Tuesday, October 2, 2012

[Hymenoptera • 2011] Colastomion Baker (Braconidae, Rogadinae): nine new species from Papua New Guinea reared from Crambidae

Colastomion gregarius sp. n. light photomicrographs. 
2 Habitus, lateral view 3 face 4 head and mesosoma, lateral view 5 basal venation of fore wing.


Abstract 
Nine new species of Colastomion Baker are described, illustrated and keyed based on series of specimens reared from caterpillars of crambid moths from lowland Papua New Guinea plus one additional field collected specimen, viz. Colastomion cheesmanae Quicke sp. n., Colastomion crambidiphagus Quicke sp. n., Colastomion gregarius Quicke sp. n., Colastomion maclayi Quicke sp. n., Colastomion madangensis Quicke sp. n., Colastomion masalaii Quicke sp. n., Colastomion parotiphagus Quicke sp. n., Colastomion pukpuk Quicke sp. n. and Colastomion wanang Quicke sp. n. Most species are morphologically easily distinguished but DNA barcoding additionally reveals a pair of exceedingly similar species (Colastomion pukpuk sp. n. and Colastomion maclayi sp. n.) that might otherwise have gone unrecognised. The new species each appear to be relatively specialised on their host species and all parasitize only caterpillars of Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae. 

Keywords: cytochrome oxidase I, DNA barcoding, Lepidoptera, hosts, Rogadini, Crambidae

Quicke, D.L.J., Smith, M.A., Miller, S.E., Hrcek, J., Butcher, B. 2012, Colastomion Baker (Braconidae, Rogadinae): nine new species from Papua New Guinea reared from Crambidae. Journal of Hymenoptera Research.28: 85–121.  doi: 10.3897/JHR.28.3484