Trichogramma lasallei Pinto, 1999

Diagnosis. Flagelliform setae long with apex uniformly pointed; scutellum with distinct, dark anterior setae; ventral ridge short, with anterior limit indistinct; ventral processes far from the base of intervolsellar process, which is short.

Comments. This species resembles T. bruni and T. rojasi; however, it differs from both in having the ventral processes far from the base of the intervolsellar process and a short ventral ridge. Trichogramma lasallei and T. rojasi were also characterized by molecular techniques (GenBank ID AF282237.1 and GenBank ID AF282239.1, respectively) (Ciociola et al. 2001). Trichogramma bellaunionense is similar to T. lasallei morphologically (see Comments on T. bellaunionense).

Type repository. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.

Type locality. Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Distribution in South America. Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Hosts. Trichogramma lasallei parasitizes several major pests such as Anticarsia gemmatalis ( Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on soybeans in Brazil, Diatraea saccharalis ( Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on sugarcane in Uruguay, and Diatraea sp. on rice in Venezuela.