An integrative taxonomic study of north temperate Cotesia Cameron (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) that form silken cocoon balls, with the description of a new species

By

Žikić, Vladimir
Mitrović, Milana
Stankovic, Sasa
Fernandez-Triana, Jose
Lazarević, Maja
Achterberg, C. van
Marczak, Dawid
Ilić Milošević, Marijana
Shaw, Mark

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

97

Pages

255--276

Subjects

DNA barcoding , Genetic distance , hosts , species aggregates

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.97.116378

 

Abstract

Using CO1 sequence analysis, we investigated the relationships of Western Palearctic and Nearctic Cotesia that spin aggregated cocoons in the shape of a ball, and as adults are morphologically very similar. The analysis included the conceptual taxa C. tibialis, C. ofella, C. vanessae, C. ruficrus, C. xylina and C. yakutatensis, as well as the newly described species C. trivaliaesp. nov. The examined specimens of C. tibialis, C. ofella, C. vanessae, C. ruficrus and C. trivaliaesp. nov. were collected in several European countries, and C. xylina and C. yakutatensis in Canada and the USA. Molecular analyses showed that C. ruficrus is not closely related to the other studied taxa. Based on the genetic distances as well as biology and morphology, C. vanessae and C. ofella are confirmed as solid taxa. The species C. yakutatensis comprises two entities. Having 8 haplotypes, C. tibialis also emerges as a species complex, divided into two clusters. With 26 detected haplotypes, C. xylina shows the highest diversity, being composed of three segregates. The conceptual species C. tibialis, C. xylina and C. yakutatensis seem to be species complexes containing several candidates for recognition as distinct species. One from the European C. tibialis complex is here described as new, and the impediments to be overcome before the description of further species are outlined.