A revision of the parasitoid wasp genus Alphomelon Mason with the description of 30 new species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae).

The parasitoid wasp genus Alphomelon Mason, 1981 is revised, based on a combination of basic morphology (dichotomous key and brief diagnostic descriptions), DNA barcoding, biology (host data and wasp cocoons), and distribution data. A total of 49 species is considered; the genus is almost entirely Neotropical (48 species recorded from that region), but three species reach the Nearctic, with one of them extending as far north as 45° N in Canada. Alphomelon parasitizes exclusively Hesperiinae caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), mostly feeding on monocots in the families Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, Cannaceae, Commelinaceae, Heliconiaceae, and Poaceae. Most wasp species parasitize either on one or very few (2-4) host species, usually within one or two hesperiine genera; but some species can parasitize several hosts from up to nine different hesperiine genera. Among species with available data for their cocoons, roughly half weave solitary cocoons (16) and half are gregarious (17); cocoons tend to be surrounded by a rather distinctive, coarse silk (especially in solitary species, but also distinguishable in some gregarious species). Neither morphology nor DNA barcoding alone was sufficient on its own to delimit all species properly; by integrating all available evidence (even if incomplete, as available data for every species is different) a foundation is provided for future studies incorporating more specimens, especially from South America. The following 30 new species are described: cruzi, itatiaiensis, and palomae, authored by Shimbori & Fernandez-Triana; and adrianguadamuzi, amazonas, andydeansi, calixtomoragai, carolinacanoae, christerhanssoni, diniamartinezae, duvalierbricenoi, eldaarayae, eliethcantillanoae, gloriasihezarae, guillermopereirai, hazelcambroneroae, josecortesi, keineraragoni, luciarosae, manuelriosi, mikesharkeyi, osvaldoespinozai, paramelanoscelis, paranigriceps, petronariosae, ricardocaleroi, rigoi, rostermoragai, sergioriosi, and yanayacu, authored by Fernandez-Triana & Shimbori.

A revision of the Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) species subgroup of the A. seriatus species group with the descriptions of 18 new species from the Neotropical Region.

The Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) species subgroup of the A. seriatus species group is defined based on two previously described species, A. bakeri and A. nigristemmaticum (Enderlein), and is greatly expanded in this paper with an identification key, descriptions, and illustrations of 18 new species from the Neotropical Region: A. andinus Shaw & Shimbori, sp. nov.; angustus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; asenjoi Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; bahiensis Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; barrosi Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; brevicarina Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; coariensis Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; goiasensis Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; gonodontivorus Shaw & Shimbori, sp. nov.; hyalinus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; inga Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; joaquimi Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; lidiae Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; mabelae Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; maculosus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; ovatus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; santarosensis Shaw & Shimbori, sp. nov.; and taurus Shimbori & Penteado-Dias, sp. nov. It is hypothesized that the A. bakeri species subgroup is a monophyletic lineage within the larger and probably artificial A. seriatus species group (those Aleiodes with a comb of flat setae at the apex of the hind tibia), and can be distinguished from other members of the seriatus group by having the hind wing vein r present, although weakly indicated; the hind wing marginal cell suddenly widened at junction of veins RS and r; the subbasal cell of the fore wing mostly glabrous but often with two rows of short setae subapically; glabrous regions of the wings also commonly found in the first subdiscal, discal, and basal cells of the fore wing, and the basal cell of hind wing; ocelli quite large, with the width of a lateral ocellus being distinctly larger than the ocellar-ocular distance; and being relatively large Aleiodes species with body almost entirely brownish yellow or reddish brown. In addition, a new replacement name, Aleiodes buntikae Shimbori & Shaw, nom. nov., is proposed for the species formerly called Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) bakeri Butcher & Quicke, 2011.

Revision of the New World genera Adelius Haliday and Paradelius de Saeger (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae: Adeliini).

