Behavioral Modification of Leucauge mariana Induced by an Ichneumonid Spider-Parasitoid, Hymenoepimecis castilloi, in the Colombian Andes.

Hymenoepimecis is a genus of Darwin wasps in the Polysphincta group of genera (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) known as ectoparasitoids of a broad spectrum of spiders. The parasitoid induces production of a web known as cocoon web, which provides shelter and support for the wasp pupa. In this study, we describe for the first time the interaction between Hymenoepimecis castilloi Pádua & Sääksjärvi (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and its host spider Leucauge mariana (Taczanowski) (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) in the Colombian Andes, provide new records of wasp genus distribution, and described the behavioral modifications induced in the spider. Web modifications occurred in the webs of both solitary and aggregated individuals. Adhesive spirals were lacking, and webs were connected to vegetation by multiple threads in all cocoon webs, which was not seen attached to webs of non-parasitized spiders. All parasitoid cocoons were observed hanging on a vertical line in the hub of the cocoon web. As previously described for other species, we believe that this modified web design results in increased web strength and favors parasitoid development during the pupal stage.

Variation in a Darwin Wasp (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) Community along an Elevation Gradient in a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot: Implications for Ecology and Conservation.

Understanding how biodiversity varies from place to place is a fundamental goal of ecology and an important tool for halting biodiversity loss. Parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera) are a diverse and functionally important animal group, but spatial variation in their diversity is poorly understood. We survey a community of parasitic wasps (Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) using Malaise traps up a mountain in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, and relate the catch to biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics. We find high species richness compared with previous similar studies, with abundance, richness, and diversity peaking at low to intermediate elevation. There is a marked change in community composition with elevation. Habitat factors strongly correlated with elevation also strongly predict changes in the pimpline community, including temperature as well as the density of bamboo, lianas, epiphytes, small trees, and herbs. These results identify several possible surrogates of pimpline communities in tropical forests, which could be used as a tool in conservation. They also contribute to the growing evidence for a typical latitudinal gradient in ichneumonid species richness, and suggest that low to medium elevations in tropical regions will sometimes conserve the greatest number of species locally, but to conserve maximal biodiversity, a wider range of elevations should also be targeted.

Peruvian Darwin wasps of the genus Dolichomitus Smith, 1877 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), with a key to Neotropical species.

Dolichomitus is a moderately large genus comprising 87 known species, 21 of which occur in the Neotropical region. Here, eight new species from Peru are described and figured: D. chetsorr Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., D. illa Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., D. maquinaccasa Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., D. puka Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., D. quellue Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., D. yanasiki Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., D. urqu Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov., and D. willapi Inga & Alvarado, sp. nov.. Dolichomitus annulicornis (Cameron) and D. meii Di Giovanni & Sääksjärvi are recorded from Peru for first time. Furthermore, Umanella tricoloripes Herrera-Florez is transferred to Dolichomitus, and D. pimmi Araujo & Pádua is synonymized with D. tricoloripes (Herrera-Florez, 2018); and a key to Neotropical species is provided.

Filling gaps in the knowledge of the Colombian Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): new records, description of unknown males, and taxonomical notes.

Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are parasitoids and a natural enemy of a wide range of holometabolous insects and spiders and are considered one of the largest families in the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, there are great gaps in the knowledge of this family in Colombia. This study aims to expand the knowledge of Darwin wasps in Colombia, through new records for the country and especially the department of Antioquia. We present the diagnosis and digital images of the recorded species, and we describe for the first time the males of three species of Dolichomitus Smith, 1877: D. mariajosae Araujo & Pádua, 2020; D. menai Araujo & Pádua, 2020; D. orejuelai Araujo & Pádua, 2020.

A review of the spider-attacking Polysphinctadizardi species-group (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae), with descriptions of seven new species from South America.

The Neotropical Polysphinctadizardi species-group is revised. We describe seven new species from South America: P.bonita sp. nov., P.cosnipata sp. nov., P.inca sp. nov., P.macroepomia sp. nov., P.organensis sp. nov., P.pichincha sp. nov., and P.teresa sp. nov. In addition, we provide a diagnosis and an identification key to all species of the group.

A new species of Acrotaphus Townes (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from the Brazilian Amazon, with notes on its host spider behavioral modification.

Some Ichneumonidae wasps, including the genus Acrotaphus Townes, 1960 (Ephialtini: Pimplinae), induce behavioral modification in their spider hosts. Acrotaphus is a New World parasitoid wasp genus with 26 described species. This genus belongs to the Polysphincta genus group, which are ectoparasitoids of spiders of the Araneidae. In this study, we describe a new species (Acrotaphus wagnerianae sp. n.) found in the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, we discuss for the first time the behavioral modification of spiders of the Wagneriana genus (Araneidae) by wasps of the Polysphincta genus group.

Five new species of Dolichomitus Smith from the tropical Andes, with a key for the South American species (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae).

Dolichomitus Smith is a widely distributed pimpline genus with more than seventy known species. There are eight species previously reported from South America: D. annulicornis (Cameron), D. bivittatus Townes, D. hypermeces Townes, D. jatai Loffredo & Penteado-Dias, D. longicauda Smith, D. megalourus (Morley), D. moacyri Loffredo & Penteado-Dias and D. zonatus (Cresson). In this paper, we describe five new species: D. mariajosae Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. menai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. orejuelai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. pimmi Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., and D. rendoni Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov. All have been collected in cloud forests in the Colombian tropical Andes. An illustrated key to the South American species of the genus is also provided.

