Cryptic diversity of Leurus wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae), parasitoids of caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

As a consequence of COI barcoding hundreds of reared specimens of what appeared to be Leurus caeruliventris, a parasitoid of leaf-rolling Crambidae (Lepidoptera) from the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, and matching them with their host caterpillars and morphological traits, we describe ten new sympatric species and redescribe L. caeruliventris. The new species, authored by Zuñiga & Valerio, are: Leurus billeberhardi, L. henrytownesi, L. hugokonsi, L. iangauldi, L. jesusugaldei, L. marjorietownesae, L. maryjanewestae, L. pammitchellae, L. sondrawardae, and L. wahli. We also provide an illustrated key to the eleven species and an ecological glimpse into the lives of these very similar wasp species.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zootaxa
Published
2024-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5529.3.5
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.06
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article

Cryptic diversity of Leurus wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae), parasitoids of caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Alejandro Valerio, Daniel H. Janzen, Ronald Zuñiga, Paul Hanson et al.
2 citations
Zootaxa
Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
2.06
article

Cryptic diversity of Leurus wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae), parasitoids of caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Alejandro Valerio, Daniel H. Janzen, Ronald Zuñiga, Paul Hanson, Winnie Hallwachs, M. Alex Smith
article en
2 citations

Abstract

As a consequence of COI barcoding hundreds of reared specimens of what appeared to be Leurus caeruliventris, a parasitoid of leaf-rolling Crambidae (Lepidoptera) from the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, and matching them with their host caterpillars and morphological traits, we describe ten new sympatric species and redescribe L. caeruliventris. The new species, authored by Zuñiga & Valerio, are: Leurus billeberhardi, L. henrytownesi, L. hugokonsi, L. iangauldi, L. jesusugaldei, L. marjorietownesae, L. maryjanewestae, L. pammitchellae, L. sondrawardae, and L. wahli. We also provide an illustrated key to the eleven species and an ecological glimpse into the lives of these very similar wasp species.

ZootaxaVol. 5529(3)
Universidad de Costa Rica (CR), Guanacaste Conservation Area (CR), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería de Costa Rica (CR), University of Pennsylvania (US), University of Guelph (CA)
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
2.06
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