Trichogramma atopovirilia Oatman & Platner, 1983

Querino, Ranyse B. & Zucchi, Roberto A., 2019, Annotated checklist and illustrated key to the species of Trichogramma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) from South America, Zootaxa 4656 (2), pp. 201-231 : 204-205

Trichogramma atopovirilia Oatman & Platner, 1983

Diagnosis. Genital capsule broad; volsellae swollen, with accentuated lateral constriction; tubular ventral processes joined to intervolsellar process, dorsal ridge undeveloped (dorsal view) on midline of genital capsule; dorsal lamina short, with no distinct posterior extension.

Comments. This species is similar to T. acacioi , as both species have a similar genital-capsule shape; in T. atopovirilia , the volsellae are strongly constricted apically and have tubular ventral processes. According to Zucchi & Monteiro (1977), T. caiaposi Brun, Moraes & Soares is a junior synonym of T. atopovirilia .

Type repository. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. (holotype and paratypes).

Type locality. Sololá, Guatemala.

Distribution in South America. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

Hosts. This species has been recorded from seven different hosts, mostly lepidopterans of economic importance ( Zucchi et al. 2010). It was first reared from parasitized Vanessa sp. eggs ( Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae ) on a species of Malvaceae from Guatemala. It was recorded on Helicoverpa zea and Spodoptera frugiperda in corn fields in Brazil ( Zucchi & Monteiro 1994). Trichogramma atopovirilia has also been reared on factitious hosts, for biological control of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ) ( Morales et al. 2004; Melo et al. 2007; Dias et al. 2010). In Brazil, Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) and Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) ( Lepidoptera : Pyralidae ) have been shown to be the most suitable factitious hosts for mass rearing ( Parra et al. 2015).