Research Article |
Corresponding author: Alejandro Zaldivar-Riveron ( azaldivar@ib.unam.mx ) Academic editor: Gavin Broad
© 2015 Sergey Belokobylskij, Miguel Artavia Solís, Paul Hanson, Alejandro Zaldivar-Riveron.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Belokobylskij SA, Solís MA, Hanson PE, Zaldívar-Riverón A (2015) A new species of Labania Hedqvist (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from Costa Rica, reared from aerial root galls of Ficus obtusifolia Kunth. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 44: 69-78. https://doi.org/10.3897/JHR.44.4722
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A new species of the Doryctinae genus Labania Hedqvist, L. ficophaga sp. n. from Costa Rica is described. This new species was reared from aerial root galls of Ficus obtusifolia Kunth. An updated key to the five described species of Labania and digital pictures of L. ficophaga sp. n. and L. minuta Marsh are provided.
Ichneumonoidea , Neotropics, gall-association, Hymenoptera
The genus Labania Hedqvist is a small doryctine group restricted to the Neotropical region and is currently composed of four species. This genus was erected by
In his tribal reclassification of the Doryctinae,
In this work, this new species of Labania, which was reared from aerial roots on F. obtusifolia Kunth is described, and observations that suggest that this new species is phytophagous are provided. An updated key (adapted from
All specimens of the new species of Labania described here were reared from a single tree of F. obtusifolia (see details below). Specimens belonging to two of the remaining species of the genus were also examined, as well as digital photographs of the holotype of L. straminea, deposited at National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C., USA). The type material of the new species is deposited in the following collections: Colección Nacional de Insectos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (CNIN IB-UNAM); Museo de Zoología, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica (MZCR); Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia (ZISP); and National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC (NMNH).
The terminology employed in this work for the morphological features and measurements follows
Labania straminea. Holotype: female, Honduras, La Ceiba. Labania minuta: 5 females, 5 males. Costa Rica, Turriatlico, Turrialba, ex leaf-ball gall of Ficus colubrinae, IX-2013, K. Nishida col. Labania hansoni: 2 females, 1 male. “Costa Rica: DNA Hym- 46”.
This new species is morphologically similar to L. hansoni Marsh; however, L. ficophaga can be distinguished from the latter species by the following features: 1) greater diameter of eye 2.0–2.2 times wider than temple (1.4–1.7 times in L. hansoni); 2) eye covered by short and sparse setae (long and very dense setae in L. hansoni); 3) malar space 0.35–0.4 times height of eye (0.4–0.5 times in L. hansoni); 4) propodeum mainly rugose-striate, smooth only in basolateral areas (mainly smooth, rugose only medially in L. hansoni); 5) discoidal (first discal) cell distinctly sessile anteriorly (petiolate anteriorly in L. hansoni); 6) dorsal carinae of the first metasomal tergite almost complete (incomplete in L. hansoni); 7) vertex and frons light reddish brown or brownish yellow (reddish brown to black in L. hansoni); 8) basal antennal segments black or almost black (yellow or brownish yellow in L. hansoni); 9) hind femur and tibia of female dark reddish brown to reddish brown (yellow or brownish yellow in L. hansoni).
Labania ficophaga is also morphologically similar to L. minuta, but differs from this species by having: 1) a larger body length, from 3.6 to 4.1 mm (1.0 to 1.8 mm in L. minuta; Fig.
Female. Body length 3.6–4.1 mm; fore wing length 3.1–3.2 mm.
Head: width 1.8–1.9 times its median length, 1.15–1.20 times width of mesoscutum. Head behind eyes (dorsal view) distinctly roundly narrowed. Transverse diameter of eye 2.0–2.2 times wider than temple. Ocelli medium-sized, arranged in triangle with base 1.2–1.3 times its sides. POL 0.8–1.0 times Od, 0.30–0.35 times OOL. Frons excavation deep, not wide, not extending beyond antennal sockets, with shallow or very shallow median furrow. Eye without emargination opposite antennal socket, 1.3 times as high as broad. Malar space 0.35–0.40 times height of eye, 0.8–1.0 times basal width of mandible. Face slightly convex, its width 0.9 times height of eye and 0.9–1.0 times height of face and clypeus combined. Clypeus convex, about twice as wide as high. Width of hypoclypeal depression almost equal to distance from edge of depression to eye, 0.5–0.6 times width of face. Hypostomal flange narrow. Occipital carina not fused with hypostomal carina and obliterated ventrally. Palpi short, maxillary palpus 5-segmented, labial palpus 2-segmented.
Antenna: thickened, weakly setiform, covered by dense and dark setae, 23–26-segmented. Scape 1.5–1.6 times longer than its maximum width, almost twice as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 4.0–4.5 times longer than its apical width, 1.2–1.3 times longer than second segment. Penultimate segment 2.2–2.3 times longer than its width, 0.7–0.8 times as long as apical segment; the latter pointed apically.
