Description and biology of two new egg parasitoid species (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) reared from eggs of Heliconiini butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) in Panama
Author
Woelke, Jozef B.
Author
Fursov, Viktor N.
Author
Gumovsky, Alex V.
Author
Rijk, Marjolein de
Author
Estrada, Catalina
Author
Verbaarschot, Patrick
Author
Huigens, Martinus E.
Author
Fatouros, Nina E.
text
Journal of Natural History
2019
2019-05-08
53
11
639
657
journal article
10.1080/00222933.2019.1606360
5f59c6eb-bc48-43e2-a98c-c5a62f2dbf10
1464-5262
3675477
941854EE-4A47-4A98-B88E-1EC19D83D074
Trichogramma chagres
Fursov and Woelke
,
sp. nov
.
(
Figures 2
and
3
)
Diagnosis
Trichogramma chagres
sp. nov.
is characterized by a wide GC (about 2.21–2.30 times as long as wide,
Figure 2
(b,c)), very wide DLA (
Figure 2
(c)), very long, narrow and apically sharp IVP (
Figure 2
(b)), long and sharp setae of antennae (about 1.92–2.11 times as long as width of clava,
Figure 2
(c)). The new species is morphologically close to
T. benetti
Nagaraja and Nagarkatti
,
T. drepanoforum
Pinto and Oatman
and
T. atopovirilia
Oatman and Platner
, but it is distinguishable from them all in the possession of the distinctly long and narrow IVP (about 1.21–1.57 times as long as wide,
Figure 2
(c)), which is much shorter and wider in the other species (
Nagaraja and Nagarkatti 1973
;
Oatman and Platner 1983
;
Querino and Zucchi 2005
). Apart from the shape of IVP,
T. chagres
sp. nov.
differs from
T. bennetti
in having a very narrow base of GC (
Figure 2
(b,c)) (it is widened basally in
T. bennetti
). The new species is distinguishable from both
T. drepanoforum
and
T. bennetti
in having the wide DLA shaped like a spade with a subtriangular tip (
Figure 2
(c)) (the tip of DLA is evenly acute in both
T. drepanoforum
and
T. bennetti
). Also, the tip of DLA is extended beyond the tips of vorsellar digiti in
T. chagres
sp. nov.
(
Figure 2
(b,c)), unlike in
T. bennetti
.
Trichogramma chagres
sp. nov.
(
Figure 2
(b,c)) is also distinguishable from
T. atopovirilia
in having a short vorsellar digiti, whereas they are sharp and much longer in the latter species. IVP of
T. atopovirilia
is very short, broadly triangular, with 3 tiny ribs on its tip, whereas IVP is long, narrow and with sharp arrow-like tip in
T. chagres
sp. nov.
GC is suboval and much broader, with ratio GL/GW about
1.70 in
T. atopovirilia
, whereas it is more slender and narrow, with GL/GW = 2.21–2.30 (avg. 2.24) in
T. chagres
sp. nov.
Description
Based on
holotype
and
3 paratype male
specimens.
Colour of head and antennae yellow; meso- and metasoma dark brown, except bright yellow axillae, propodeum and base of gaster. All legs yellow, except hind femora and tibiae which are dirty yellow-brown.
Antenna (
Figure 2
(d)) with flagellum 5.26–6.51 (avg. 5.67) times as long as maximum width, 1.92–2.11 (avg. 1.95) times as long as length of scape; SL/FW = 2.85–3.43 (avg. 3.10). Number of flagellar setae 35–38 (
Figure 2
(d)).
GL (
Figure 2
(b,c)) 112.25–137.18 μm (avg. 122.73), GW 50.87–62.11 (avg. 55.50), DA-L 82.15–105.89 (avg. 90.03). DLA-L 23.62–38.29 (avg. 30.85), DLA-W 29.39–33.14 (avg. 31.66); IVP-L 6.97–13.22 (avg. 8.76), IVP-W 4.62–9.90 (avg. 6.18); AD 25.51–38.86 (avg. 31.83); PL 25.81–38.29 (avg. 30.80); AL-B 42.13–44.94 (avg. 44.69); AL 85.63–116.85 (avg. 97.39).
