Paroplitis beringianus Mason, 1981

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

Paroplitis beringianus Mason, 1981

Materials

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 1; sex: female; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: British Columbia; verbatimLocality: Liard Hot Springs; verbatimElevation: 450 m; Event: eventDate: 9-10.vii.1959; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jose Fernandez-Triana; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Location: country: Canada; stateProvince: Yukon Territory; verbatimLocality: Top of the World Highway, km 82; verbatimLatitude: 64°05.411'N; verbatimLongitude: 140°57.048'W; Event: eventDate: 19.vii.2006; Record Level: institutionCode: CNC

Distribution

Figs 19, 20

This species is endemic of Alaska (United States), British Columbia and Yukon (Canada) ( Fernandez-Triana et al. 2013, Mason 1981). New data on the distribution of the species and photos were published recently ( Fernandez-Triana et al. 2013). The Canadian localities (British Columbia, Liard Hot Springs; Yukon Territory, Top of the World Highway, km 82, specimens deposited in the CNC) comprise 50% of the global range of the species. Paroplitis beringianus is the only known species of the genus Paroplitis in the New World. 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. Threats: Residential and commercial development - low (areas where the species occur in Canada are not 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 medium; Climate change and severe weather - unknown, but likely to be high because the species is found in relatively fragile Arctic or sub-Arctic environments. Small extent of occurrence or area of occupancy: Recorded from a few localities in northwestern Canada. Limiting biological factors: Unknown.