Mesosoma: length 1.6–1.7 times its height. Median lobe of mesoscutum distinctly and highly convex (lateral view), slightly protruding forward and rounded anteriorly (dorsal view). Oblique submedian furrow on side of pronotum narrow and densely crenulated. Notauli complete, deep, narrow and densely crenulated, joining at the end of mesoscutum in a longitudinally striate-rugose area. Prescutellar depression long, deep, with several more or less high carinae, densely and distinctly reticulate-striate between carinae, 0.25–0.35 times as long as scutellum. Scutellum 1.2 times longer than maximum anterior width. Scuto-scuttelar suture absent. Precoxal sulcus almost absent or very weak, short. Metanotal tooth low (lateral view). Metapleural flange quite short and wide, almost indistinct. Propodeal lateral tubercles large and wide.
Wings: fore wing 2.7–3.0 times longer than its maximum width. Pterostigma 2.9–3.5 times longer than width. Metacarp (R1) 1.2–1.3 times longer than pterostigma. Radial (marginal) cell long, open apically after strong desclerotisation of apical part of third radial abscissa (3RSb). First (r) and second (3RSa) radial abscissae forming an obtuse angle. Second radial abscissa (3RSa) 4.0–4.3 times longer than first abscissa (r), 0.35–0.40 times as long as the straight third abscissa (3RSb). First radiomedial vein (2RS) mainly or completely absent, rarely present and short, or (exceptionally) with elongate anterior part of abscissa. Second radiomedial (second submarginal) cell fused with first radiomedial (first submarginal) cell, slightly narrowed apically. First medial abscissa ((RS+M)a) distinctly sinuate. Discoidal (first discal) cell sessile. Recurrent vein (1m-cu) 0.3–0.4 times as long as basal vein (1M); these veins parallel. Distance from nervulus (1cu-a) to basal (1M) vein 0.7–0.8 times nervulus (1cu-a) length. Brachial (first subdiscal) cell long, wide, opened apico-posteriorly after strong desclerotisation of second abscissa of longitudinal anal vein (2-1A). Brachial vein (2cu-a) long and mainly pigmented. Hind wing 4.0–4.1 times longer than its maximum width. Hamuli 3–4. Medial (basal) cell apically widely open after strong desclerotisation of second abscissa of costal vein (SC+R). Nervellus (cu-a) absent; submedial (subbasal) cell widely open apically. Recurrent vein (m-cu) distinct or fine, straight or slightly curved, more or less inclivous, interstitial, distinctly or sometimes faintly pigmented.
Legs: hind coxa without basoventral corner and tubercle, 1.4–1.5 times longer than maximum width, about 0.8 times as long as propodeum. Hind femur 2.8–3.1 times longer than width. Hind tarsus 0.8–0.9 times as long as hind tibia. Basitarsus of hind tarsus 0.55–0.60 times as long as second to fifth segments combined. Second segment of hind tarsus 0.5 times as long as basitarsus, 0.9 times as long as fifth segment (without pretarsus). Claws large.
Metasoma: 1.0–1.1 times longer than head and mesosoma combined. First tergite distinctly and almost linearly widened from base to apex, with slightly impressed spiracular tubercles in basal third, with distinct, almost complete and slightly convergent posterior dorsal carinae. Maximum width of first tergite about 2.0 times its minimum width; length 0.9–1.0 times its apical width, 1.4–1.5 times length of propodeum. Suture between second and third tergites quite shallow and almost complete. Median length of second and third tergites 1.1–1.2 times basal width of second tergite, 0.8–0.9 times maximum width of these tergites. Ovipositor short, its sheath about as long as first tergite of metasoma, 0.40–0.45 times as long as mesosoma, 0.18–0.22 times as long as fore wing.
Sculpture and pubescence: head entirely smooth, sometimes frons near antennal sockets with several curved striae. Mesoscutum smooth, with rugulosity in short and small medioposterior area. Scutellum mainly smooth, finely striate laterally. Mesopleuron mostly smooth. Propodeum widely rugose-striate, with all areas distinctly delineated by carinae; basolateral areas short, semi-rounded, mainly smooth; areola wide, about as long as maximum width; basal carina 0.2–0.3 times as long as basal fork of areola. Hind coxa and femur smooth. First tergite mainly striate with rugosities, finely reticulate to almost smooth between dorsal carinae. Remaining tergites entirely smooth. Vertex with numerous, dense and semi-erect pale setae. Mesoscutum mainly glabrous, with dense and erect pale setae arranged in almost single lines along notauli and laterally. Mesopleuron medially rather widely glabrous. Hind tibia dorsally with dense, relatively long and semi-erect pale setae, its length 0.5–0.8 times maximum width of hind tibia.
