Minimalist revision of Mesochorus Gravenhorst, 1829 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae) from Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with 158 new species and host records for 129 species

Authors: SHARKEY, M - University Of Kentucky; BAKER, AUSTIN - University Of Memphis; MCCLUSKEY, KATHRYN - University Of Pennsylvania; SMITH, ALEX - University Of Guelph; NAIK, SURESH - University Of Guelph; RATNASINGHAM, SUJEEVAN - University Of Guelph; MANJUNATH, RAMYA - University Of Guelph; PEREZ, KATE - University Of Guelph; SONES, JAYME - University Of Guelph; D'SOUZA, MICHELLE - University Of Guelph; ST. JACQUES, BRIANNE - University Of Guelph; HAJIBABAEI, M - University Of Guelph; WHITFIELD, J - University Of Illinois; ARIAS, DIANA - University Of Illinois; Goldstein, Paul; Solis, Maria; Metz, Mark; BURNS, J - Smithsonian Institute; ZUNIGA, RONALD - Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund; PHILLIPS-RODRIGUEZ, E - National Museum Of Costa Rica; ESPINOZA, BERNARDO - Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund; CHACON, ISIDRO - Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund; HEBERT, PD - University Of Guelph; HALLWACHS, W - University Of Pennsylvania; JANZEN, D - University Of Pennsylvania

Submitted to: ZooKeys
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Wasps in the family Ichneumonidae are parasitoids of other insects including other species in the same superfamily that are, themselves, parasitoids of moths and butterflies (i.e., hyperparasitoids). This paper reports the discovery and description of 158 new hyperparasitoid species of Ichneumonidae from the Guanacaste Conservation Area in northwestern Costa Rica. This study employed a novel DNA-barcode approach to species delimitation to expedite availability of scientific information. Each species is documented with photographs of specimens and a diagnostic DNA sequence. This information will be useful to researchers working on the classification of ichneumonid wasps, biologists using DNA only for species delimitation, and biologists that need to identify these wasps for biological control of moth pests.

Technical Abstract: One hundred and fifty-eight species of Costa Rican Mesochorus new to science are described. Most of these records have host primary parasitoid, host caterpillar, and food plant records; all are believed to be new to science. The following new species are diagnosed primarily using COI DNA barcode data, a suite of images and corroboration with host biology; Sharkey is the authority for all: Mesochorus uno, M. dos, M. tres, M. cuatro, M. cinco, M. seis, M. siete, M. ocho, M. nueve, M. unocero, M. unouno, M. unodos, M. unotres, M. unocuatro, M. unocinco, M. unoseis, M. unosiete, M. unoocho, M. unonueve, M. doscero, M. dosuno, M. dosdos, M. dostres, M. doscuatro, M. doscinco, M. dosseis, M. dossiete, M. dosocho, M. dosnueve, M. trescero, M. tresuno, M. tresdos, M. trestres, M. trescuatro, M. trescinco, M. tresseis, M. tressiete, M. tresocho, M. tresnueve, M. cuatrocero, M. cuatrouno, M. cuatrodos, M. cuatrotres, M. cuatrocuatro, M. cuatrocinco, M. cuatroseis, M. cuatrosiete, M. cuatroocho, M. cuatronueve, M. cincocero, M. cincouno, M. cincodos, M. cincotres, M. cincocuatro, M. cincocinco, M. cincoseis, M. cincosiete, M. cincoocho, M. cinconueve, M. seiscero, M. seisuno, M. seisdos, M. seistres, M. seiscuatro, M. seiscinco, M. seisseis, M. seissiete, M. seisocho, M. seisnueve, M. sietecero, M. sieteuno, M. sietedos, M. sietetres, M. sietecuatro, M. sietecinco, M. sieteseis, M. sietesiete, M. sieteocho, M. sietenueve, M. ochocero, M. ochouno, M. ochodos, M. ochotres, M. ochocuatro, M. ochocinco, M. ochoseis, M. ochosiete, M. ochoocho, M. ochonueve, M. nuevecero, M. nueveuno, M. nuevedos, M. nuevetres, M. nuevecuatro, M. nuevecinco, M. nueveseis, M. nuevesiete, M. nueveocho, M. nuevenueve, M. unocerocero, M. unocerouno, M. unocerodos, M. unocerotres, M. unocerocuatro, M. unocerocinco, M. unoceroseis, M. unocerosiete, M. unoceroocho, M. unoceronueve, M. unounocero, M. unounouno, M. unounodos, M. unounotres, M. unounocuatro, M. unounocinco, M. unounoseis, M. unounosiete, M. unounoocho, M. unounonueve, M. unodoscero, M. unodosuno, M. unodosdos, M. unodostres, M. unodoscuatro, M. unodoscinco, M. unodosseis, M. unodossiete, M. unodosocho, M. unodosnueve, M. unotrescero, M. unotresuno, M. unotresdos, M. unotrestres, M. unotrescuatro, M. unotrescinco, M. unotresseis, M. unotressiete, M. unotresocho, M. unotresnueve, M. unocuatrocero, M. unocuatrouno, M. unocuatrodos, M. unocuatrotres, M. unocuatrocuatro, M. unocuatrocinco, M. unocuatroseis, M. unocuatrosiete, M. unocuatroocho, M. unocuatronueve, M. unocincocero, M. unocincouno, M. unocincodos, M. unocincotres, M. unocincocuatro, M. unocincocinco, M. unocincoseis, M. unocincosiete, M. unocincoocho.