Lycogaster apicipennis (Cameron)

Smith, David R., Janzen, Daniel H., Hallwachs, Winnie & Smith, M. Alexander, 2012, Hyperparasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Trigonalidae) reared from dry forest and rain forest caterpillars of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 29, pp. 119-144 : 124

Lycogaster apicipennis (Cameron) Figure 3

Trigonalys apicipennis Cameron 1897: 269.

Discussion.

This is the only species of Lycogaster known from Central America. It is distinguished by its spindle-shaped antennae, without tyloids, and with the basal 3 flagellomeres reddish brown ( Fig. 3 ). The head and thorax are mostly black with only the tegula and spot on upper mesopleuron yellow, and the head and body are covered with golden-yellow hairs. The wings are yellowish, darker anteriorly and at apices, with the veins yellowish and stigma black.

Lycogaster apicipennis is between 16-18% different (K2P distance model) from other Trigonalidae in the ACG in the CO1 mtDNA barcode region.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, Mexico ( Carmean and Kimsey 1998).

Specimens examined.

10, 7 of which are barcoded. Deposited in USNM, INBio.

Hosts and biology.

The ACG caterpillar inventory has reared Lycogaster apicipennis 10 times (between 1990 and 2008), and always in lowland dry forest. Six rearings have been from Enicospilus flavostigmusDHJ02 ( Ichneumonidae ) parasitizing Boriza crossaea Druce ( Notodontidae ), once from Enicospilus flavostigma Hooker parasitizing Dicentria rusticaDHJ05 ( Notodontidae ), two from Cubus validusDHJ03 ( Ichneumonidae ) parasitizing Omiodes cuniculalis Guenée (a large leaf-rolling Crambidae ), respectively, and once from Bassus brooksi Sharkey (a large solitary Agathidinae Braconidae parasitizing Epargyreus in the Hesperiidae ). If these primary parasitoid genera are viewed as the possible host universe, 2,377 caterpillars attacked by them yielded 10 Lycogaster apicipennis (0.42% frequency). Alternatively, if we use the genera of the host caterpillars ( Boriza , Dicentria , Omiodes , Epargyreus ) in the inventory as the available universe, 17,007 reared wild caught caterpillars yielded these ten Lycogaster apicipennis (0.059% frequency). This is a low density hyperparasitoid. The first six rearings (1990-1995) were all from Enicospilus flavostigmusDHJ02 parasitizing Boriza crossaea in ACG, and it would have been reasonable to label this wasp as a specialist to this host combination, but subsequent rearings makes it evident that it is at best a specialist on relatively large primary parasitoid wasps (and there is no suggestion that it is a hyperparasitoid of tachinid fly larvae, despite their being commonplace primary parasitoids of Boriza crossaea ).

Figures

Figure 3. Lycogaster apicipennis female, lateral view.