mesopleuron smooth, sternaulus lightly carinate; metapleuron smooth; propodeum rugose.

Legs: Finely rugose hind coxae; simple tarsal claw.

Wings: Vein r 0.8´vein 3 RSa; absence of (RS + M)b at 2RS insertion.

Metasoma: Ovipositor short, roughly the same length as tergum one; tergum one lightly costate laterally ( Fig. 33 ).

Variation of paratype females. Body length 4.7–5.1 mm; flagellomeres 30–31.

Variation of paratype males. Body length 5.0– 5.5 mm; antennal flagellomeres 31–32; darker anteriorly; basal medial pits on apical tergites.

Cocoon ( Fig. 30 ). Brown; ovoid; moderately baled with silk; body 5.0 mm long; cap 1.5 mm long.

Material examined.

Holotype female: Ecuador: Napo Province, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with database number YY #28552, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 24 November 2007, Yanayacu Road, parasitoid pupation and adult wasp emergence dates unknown, host caterpillar Amastus nr. vitripennis (Arctiidae) , associated plant Chusquea scandens (Poaceae) . Deposited in UWIM.

Paratypes: Ecuador: Napo Province, 2 females, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station database number YY #25609, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 27 August 2007, Yanayacu Road, parasitoid pupated 6 September 2007, adult wasps emerged 21 October 2007, host caterpillar Amastus nr. vitripennis (Arctiidae) , associated plant Chusquea scandens (Poaceae) ; 8 females, database number YY #39586, collected 21 June 2009, Yanayacu Road, dates of parasitoid pupation 24 June 2009, adults emerged 17 July 2009, host caterpillar Amastus nr. vitripennis (Arctiidae) , associated plant Diplazium costale var robustum (Dryopteridaceae) . 5 males, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with the database number YY #28552, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 24 November 2007, Yanayacu Road, parasitoid pupation and adult wasp emergence dates unknown, host caterpillar Amastus nr. vitripennis (Arctiidae) , associated plant Chusquea scandens (Poaceae) ; 5 males, database number YY #39586, collected 21 June 2009, Yanayacu Road, dates of parasitoid pupation 24 June 2009, adults emerged 17 July 2009, host caterpillar Amastus nr. vitripennis (Arctiidae) , associated plant Diplazium costale var robustum (Dryopteridaceae) . Deposited in UWIM.

Distribution. Known only from the type localities in Napo Province, Ecuador.

Biology. Meteorus margarita is a gregarious species attacking arctiid larvae commonly known as “linda mezclada”, but specifically are Amastus nr. vitripennis Hampson ( Fig. 31 ). A small number of wasp larvae (6) from the later rearing (YY #28552), emerge from the host and then pupate into adults. From the earlier rearing, there were 6 cocoons, but only 2 adults emerged from their cocoons. This caterpillar host was found feeding on the native bamboo, Chusquea scandens (Poaceae) .

Etymology. The Latin word margarita means “pearl” and is such named for the pearl-like spot directly below the antennal sockets on the face ( Fig. 29 ).

Comments. It is unusual to have such distinctive and striking coloration changes such as these: black, orange, yellow and white, all on one adult parasitoid. In regards to biology, this is the first record on Meteorus parasitizing this particular caterpillar.

Meteorus margarita is most similar to both M. imaginatus and M. zitaniae with large eyes and ocelli and the absence of the (RS + M)b vein at the 2RS insertion point, but M. margarita can be differentiated from these two by a black head, upside-down “v” shaped occipital carina, and a short ovipositor. Both M. imaginatus and M. zitaniae have long ovipositors, heads that are not black, and a circular occipital carina.

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 31. 28. — Lateral habitus of Meteorus margarita, new species: holotype female; 29. — Face of Meteorus margarita, new species: holotype female; 30. — Cocoon of Meteorus margarita, new species; 31. — Host caterpillar of Meteorus margarita, new species: Amastus nr. vitripennis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae).

FIGURES 32, 33. 32. — Scanning electron micrograph of Meteorus margarita, new species: dorsal view of mesosoma (120 x); 33. — Scanning electron micrograph of Meteorus margarita, new species: dorsal view of tergite one (120 x), showing sculpturing.