GC wide, with wide DLA, GL/GW = 2.21–2.30 (avg. 2.24), but very narrow at the base (
Figure 2
(b,c)), widest medially or subapically (at distance of 0.53 of GL), then sharply narrowed to the top, with elongated dorsal aperture. DA-L/GL = 0.70–0.78 (avg. 0.74). DLA very wide, spade-shaped, without basal lobes, but with small sharp lateral-apical notches, with nearly parallel lateral sides and with rounded and slightly sharpened apical part (
Figure 2
(c)), extended over apical parts of parameres (
Figure 2
(b,c)). DLA-L/DLA-W = 0.81–1.18 (avg. 0.98). GW/DLA-W = 1.60–1.92 (avg. 1.77). DLA-L/GL = 0.47–0.50 (avg. 0.49). Apex of DLA not extending beyond apical part of parameres, but extending beyond apices of vorsellar digiti (
Figure 2
(b)). IVP sclerotized, large, with wide base and with sharp teeth-like apex (
Figure 2
(b)). IVP-L/IVP-W = 1.21–1.57 (avg. 1.42). AD/IVP-L = 2.58–5.19 (avg. 3.76). AD/GL = 0.23–0.31 (avg. 0.27). Apical part of GC narrowed gradually, without curvature. Parameres extending to the apex of vorsellar digiti at a distance 1.56–2.75 (avg. 2.07) as long as IVP (
Figure 2
(b)). PL/ DLA-L = 0.77–1.28 (avg. 1.04). DA-L/GL = 0.71–0.78 (avg. 0.75). AL/GL = 0.47–0.50 (avg. 0.49). AL-B/AL = 0.73–0.86 (avg. 0.82).
Wings. Fore and hind wings transparent. MV with three large and four small setae (
Figure 2
(e)). Hind wing with 1–2 setae in anterior, 16–21 setae in middle and 5–8 setae in posterior setal track; fringe with 17–20 short anterior and 24–25 long posterior setae; FL/HWW = 1.52–1.68.
Material examined
Holotype
male
.
(SIZK),
PANAMA
,
Pipeline Road
,
9°08
ʹ
31.8
ʺ
N
,
79°43
ʹ
30.6
ʺ
W
, collected
11 March 2008
from
egg
of
Heliconiini
butterfly (
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
Passiflora
foetida var. isthmia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll.
J.B. Woelke
and
M. de Rijk
),
specimen
on glass slide under 2 small cover slips (genitalia under right side cover slip), circled with black ink, on slide no. 2019 (strain L21) (in
Canada
balsam).
Paratypes
.
same data (all from strain L21),
1 female
on slide no. 2019 (SIZK);
1 male
and
1 female
on slide no. 2020 (SIZK);
1 male
and
1 female
on slide no. 2021 (RMNH);
1 male
and
1 female
on slide no. 2022 (NHMUK) (all in
Canada
balsam).
Additional material.
(SIZK) same label (strain L23, this parasitized
Heliconiini
egg was collected on the same plant, date and location as strain L21),
5 males
and
4 females
on slide no. 1875;
3 males
and
3 females
on slide no. 1876;
3 males
and
3 females
on slide no. 1877;
3 males
and
3 females
on slide no. 1878 (all in
Canada
balsam).
PANAMA
, Gamboa,
9°07
ʹ
05.8
ʺ
N
,
79°41
ʹ
41.1
ʺ
W
, collected
3 April 2008
from egg of
Heliconiini
butterfly (
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
P. vitifolia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll. J.B. Woelke and M. de Rijk), strain L31 (SIZK),
3 males
and
2 females
on slide no. 1871;
3 males
and
3 females
on slide no. 1872;
3 males
and
3 females
on slide no. 1873;
5 males
and
4 females
on slide no. 1874 (all in Canada balsam).
Field records.
Panama
, Pipeline Road,
9°08
ʹ
31.8
ʺ
N
,
79°43
ʹ
30.6
ʺ
W
, #112,
7 females
and
2 males
collected
26 February 2008
from egg of
Agraulis vanillae vanillae
(
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
Passiflora foetida var. isthmia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll. J.B. Woelke and M. de Rijk).
