E. kopis sp. nov. subgroup

Recognition. Individuals of the E. kopis sp. nov. subgroup have the postsutural thoracic vittae fused into a single large vitta covering most of the postsutural area (e.g., Figs 1A–C, 15), and usually the presutural vittae are fused into two. All known females of these species possess piercers with a basal bend in lateral view (Figs 69, 106–108) and the end tergite halves either partially or entirely fused along the mid line (Figs 121–123).

Relationships and ecology. The species E. gustavogutierrezi sp. nov., E. ritavargasae sp. nov., and E. kopis sp. nov. appear to form a clade split basally from the remaining species of the E. ferox group (Fig. 1). The mean genetic distance between the E. kopis sp. nov. subgroup and the E. ferox and E. gladiatrix subgroups is 0.04, much higher than the distances between E. kopis subgroup species (0.000 –0.026). Larvae of these entirely Neotropical species parasitize a variety of Lepidoptera families including Depressaridae, Oecophoridae, Tortricidae, and Pyralidae .