Cotesia cassina sp. nov. from southwestern Colombia: a new gregarious microgastrine wasp (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) reared from the pest species Opsiphanes cassina Felder & Felder (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) feeding on Elaeis oil palm trees (Arecaceae)

By

Salgado-Neto, Geraldo
Narvaez Vasquez, Consuelo Alexandra
Max, Dillon
Whitfield, James B. (James Bryan), 1956-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1061

Pages

11--22

Subjects

butterfly , DNA barcode , integrative taxonomy , Morphology , natural enemy , new species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1061.67458

 

Abstract

A new species of microgastrine wasp, Cotesia cassina Salgado-Neto, Vásquez & Whitfield, sp. nov., is described from southwestern Colombia in Tumaco, Nariño. This species is a koinobiont gregarious larval endoparasitoid, and spins a common mass of cocoons underneath the host caterpillars of Opsiphanes cassina (Felder & Felder) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), feeding on oil palm trees (interspecific hybrid Elaeis oleifera × E. guineensis) (Arecaceae). While superficially similar, both morphologically and biologically, to C. invirae Salgado-Neto & Whitfield from southern Brazil, the two species are distinct based on DNA barcodes, host species, geographical range and morphological characters.