Species of adeliine braconids were previously described and named from all biogeographic areas of the world except the Neotropical Region. Here we present the first taxonomic revision of New World adeliines, as well as the first newly described species of both genera, Adelius and Paradelius, from the Neotropical Region. Although not commonly sampled because of their minute size and associations with leaf-mining hosts, our results indicate that adeliines actually have a wide distribution in the neotropics, especially in middle to high elevations and dry forests. In addition to redescriptions of all known Nearctic species, we present the first descriptions of the females of Adelius coloradensis and A. nigripectus, of 16 new species of the genus Adelius (A. adeleae Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. bolivariensis Bortoni Penteado-Dias sp. n., A. boliviensis Bortoni Penteado-Dias sp. n., A. caatinga Bortoni, Shimbori Penteado-Dias sp. n., A. canadensis Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. ecuadoriensis Bortoni Penteado-Dias sp. n., A. excelsus Bortoni Shimbori sp. n., A. floridensis Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. gauldi Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. janzeni Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. monteiroi Souza-Gessner, Cerântola Penteado-Dias sp. n., A. morretesiensis Bortoni, Shimbori Penteado-Dias sp. n., A. panamensis Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. pentagonalis Shimbori Shaw sp. n., A. quiteriae Souza-Gessner, Cerântola Penteado-Dias sp. n., and A. sancticaroli Bortoni, Penteado-Dias Shimbori sp. n.), and one new species of the genus Paradelius (P. neotropicalis Shimbori Shaw sp. n.). Keys for the New World species of both genera are provided.

A new synonym of the Neotropical parasitoid wasp genus Notiospathius (Braconidae, Doryctinae), with redescription of two species and description of five new species from Brazil.

A junior synonym of the parasitoid wasp genus Notiospathius Matthews and Marsh, Hansonorumsyn. n., with two new combinations, Notiospathius carolinae (Marsh) comb. n. and Notiospathius pauli (Marsh) comb. n., are proposed. Two species of Notiospathius from Brazil originally described in early twentieth century are redescribed, Notiospathius caudatus (Szépligeti) and Notiospathius diversus (Szépligeti). Five new species of Notiospathius from southern Brazil are also described: Notiospathius atrasp. n., Notiospathius johnlennonisp. n., Notiospathius novateutoniaesp. n., Notiospathius sulcatussp. n., and Notiospathius xanthofasciatussp. n. Most of the type specimens of the above new species were collected in the mid twentieth century in the Nova Teutonia region, which is now part of the municipality of Seara in the state of Santa Catarina.

Hymenoepimecis neotropica (Brues & Richardson) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) parasitoid of Araneus omnicolor (Keyserling) (Araneae, Araneidae): first host record and new occurrence to Brazil / Hymenoepimecis neotropica (Brues & Richardson) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) parasitoide de Araneus omnicolor (Keyserling) (Araneae, Araneidae): primeiro registro do hospedeiro e nova ocorrência para o Brasil

Hymenoepimecis neotropica (Brues & Richardson) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) parasitoid of Araneus omnicolor (Keyserling) (Araneae, Araneidae): first host record and new occurrence to Brazil. The species of the genus Hymenoepimecis occur only in Neotropical region, being recognized for using as their hosts spiders which build orbicular webs. That wasp was described occurring only in the Guyana. This work expands the geographical distribution of the species to Brazil and records the spider Araneus omnicolor (Araneae, Araneidae) as its host. Furthermore, it provides information about the natural history of this interaction.

Hymenoepimecis neotropica (Brues & Richardson) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) parasitoide de Araneus omnicolor (Keyserling) (Araneae, Araneidae): primeiro registro do hospedeiro e nova ocorrência para o Brasil. Espécies do gênero Hymenoepimecis ocorrem somente na região Neotropical, sendo reconhecidas por utilizarem, como hospedeiras, aranhas que constroem teias orbiculares. Essa vespa foi descrita ocorrendo somente na Guiana. Este trabalho amplia a distribuição geográfica da espécie para o Brasil e registra a aranha Araneus omnicolor (Araneae, Araneidae) como sua hospedeira. Além disso, fornece informações sobre a história natural desta interação.

