Abstract
A new species of parasitoid wasp, Meteorus oviedoi Shaw and Nishida (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), is described from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The new species is diagnosed and compared to other species in the genus. It was reared from larvae of Venadicodia caneti (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) on leaves of Licaria triandra (Lauraceae). The parasitoid is gregarious and modifies the behavior of its host. This is the first record of a Meteorus species attacking Limacodidae in Costa Rica.Una nueva especie, Meteorus oviedoi Shaw and Nishida (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) es descrita para Valle Central de Costa Rica. La especie es analizada y comparada con otras especies del género. Los especimenes fueron criados de larvas de Venadicodia caneti (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae), encontradas en hojas de Licaria triandra (Lauraceae). El parasitoide es gregario y modifica comportamiento del hospedero.References
Chen, J. & Wu, Z. (2000) Systematic studies on Meteorinae of China (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Huayu Nature Book Trading Co. Ltd., Beijing, 230 pp.
Corrales, J.F. & Epstein, M.E. (1997) Review of Costa Rican Venadicodia, with descriptions of two new species and localities for V. ruthea (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). Revista Biología Tropical 45(3), 1093‑1105.
Holdridge, L.R. (1967) Life Zone Ecology. Tropical Science Center, San Jose, Costa Rica, 206 pp.
Huddleston, T. (1980) A revision of the western Palearctic species of the genus Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology, 41, 1‑58.
Huddleston, T. (1983) Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Australia and New Guinea. Systematic Entomology, 8, 393‑420.
Maetô, K. (1990) Phylogenetic relationships and host associations of the subfamily Meteorinae Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Japanese Journal of Entomology, 58, 383‑396.
Missouri Botanical Garden (2003) w3TROPICOS Nomenclatural Data Base. Available from http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_vast (accessed 3 December 2003).
Muesebeck, C.F.W. (1923) A revision of the North American species of ichneumon-flies belonging to the genus Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 63, 1‑44.
Muesebeck, C.F.W. (1939) Five new species of Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 41(3), 83‑87.
Muesebeck, C.F.W. (1958) New Neotropical wasps of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) in the U.S. National Museum. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 107, 405‑420.
Nixon, G.E.J. (1943) A synopsis of the African species of Meteorus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research, 34, 53‑64.
Shaw, M.R. & Huddleston, T. (1991) Classification and biology of braconid wasps. Handbooks for the identification of British insects, 7, 1‑126.
Shaw, S.R. (1995) Braconidae, pp. 431-463. In: Hanson, P.E. & Gauld, I.D. (eds.), The Hymenoptera of Costa Rica. Oxford University Press, New York.
Shaw, S.R. (1997) Subfamily Meteorinae, pp. 326‑330. In: Wharton, R.A., Marsh, P.M. & Sharkey, M.J. (eds.), Manual of the New World genera of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Special Publication of the International Society of Hymenopterists, No. 1, 439 pp.
Zitani, N.M., Shaw, S.R. & Janzen, D.H. (1997) Description and biology of a new species of Meteorus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Meteorinae) from Costa Rica, parasitizing larvae of Papilio and Parides (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 6, 178‑185.
Zitani, N.M., Shaw, S.R. & Janzen, D.H. (1998) Systematics of Costa Rican Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Meteorinae) species lacking a dorsope. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 7(2), 182‑208.
Zitani, N.M. & Shaw, S.R. (2002) From meteors to death stars: variations on a silk thread (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Meteorinae). American Entomologist, 48(4), 228‑235.
Zitani, N.M. (2003) The evolution and adaptive significance of silk use in the Meteorinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Wyoming, August 2003, 126 pp.