Review of the New World genus Acrotaphus Townes, 1960 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae), with descriptions of fifteen new species.

Acrotaphus Townes, 1960 is a moderately large New World genus of spider attacking parasitoid wasps. Previously, it comprised 11 species. The present study aims to review the genus, and includes descriptions of 15 new species: A. amajari sp. n., A. amazonicus sp. n., A. bodoquenaensis sp. n., A. cuzconus sp. n., A. dolichopus sp. n., A. homeofranklini sp. n., A. jackiechani sp. n., A. kourou sp. n., A. micrus sp. n., A. monotaenius sp. n., A. nambilloensis sp. n., A. pseudoamazonicus sp. n., A. pseudomexicanus sp. n., A. venezuelanus sp. n. and A. zampieronae sp. n.. In addition, we present new characters for the study of the genus and describe the male genitalia for the first time. An illustrated key and maps to the species of the genus are provided. Acrotaphus franklini Gauld, 1991 and A. pseudoamazonicus sp. n. were recorded from the nests of Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) lactitarse Saussure, 1867 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae).

Pimpla Fabricius, 1804 (Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) from Uruguay: a replacement name, new records, and an identification key to the species.

We report new faunistic records of Pimpla Fabricius, 1804 from Uruguay. The following species are reported from the country for the first time: P. albomarginata Cameron, 1846, P. caerulea Brullé, 1846, P. perssoni Gauld, 1991, and P. semirufa Brullé, 1846. In addition, we propose a replacement name for Pimpla rufipes Brullé, 1846 and provide diagnosis, digital images, and an identification key for all the Pimpla species known to occur in Uruguay.

Pimpla Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Colombia.

Pimpla Fabricius is one of the largest genera within the subfamily Pimplinae, whose species are idiobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera pupae and prepupae. A total of 13 species are known from Colombia, but they are difficult to identify because of their morphological complexity. Herein we record for the first time in Colombia the following species: P. albomarginata Cameron, P. caerulea Brullé and P. sumichrasti Cresson. Furthermore, we present the first identification key to female and male of the Colombian species, along with diagnoses, biological notes and images in vivo.

New records of Ticapimpla Gauld, 1991 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Brazil and French Guiana, with taxonomic notes.

BACKGROUND: We report the genus Ticapimpla Gauld, 1991 from French Guiana and the species Ticapimpla amazonica Palacio et al., T. carinata Palacio et al., T. matamatae Palacio et al. and T. soinii Palacio et al. from Brazilian Amazonia. The new discoveries suggest that the genus is widely distributed in Amazonian lowland rain forests. In addition, we diagnose and illustrate the males of T. carinata and T. matamatae for the first time. Short diagnoses and layer-photos for all the Amazonian species are provided. NEW INFORMATION: The genus Ticapimpla is reported for the first time from French Guiana and the species T. amazonica, T. carinata, T. matamatae and T. soinii from Brazilian Amazonia. In addition, the males of T. carinata and T. matamatae are diagnosed and illustrated for the first time.

The Brazilian Amazonian species of Hymenoepimecis Viereck, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae).

Six new species of Hymenoepimecis Viereck are described from Brazilian Amazonian tropical forest: H. amazonensis sp. n., H. duckensis sp. n., H. kleini sp. n., H. manauara sp. n., H. ribeiroi sp. n. and H. uberensis sp. n., and male genitalia is described for the first time for the genus. In addition, we provide an identification key, diagnosis and distributional records for Brazilian Amazonian species of Hymenoepimecis. By describing these new species we aim to draw further attention to the considerable species richness of the genus in Amazonia.

The neotropical species of Xanthopimpla Saussure (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae).

Xanthopimpla Saussure, 1892 is one of the largest and best studied genera of the family Ichneumonidae. It is most species rich in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions with only a few species occurring in Central and South America. The present study reviews the Neotropical species of the genus including descriptions of four new species from Amazonia and Northeast South America. We define a new species group: the amazonica species-group, to accommodate the following five species: X. amazonica Gómez, Sääksjärvi & Veijalainen, X. guianensis Gómez & Sääksjärvi sp. n., X. jussilai Veijalainen, Sääksjärvi & Broad, X. pucallpensis Gómez & Sääksjärvi sp. n. and X. vidali Gómez sp. n. The aurita species-group, which had hitherto been regarded as the only species-group in the Neotropical region, is currently represented by five species: X. allpahuaya Gómez & Sääksjärvi sp. n., X. aurita Krieger, X. craspedoptera Krieger, X. rhabdomera Townes and X. spiloptera Krieger. The Andean species X. peruana Krieger is established as an unplaced species outside of the amazonica and aurita species-groups. A key to Neotropical species-groups and species of Xanthopimpla is provided. Xanthopimpla aurita is recorded for the first time from Ecuador and Colombia and its extensive distribution is discussed. Xanthopimpla amazonica, X. craspedoptera and X. jussilai are recorded for the first time from Brazil; X. amazonica is recorded for the first time from French Guiana; X. spiloptera is recorded for the first time from French Guiana and Peru, and X. rhabdomera is recorded for the first time from Peru.