Five new species of the genera Heerz Marsh, Lissopsius Marsh and Ondigus Braet, Barbalho and van Achterberg (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from the Chamela-Cuixmala biosphere reserve in Jalisco, Mexico

Five new species belonging to the poorly known Neotropical doryctine parasitoid wasps genera Heerz Marsh (H. ecmahla sp. n. and H. macrophthalma sp. n.), Lissopsius Marsh (L. pacificus sp. n. and L. jalisciensis sp. n.) and Ondigus Braet, Barbalho & van Achterberg (O. cuixmalensis sp. n.) are described from the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere reserve in Jalisco, Mexico. Keys to the described species of the above three genera are provided. The phylogenetic placement of the examined taxa is investigated based on mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (28S, 2nd and 3rd domain regions) DNA sequence data.Fil: Zaldivar Riverón, Alejandro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Ceccarelli, Fadia Sara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Shaw, Scott R.. University of Wyoming; Estados Unido

The genus Iare Barbalho and Penteado-Dias (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) in Mexico, with the description of two new species

Dos especies nuevas del género de doryctinos Iare, I. mexicanus sp. nov. y I. cheguevarai sp. nov., se describen genética y morfologicamente de un bosque tropical caducifolio en Jalisco, México. Iare belokobylskiji Marsh es registrada también para la misma región. Estas especies representan los registros más norteños en la distribución del género. Un análisis bayesiano simultaneo empleando secuencias de ADN de los genes COI y 28S reconstruyó un árbol con las tres especies examinadas de Iare dentro de un mismo clado, aunque con un soporte bajo. Este género aparece dentro de un clado mayor representado por doryctinos del Neotrópico como grupo hermano de un subclado con las especies de los géneros Callihormius Ashmead, Leluthia Cameron, Histeromeroides Marsh and Panama Marsh.Two new species of the doryctine genus Iare, I. mexicanus sp. nov. and I. cheguevarai sp. nov., are genetically and morphologically described from a tropical dry forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Iare belokobylskiji Marsh is also reported for the latter region. These species represent the northernmost distribution records for the genus. A simultaneous Bayesian analysis with COI and 28S DNA sequence data recovered the three examined species of Iare within a single clade, though with low support. This genus appears nested within a large doryctine Neotropical clade as sister group of a cluster containing species of Callihormius Ashmead, Leluthia Cameron, Histeromeroides Marsh and Panama Marsh.Fil: Martínez, Juan José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: Ceccarelli, Fadia Sara. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Zaldivar Riverón, Alejandro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Méxic

Reclassification of Bracon mendocinus , a gall‐associated doryctine wasp, and description of a new closely related species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

One of the first reported gall-associated braconids, from 1910, Bracon mendocinus Kieffer & Jörgensen, is removed from the subfamily Braconinae and transferred to the doryctine genus Allorhogas, A. mendocinus (Kieffer & Jörgensen) comb. nov. A new species morphologically similar to A. mendocinus, A. joergenseni Martinez & Zaldivar-Riverón sp. nov., is also described. Additionally a neotype is designated for B. mendocinus Kieffer & Jörgensen. We base our conclusions on the morphological examination of recently collected specimens from central Argentina associated with galls on Lycium chilense (Solanaceae), as well as on the DNA variation at 28S rRNA and COI mtDNA genes.Fil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Zaldivar-Riverón, Alejandro. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; EspañaFil: Sáez, Alberto G.. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; Españ

DNA barcoding species inventory of Microgastrinae wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from a Mexican tropical dry forest

The cosmopolitan Microgastrinae is probably the most diverse braconid subfamily of parasitoid wasps, yet its species diversity is far from being known. As part of a global initiative for DNA barcoding Microgastrinae species, here we show the results of a study that assessed the species richness of this subfamily in a Mexican tropical dry forest located in the Chamela region, near the Pacific coast of Jalisco. Barcoding sequences of a total of 551 microgastrine specimens were generated, corresponding to 238 haplotypes. Performance of two species delineation approaches, a 2% corrected pairwise distance criterion and the general mixed Yule-coalescent (GMYC) method, yielded 100 and 112 putative species, respectively, which belong to 13 genera. The species delimited by the above two approaches were mostly congruent with our morphospecies identification. Ten molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) were split into twenty-two species by the GMYC approach. We found morphological differences between the GMYC species corresponding to three of these MOTUs. Thus, a total of 103 microgastrine species were confirmed for the region of study. Thirty-three species were only represented by males, and therefore, their generic assignment is only tentatively proposed. A new record for the country is provided for the Diolcogaster-basimacula species group. Based on a comparison of nearly 20 000 barcoding sequences released for Microgastrinae from 75 countries, only five microgastrine species from Chamela were found to occur in other countries, four in Costa Rica and one in Canada and the United States.Fil: Fernández Flores, Sofía. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Instituto de Biología; MéxicoFil: Fernández Triana, José. University of Guelph. Department Of Integrative Biology and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario; CanadáFil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Zaldivar Riverón, Alejandro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Instituto de Biología; Méxic