Parasitizing behavior of Cervellus piranga Penteado-Dias (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) on papaya borer weevil Pseudopiazurus obesus Marshall (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

Parasitizing behavior of Cervellus piranga Penteado-Dias (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) on papaya borer weevil Pseudopiazurus obesus Marshall (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). The papaya borer weevil Pseudopiazurus obesus is a pest associated with papaya crops in Brazil and Cervellus piranga is a naturally-occurring parasitoid which may contribute to regulate populations of this pest. We aimed at describing the parasitizing behavior of the parasitoid C. piranga on papaya borer weevil P. obesus larvae under field conditions. The sequence of events related to the parasitizing behavior of C. piranga is similar to other braconid species and includes the location and recognition of the attacked host plant followed by walks on the host plant and touching it with the tip of the antennae and the ovipositor. In the following event, the parasitoid assesses the suitability of the host by speeding up antennae and ovipositor movements. After locating and accepting the host, the parasitoid remains inactive on oviposition aperture sites and starts moving the antennae. Afterwards, the parasitoid inserts its ovipositor and starts cleaning it repeatedly. The female of C. piranga inserts the ovipositor through the hole and lay one egg into the papaya weevil borer. After oviposition, the female cleans continuously both ovipositor and antennae before leaving to forage for a new host.

Comportamento de parasitismo de Cervellus piranga Penteado-Dias (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) sobre a broca-do-mamoeiro Pseudopiazurus obesus Marshall (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). A broca-do-mamoeiro Pseudopiazurus obesus é uma praga de cultivos de mamão no Brasil e Cervellus piranga é um parasitóide que ocorre naturalmente no campo e pode contribuir para a regulação da população desta praga. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi a descrição do comportamento de parasitismo do parasitoide C. piranga sobre larvas da broca-do-mamoeiro P. obesus em condições de campo. A sequência de eventos relacionados ao parasitismo de C. piranga é similar a outras espécies de braconídeos e inclui a localização e o reconhecimento da planta hospedeira atacada, caminhamento na planta e toque desta com as antenas e o ovipositor. No próximo evento, o parasitoide acessa a adequabilidade do hospedeiro através do aumento dos movimentos da antena e do ovipositor. Após localizar e aceitar o hospedeiro, o parasitoide fica imóvel no sítio de oviposição e inicia a movimentar a antena. Em seguida, o parasitoide insere o ovipositor e o limpa repetidamente. A fêmea de C. piranga insere o ovipositor através da abertura e deposita um ovo na broca-do-mamoeiro. Após a oviposição, a fêmea limpa continuamente o ovipositor e a antena e abandona a planta para um novo forrageamento.

New species of Hymenoepimecis Viereck (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) from Brazilian Atlantic forest / Novas espécies de Hymenoepimecis Viereck (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) da Mata Atlântica brasileira

In this study three new Brazilian species of Hymenoepimecis are described and illustrated. The specimens were collected using sweeping the vegetation and Malaise traps in areas of Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil. The material described is figured with digital images.

Neste estudo são descritas e ilustradas três novas espécies brasileiras de Hymenoepimecis com espécimes coletados por meio de "varredura" da vegetação e armadilhas Malaise em áreas de mata Atlântica no sudeste do Brasil.

New species of Hymenoptera associated with galls on Calliandra brevipes Benth. (Fabaceae, Mimosoidea) in Brazil / Novas espécies de Hymenoptera associadas a galhas de Calliandra brevipes Benth. (Fabaceae, Mimosoidea)

Four species of Hymenoptera: Tanaostigmodes ringueleti (Brèthes, 1924), T. mecanga sp.nov. (Chalcidoidea, Tanaostigmatidae), Allorhogas taua sp. nov. (Braconidae, Doryctinae) and Eurytoma sp. (Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) were reared from two different types of galls of Calliandra brevipes Benth. (Fabaceae, Mimosoidea) in Juiz-de-Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The two Tanaostigmatidae species are probably the gall inducers; the Braconidae species probably is phytophagous inquiline in round gall type. The two new species are described and illustrated, including their immature stages.