Panama
, Pipeline Road,
9°08
ʹ
31.8
ʺ
N
,
79°43
ʹ
30.6
ʺ
W
, #295 (origin of strain L21)
10 females
and
2 males
collected
11 March 2008
from egg of
Heliconiini
butterfly (
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
Passiflora foetida var. isthmia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll. J.B. Woelke and M. de Rijk).
Panama
, Pipeline Road,
9°08
ʹ
31.8
ʺ
N
,
79°43
ʹ
30.6
ʺ
W
, #300,
6 females
and
1 male
collected
11 March 2008
from egg of
Heliconiini
butterfly (
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
Passiflora foetida var. isthmia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll. J. B. Woelke and M. de Rijk).
Panama
, Pipeline Road,
9°08
ʹ
31.8
ʺ
N
,
79°43
ʹ
30.6
ʺ
W
, #301 (origin of strain L23)
10 females
and
2 males
collected
11 March 2008
from egg of
Heliconiini
butterfly (
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
Passiflora foetida var. isthmia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll. J.B. Woelke and M. de Rijk).
Panama
, Gamboa,
9°07
ʹ
05.8
ʺ
N
,
79°41
ʹ
41.1
ʺ
W
, #1039 (origin of strain L31), unknown number of wasps collected
3 April 2008
from egg of
Heliconiini
butterfly (
Lepidoptera
:
Nymphalidae
:
Heliconiinae
) found on
P. vitifolia
(
Malpighiales
:
Passifloraceae
) (coll. J.B. Woelke and M. de Rijk).
Host
Wasps were reared from eggs of
Agraulis vanillae vanillae
(
Figure 1
(g,h)) and
Heliconiini
spp. found on
Passiflora foetida
L.
var. isthmia
Killip
(
Figure 1
(d)) and
P. vitifolia
Kunth
(
Figure 1
(e)).
Biology
Idiobiont endoparasitoid. All specimens of this species were reared from collected eggs of
Heliconiini
butterflies, which were deposited on
Passiflora
plants. The collected wasps had an average of 8.25 ± 2.06 SD females and 1.75 ± 0.50 SD males per egg, and a sex-ratio of 21.21%. More specific information about strain L21 (
Figure 3
), L23 and L31 (
Figure S1
). Females actively oviposit into fresh and relatively mature host eggs (with red bands) (
Figure 3
(a–c), S1a,b). The freshly laid parasitoid egg is
0.08–0.09 mm
long (
Figure 3
(d), S1c), developing embryo within the egg (24 h after oviposition) is about
0.15 mm
long and
0.05 mm
wide (in its widest part) (
Figure S1d,e
). The newly hatched larva is about
0.1 mm
long, with distinct head capsule bearing mandibles and three thoracic segments separated by deep constrictions, unsegmented abdomen and a caudal formation behind (
Figure 3
(e)). The mature fully fed larva is about
0.7 mm
long,
0.4 mm
wide, with pulsing mid gut full of consumed host yolk, with remnants of caudal bladder (membranes) behind (
Figure 3
(f–h), S
1g
,h). No moults were traced during the larval development, and the mandibles of hatching and mature larvae are of the same size, about
0.01 mm
long (
Figure S1f
).
Distribution
Panama
, tropical lowland rainforest of the Soberania National Park (Parque Nacional Soberanía) (
Figure 1
(c)), and in the town of Gamboa and surroundings.
Etymology
The Chagres (in Spanish:
Rio Chagres
) is the largest river (
193 km
) in the
Panama
Canal watershed. The river that surrounds our research areas, making a sharp bend around the town of Gamboa.
Sequence analysis
MegaBLAST analysis revealed that our Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS-2) sequences of
T. chagres
sp. nov.
matched with 40% query cover and 89% identity to
T. chilotraeae
Nagaraja and Nagarkatti in GenBank. Sequence
ID
T. chagres
sp. nov.
:
MK159692
.