Sergey gen. n., a new doryctine genus from temperate forests of Mexico and Cuba (Hymenoptera, Braconidae)

The new doryctine genus Sergey gen. n. is described with four new species (S. cubaensis Zaldívar-Riverón & Martínez, sp. n., S. coahuilensis Zaldívar-Riverón & Martínez, sp. n., S. tzeltal Martínez & Zalídivar-Riverón, sp. n., S. tzotzil Martínez & Zalídivar-Riverón, sp. n.) from temperate forests of Mexico and Cuba. Similar to many other doryctine taxa, the new genus has a considerably elongated, petiolate basal sternal plate of the first metasomal tergite, although it can be distinguished from these by having the mesoscutum sharply declivous anteriorly with sharp anterolateral edges. The described species have been characterised molecularly based on two mitochondrial (COI, cyt b) and one nuclear (28S) gene markers. Based on the mitochondrial gene genealogies reconstructed, the evidence suggests the existence of incomplete lineage sorting or hybridization in the populations from Chiapas and Oaxaca assigned to S. tzeltal sp. n.Fil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lázaro, Rubi Nelsi Meza. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Pedraza Lara, Carlos. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Zaldivar Riverón, Alejandro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Méxic

Systematics and evolution of gall formation in the plant-associated genera of the wasp subfamily Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Gall formation is a specialised form of phytophagy that consists of abnormal growth of host plant tissue induced by other organisms, principally insects and mites. In the mainly parasitoid wasp subfamily Doryctinae, gall association, represented by gall inducers, inquilines and their parasitoids, is known for species of seven genera. Previous molecular studies recovered few species of six of these genera as monophyletic despite their disparate morphologies. Here, we reconstructed the evolutionary relationships among 47 species belonging to six gall-associated doryctine genera based on two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene markers. Most of the Bayesian analyses, performed with different levels of incomplete taxa and characters, supported the monophyly of gall-associated doryctines, with Heterospilus (Heterospilini) as sister group. Percnobracon Kieffer and Jörgensen and Monitoriella Hedqvist were consistently recovered as monophyletic, and the validity of the monotypic Mononeuron was confirmed with respect to Allorhogas Gahan. A nonmonophyletic Allorhogas was recovered, although without significant support. The relationships obtained and the gathered morphological and biological information led us to erect three new genera originally assigned to Psenobolus: Ficobolus gen.n. (F. paniaguai sp.n. and F. jaliscoi sp.n.), Plesiopsenobolus gen.n. (Pl. mesoamericanus sp.n., Pl. plesiomorphus van Achterberg and Marsh comb.n., and Pl. tico sp.n.), and Sabinita gen.n. (S. mexicana sp.n.). The origin of the gall-associated doryctine clade was estimated to have occurred during the middle Miocene to early Oligocene, 16.33–30.55 Ma. Our results support the origin of true gall induction in the Doryctinae from parasitoidism of other gall-forming insects. Moreover, adaptations to attack different gall-forming taxa on various unrelated plant families probably triggered species diversification in the main Allorhogas clade and may also have promoted the independent origin of gall formation on at least three plant groups. Species diversification in the remaining doryctine taxa was probably a result of host shifts within a particular plant taxon and shifts to different plant organs.Fil: Zaldivar Riverón, Alejandro. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Belokobylskij, Sergey A.. Polish Academy of Sciences; ArgentinaFil: Pedraza Lara, Carlos. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Shaw, Scott. University of Wyoming; Estados UnidosFil: Hanson, Paul E.. Universidad de Costa Rica; Costa RicaFil: Varela Hernández, Fernando. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Méxic