Quatro espécies de Hymenoptera: Tanaostigmodes ringueleti (Brèthes, 1924), T. mecanga sp. nov. (Chalcidoidea, Tanaostigmatidae), Allorhogas taua sp. nov. (Braconidae, Doryctinae) e Eurytoma sp. foram obtidas de dois diferentes tipos de galhas de Calliandra brevipes Benth. (Fabaceae, Mimosoidea) em Juiz-de-Fora, MG, Brasil. As duas espécies de Tanaostigmatidae são os prováveis indutores das galhas; a espécie de Braconidae, provavelmente é um inquilino fitófago das galhas globosas. Estas duas novas espécies são descritas e ilustradas, incluindo os seus estágios imaturos.

Systematics and distribution of the genus Johnsonius Marsh (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae) with description of two new species from Brazil

The genus Johnsonius Marsh includes five species, most of them known from Costa Rica and one known from Venezuela, Peru and Costa Rica. Two of these species and two new species were recently collected in Atlantic rain forest. Description of the new species, illustrations of some morphological characters, a key for identification of all known species and the new geographic records are presented.

O gênero Johnsonius Marsh inclui cinco espécies, a maioria delas conhecidas na Costa Rica e uma conhecida na Venezuela, Peru e Costa Rica; duas destas espécies e duas novas espécies foram recentemente coletadas na Floresta Atlântica ombrófila. Descrição das novas espécies, ilustrações de alguns caracteres morfológicos, uma chave para identificação de todas as espécies conhecidas e os novos registros geográficos são apresentados.

Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) Collected in a Native Forest Area in Itumbiara, Goiás, Brazil / Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) Coletados em Area de Mata Nativa em Itumbiara, Goiás

Com este trabalho pretendeu-se conhecer os gêneros de Braconidae (Hymenoptera) coletados num remanescente de mata nativa, em Itumbiara, Goiás, utilizando armadilha Malaise. A armadilha Malaise captura os insetos por interceptação. Após 24 coletas foram obtidos 49 espécimes pertencentes a 19 gêneros e 10 subfamílias. O gênero mais freqüente foi Chelonus com 34,7 por cento de freqüência. Março e junho foram os meses de maior ocorrência de Braconidae.

This research work was carried out in order to identify the genera of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) collected in a remnant area of native forest in Itumbiara County, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, using Malaise traps. The Malaise trap captures the insects by interception. After 24 sample collections, a total of 49 specimens from 19 different genera and 10 subfamilies were obtained. The most frequent genus was Chelomus with 34.7 percent frequency. March and June were the months of highest occurrence of Braconidae.

Ovipositing behaviour of Compsobracon mirabilis (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in a cerrado habitat, southeastern Brazil

O comportamento de oviposição do braconídeo parasitóide, Compsobracon mirabilis (Szépligeti, 1901) é descrito. As observações foram conduzidas em uma região de cerrado localizada em Três Marias, Minas Gerais, Brasil. A oviposição foi feita em um ramo de Alibertia concolor (Cham.) K. Schum.1889 (Rubiaceae), no interior do qual havia treze larvas de uma espécie de Lepidoptera não identificada.

The oviposition behaviour of the braconid parasitoid, Compsobracon mirabilis ( Szépligeti, 1901) is described. Observations were conducted in a cerrado region located in Três Marias, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The oviposition occurred in a branch of Alibertia concolor (Cham.) K. Schum. 1889 (Rubiaceae), inside of which there were thirteen larvae of an unidentified species of Lepidoptera.