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Submitted to: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/4/2013 Publication Date: 8/1/2013 Citation: Kula, R.R. 2013. A new brachypterous species of Heterospilus Haliday (Braconidae: Doryctinae) from the Neotropical Region. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 33:83-90. Interpretive Summary: Parasitic wasps attack insects that cause billions of dollars of damage to crops and forests annually. The wasp species treated in this paper likely attacks wood-boring beetle larvae based on host use for closely related species. Increased knowledge of this wasp is essential for understanding its role in regulating wood-boring beetle populations. One wasp species new to science is named, described, and differentiated from morphologically similar species. It is the first flightless species of this genus from the Neotropical Region and the fourth worldwide. This paper will be useful to scientists conducting research on this wasp and its likely beetle host(s). Technical Abstract: A new species, Heterospilus michaeli Kula, from the Neotropical Region is described and differentiated from all other New World species of Doryctinae with brachypterous or apterous individuals. It is the first species of Heterospilus Haliday in the Neotropical Region known to exhibit brachyptery and the fourth described brachypterous species of Heterospilus worldwide. Errors and omissions in a recently published article on brachypterous and apterous doryctines in the New World are corrected. |