Mesocentrus Szepligeti 1900

Key to the species of Mesocentrus from Papua New Guinea The following key is largely based on original descriptions (Szépligeti 1900, 1902) together with Papp (2005). The female lectotype and one male paralectotype of M. crassipes and the type and only known specimen of M. pusillus have been lost, so it is therefore impossible to be completely sure about all the features of M. pusillus and at some point, a neotype is likely to be needed. 1. Antenna with more than 25 flagellomeres (26) (Fig. 1A); frons hardly depressed behind antennal sockets and laterally (Fig. 1C)................................................................................ M. sasquatch sp. nov. - Antenna with fewer than 16 flagellomeres (13–15); frons more strongly depressed laterally.......................... 2 2 3 rd metasomal tergite distinctly longitudinally striate basally; 2 nd metasomal tergite approximately as long as posteriorly wide (“ fast quadratisch ”); pterostigma entirely light brown....................................... M. pusillus Szépligeti - 3 rd metasomal tergite entirely smooth basally; 2 nd metasomal tergite 1.35 to 1.8 x wider posteriorly than long; pterostigma either yellow brown with a darker median spot (M. crassipes) or brown with distinct yellow base (M. reptus)............. 3 3 Flagellum not narrowing (attenuating) distally, 1st flagellomere approximately 2 x longer than wide; head rather strongly narrowing immediately behind eyes; pterostigma yellow brown with a darker median spot; 2 nd......... M. crassipes Szépligeti - Flagellum strongly narrowing (attenuating) distally, 1st flagellomere approximately 4 x longer than wide; head nearly parallelsided immediately behind eyes; pterostigma brown with distinct yellow base........................... M. reptus PappPublished as part of Butcher, Buntika Areekul, Zaldivar-Riverón, Alejandro, Kamp, Thomas Van De, Rolo, Tomy Dos Santos, Baumbach, Tilo & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2014, Extension of historical range of Betylobraconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) into Palaearctic Region based on a Baltic amber fossil, and description of a new species of Mesocentrus Szépligeti from Papua New Guinea, pp. 449-463 in Zootaxa 3860 (5) on page 451, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3860.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/493027

Mesocentrus sasquatch Butcher & Zaldivar-Riverón & Kamp & Rolo & Baumbach & Quicke 2014, sp. nov.

Mesocentrus sasquatch sp. nov. (Figs 1–3) Holotype ♀. Papua-New-Guinea, Province Madang, Mount Wilhelm 1700m (-5.759269,145.2356) 1700m, 09-10/ 11/2012, leg Valeba, Tulei, Novotny, Leponce, Plot 1, understorey; Malaise — MAL-MW1700A-16/16-d16. Body length (corrected for bent metasoma) 3.5 mm, length of fore wing 3.0 mm. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres. Terminal flagellomere pointed but not acuminate. Face transversely striate. Clypeus not separated from face medially. Eyes strongly setose, 1.1 x higher than width of face. Hypoclypeal depression moderately convex mediodorsally, rather shallow with labrum wide and largely exposed. Inter-tentorial distance 2.3 x shortest distance between tentorial pit and eye. Frons hardly depressed laterally. Mesosoma 1.6 x longer than maximally high. Pronotum without midlongitudinal carina. Mesopleuron smooth and shiny. Precoxal sulcus rugose to rugulose, approximately triangular in shape. Median area of metanotum with complete midlongitudinal carina. Fore wing vein 3RSa 3.6 x r-rs, 0.55 x 3RSb. Vein (RS+M)a weakly sinuous. Hind wing vein 1M 1.2 x M+CU. Vein m-cu weakly antefurcal. Hind basitarsus approximately 9 x longer than deep, approximately the same length as the next three segments combined. Propodeum largely irregularly rugose. First metasomal tergite 1.4 x longer than posteriorly wide with prominent midlongitudinal carina (Fig. 2E); second metasomal suture narrow, shallow, sharply defined, nearly smooth. Metasomal tergites 3 to 5 progressively less conspicuously with fine, sub-transverse wrinkles, with sparse long setosity posteriorly. Ovipositor sheath 0.6 x hind tibia. Ovipositor distinctly laterally compressed. Largely brown-yellow; dark brown are medioposterior mesoscutum, scutellar sulcus, sides of scutellum and axilla, anteromedial part of propodeum, 1 st, and tergites, 3 rd tergite except medio-anteriorly, 4 th and 5 th tergites broadly medially. Etymology. Named after the cryptozoological North American creature, big-foot, otherwise known as the sasquatch; noun in apposition.Published as part of Butcher, Buntika Areekul, Zaldivar-Riverón, Alejandro, Kamp, Thomas Van De, Rolo, Tomy Dos Santos, Baumbach, Tilo & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2014, Extension of historical range of Betylobraconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) into Palaearctic Region based on a Baltic amber fossil, and description of a new species of Mesocentrus Szépligeti from Papua New Guinea, pp. 449-463 in Zootaxa 3860 (5) on pages 452-453, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3860.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/493027