Colour: head entirely light reddish brown or sometimes yellowish brownish, ocellar triangle often black. Antenna black, dark reddish brown basally, two basal segments yellowish brown. Palpi pale brown. Mesosoma almost reddish black, with light brown on narrow stripe along lower margin of pronotal sides and along area of precoxal sulcus. Metasoma mainly dark reddish brown, dorsal basal and apical parts black. Fore and middle legs light reddish brown to yellowish brown. Hind leg mainly dark reddish brown, tibia faintly paler and light reddish brown basally and apically, hind tarsus entirely light reddish brown. Ovipositor sheath almost black. Fore and hind wings distinctly and evenly darkened, veins dark brown. Pterostigma black, slightly paler apically.
Male. Body length 2.9–3.9 mm; fore wing length 2.5–2.7 mm. Antenna slender, filiform or narrow basally and weakly thickened apically, 20–22-segmented. First flagellar segment 4.5–4.8 times longer than its apical width. Hind femur strongly widened, 1.9–2.1 times longer than width, dark brown or dark reddish brown. Hind tibia almost entirely light reddish brown. Metasoma 0.9–1.0 times as long as head and mesosoma combined. Length of first tergite 1.1 times its apical width, 1.2–1.5 times length of propodeum. Otherwise similar to female.
Known only from Costa Rica.
Holotype: female, “Costa Rica: San Jose, Reserva el Rodeo, root galls on Ficus obtusifolia, IV.2011, Col. Miguel Artavia (IB-UNAM). Paratypes: 30 females (9 in alcohol), 16 males (4 in alcohol), the same label as holotype (IB-UNAM, MZCR, ZISP, NMNH); 1 female, same data as holotype, DNA voucher number CNIN1078 (IB-UNAM), GenBank accession numbers KJ586713 (COI), KJ586690 (wingless) and KJ586780 (28S) (
All examined specimens of L. ficophaga were reared from aerial root galls on a single F. obtusifolia tree. Each gall (Fig.
Galls of L. ficophaga were tracked on the host tree during a two years period (2011–2012), during which time the tree was visited every month. All wasps, including four additional species that are probably parasitoids, emerged during April and May. No wasps emerged during any other month. New galls began appearing in May and June and became full-sized in August.
Two lines of evidence suggest that L. ficophaga is the gall inducer. First, it is larger than the other four species emerging from these galls (parasitoids are expected to be slightly smaller, unless they feed on gall tissue). Second, of the five species of hymenopterans reared from these galls (no other insects were reared), L. ficophaga was the only species that was present in all the samples and in most samples it was also the most numerous species. For example, eight galls collected in April 2011 yielded 389 Labania, 89 Eurytomidae (probably Phylloxeroxenus Ashmead) species #1, and 28 Eurytomidae (probably Phylloxeroxenus Ashmead) species #2. Two galls collected in April 2012 yielded 45 Labania and 4 Eurytomidae species #2. One gall collected in May 2012 yielded 10 Labania, 17 Torymus Dalman (Torymidae), 1 Eurytomidae species #1, and 2 Platygastridae.
1 | Body length 1.0–1.8 mm (Fig. |
L. minuta Marsh (Fig. |
– | Body length 2.5–4.1 mm (Fig. |
2 |
2 | Second metasomal tergite completely smooth (Fig. |
3 |
– | Second metasomal tergite longitudinally striate basally. Mesosoma and metasoma at least partly brown. Wings mainly subhyaline | 4 |
3 | Transverse diameter of eye 1.4–1.7 times wider than temple. Eye covered with long and very dense setae. Malar space 0.4–0.5 times height of eye. Propodeum mainly smooth, rugose only medially. Discoidal (first discal) cell petiolate. Dorsal carinae of first metasomal tergite incomplete. Vertex and frons dark reddish brown to black | L. hansoni Marsh |
– | Transverse diameter of eye 2.0–2.2 times wider than temple (Fig. |
L. ficophaga sp. n. |
4 | Ovipositor extending beyond apex of mesosoma by length of hind basitarsus. First metasomal tergite parallel-sided, its length greater than apical width. Body length 3.0–3.5 mm | L. prolata Marsh |
– | Ovipositor usually not extending beyond apex of mesosoma, rarely only very weakly and much less than length of hind basitarsus. First metasomal tergite distinctly widened apically, its length about equal to posterior width. Body length 2.5–4.0 mm | L. straminea Hedqvist |
We thank Laura Sánchez for initiating the collection of galls, José Francisco DiStefano for logistical support with the field trips, Cristina Mayorga Martínez and Guillermina Ortega for mounting most of the examined specimens, Susana Guzmán for taking the digital pictures, and Elijah Talamas (Washington, D.C.) for images of the type species of the genus. This study was supported by a grant given by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant No. 13–04–00026), programa PAEP-Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, UNAM (convocatoria 2014), and the Coordinación de la Investigación Científica (CTIC-UNAM; convocatoria intercambio académico 2013) to SAB, and by grants given by DGAPA PAPIIT-UNAM (Convocatoria 2013) and CONACyT (Red Temática del Código de Barras de la Vida, México) to AZR.