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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #344622
Research Project: Systematics of Moths Significant to Biodiversity, Quarantine, and Control, with a Focus on Invasive Species

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Alabagrus Enderlein (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) species of Costa Rica, with an emphasis on specimens reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste

Author
item SHARKEY, M. - University Of Kentucky
item MEIEROTTO, SARAH - University Of Kentucky
item CHAPMAN, ERIC - University Of Kentucky
item JANZEN, D. - University Of Pennsylvania
item HALLWACHS, W. - University Of Pennsylvania
item DAPKEY, TANYA - University Of Pennsylvania
item Solis, M Alma

Submitted to: Contributions in Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/20/2018
Publication Date: 6/18/2018
Citation: Sharkey, M.J., Meierotto, S., Chapman, E., Janzen, D.H., Hallwachs, W., Dapkey, T., Solis, M.A. 2018. Alabagrus Enderlein (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) species of Costa Rica, with an emphasis on specimens reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste. Contributions in Science. 526:31-180.

Interpretive Summary: Wasps in the family Braconidae are parasitoids of moth larvae and some species have been utilized in biological control programs of moth larval pests. This paper treats 87 species of Costa Rican genus Alabagrus reared from snout moth larvae in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste. Sixty-five new species are described. This study used morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequence data to delimit the species. The morphological characters are illustrated with photographs. An illustrated key to the identification of the species is provided. This information will be useful to biologists working on the biological control of snout moth pests.

Technical Abstract: Eighty seven species of Costa Rican Alabagrus are treated; these include species reared from lepidopteran larvae in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, over 32 years of caterpillar inventory. Sixty six new species are described, i.e., A. almasolisae, A. andresfreitasi, A. andywarreni, A. axelhausmanni, A. barbarasharanowskiae, A. bernardoespinozai, A. bobpoolei, A. bobrobbinsi, A. bobwhartoni, A. brendameierottoae, A. brianbrowni, A. brianharrisi, A. craigevansi, A. dickvanewrighti, A. donharveyi, A. donlafontainei, A. fernandezi, A. fernandodiasi, A. genemonroei, A. hansoni, A. hespenheidei, A. iankitchingi, A. ilgookangi, A. isidrochaconi, A. jackiemillerae, A. jeanfrancoislandryi, A. jeanmariecadioui, A. jennyphillipsae, A. jimmilleri, A. johnbrowni, A. johnburnsi, A. johnobryckii, A. johnsharkeyi, A. kaciejoae, A. karensharkeyae, A. kaydodgeae, A. keithwillmotti, A. leedyeri, A. lindapitkinae, A. longinoi, A. malcolmscoblei, A. marcepsteini, A. mariaheikkilae, A. markmetzi, A. mattottoi, A. nickgrishini, A. patsharkeyi, A. paulgoldsteini, A. paulheberti, A. paulsharkeyi, A. paulthiaucourti, A. quickei, A. ramyamanjunathae, A. reddypallii, A. rudolfmeieri, A. sarahmeierottoae, A. sarahsharkeyae, A. scottmilleri, A. scottshawi , A. semihespenheidei, A. stiremani, A. tanyadapkeae, A. tommyersi, A. victoriapookae, A. yuanmaofangi, A. yuchinkengae. Species limits primarily based on COI mitochondrial DNA sequence data greatly differed from previous morphological attempts to delimit species of Alabagrus. As a result, 17 species, reported to occur in Costa Rica by Leathers and Sharkey (2003), are no longer considered to be present in the country, i.e., A. albispina, A. imitatus, A. juchuy, A. kagaba, A. latisoma, A. latreillei, A. maya, A. mojos, A. nahuatl, A. nigrilitus, A. pachamama, A. paruyana, A. parvifaciatus, A. semialbus, A. tricarainatus, A. tripartitus, and A. warrau. Furthermore, five of the species reported by Leathers and Sharkey (2003) have been found to be composed of species complexes, i.e., A. cocto, A. englishi, A. pecki, A. roibasi, and A. yaruro. These difficulties point to the impossible task of delimiting species of Agathidinae solely with morphological evidence. An illustrated key to species, and a plate of color photos of each species are provided.