Skip to main content
PMC home page
ZooKeys logoLink to ZooKeys
. 2014 Mar 14;(389):27–33. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.389.6066

A new species of Grotea Cresson (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Labeninae) from Colombia

Andrés Fabián Herrera-Flórez 1
PMCID: PMC3974430  PMID: 24715772

Abstract Abstract

The genus Grotea has 18 described species. A new species, Grotea villosissima sp. n., is described here and its host information included. This is the first record of Grotea for Colombia.

Keywords: Ichneumonoidea, Groteini, South America, Neotropics, taxonomy, bee parasitoid, Chilicola, Labeniformes, host record

Introduction

The Labeninae is a group of parasitoid wasps with a mainly Gondwanan distribution (Townes 1969; Gauld 1983; Wahl 1993, Gauld 2000); although most of its members occur in the Australasian or the Neotropical region, two of its genera, Labena and Grotea, occur in North America (Townes and Townes 1960; Slobodchikoff 1970, Gauld 2000). According to Gauld and Wahl (2000), those exceptions provide evidence of the spread of some members of this subfamily towards the north after the establishment of the Mesoamerican land bridge (Gauld and Wahl 2000, Gauld 2000).

The described species of Grotea can be grouped in 4 species-groups: Grotea anguina species-group, Grotea superba species-group, Grotea chiloe species-group and Grotea gayi species-group (Wahl 1993). According to Gauld and Wahl (2000) Grotea originated in southern South America, diversified in tropical South America, and colonized North America recently across the Mesoamerican land bridge. Proof of this is that the more basal taxa of Grotea are endemic to Chile and that the richness of species and the richness of species groups are highest in South America. Grotea comprises 18 species (Yu et al. 2005): 9 occur in South America, 8 in Central America and 3 in North America (Yu et al. 2005). From the 4 species-groups of Grotea, the anguina species-group is the only one that occurs outside the Gondwanan region (South America, south of equator) (Gauld 2000).

Grotea species parasitize bee hosts of the genera Ceratina Latreille, 1802 (Graenicher 1905; Rau 1928; Daly et al. 1967; Slobochikoff 1970), Chilicola Spinola, 1851 (Packer 2004; González and Giraldo 2009), Megachile Latreille, 1802 and Manuelia Vachal, 1905 (Janvier 1967; Gauld 2000; Gauld and Wahl 2000).

The aim of this paper is to describe a new species collected from a nest of Chilicola (subgenus Oroediscelis) deborahae Gonzalez, 2009 (Gonzalez and Giraldo 2009) found in Boyaca, Colombia. This is the first record of Grotea for Colombia.

Material and methods

A nest of Chilicola (Colletidae) was found by my colleague Victor González in dry branches of Espeletia argentea. A Grotea specimen emerged from one of the cells. After comparing this specimen with the descriptions made by Cameron (1886), Cresson (1864, 1874, 1879), Gauld (2000), Porter (1989), Schmiedeknecht (1907), Slobodchikoff (1970), Spinola (1851), Thunberg (1822) and Townes and Townes (1960) it was clear that the specimen belongs to a new species. The morphological terminology used in the description of Grotea villosissima sp. n. follows Gauld (1991, 2000).

The holotype is preserved at the Museo de Entomología “Francisco Luis Gallego”, Universidad Nacional, sede Medellín (UNCM).

Systematics

Genus Grotea Cresson, 1864

Grotea villosissima

Herrera-Flórez sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/C7B7AD5D-68C4-49BF-84E1-139B6EA04070

http://species-id.net/wiki/Grotea_villosissima

Figures 1 –10

Figures 1–5.

Figures 1–5.

Open in a new tab

Photographs of Grotea villosissima sp. n. 1 Head, mesosoma and first tergite, lateral view 2 Head, mesosoma, dorsal view 3 Part of mesosoma and metasoma, lateral view 4 Head and part of mesosoma, ventral view 5 Hind wing.

Figures 6–10.

Figures 6–10.

Open in a new tab

Line drawings of Grotea villosissima sp. n. 6 Habitus 7 Head, posterodorsal view 8 Head (showing detail of genal projection), posteroventral view 9 Propodeum, dorsal view 10 Wings.

Material examined.

Holotype: female, “COLOMBIA: Boyacá: Arcabuco. Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque, Camino de la Laguna, 5°70'N, 73°46'W, 3400–3600m, emergió de celda en nido de Chilicola (Oroediscelis) sp. n. (Apoidea, Colletidae). Ese nido estaba en ramas secas de Espeletia argentea, 23 Agosto 2003, leg.V.González (UNCM)”.

Diagnosis.

This new species can be recognized from other described species of Grotea by the following combination of characters: gena close to the junction of occipital and hypostomal carinae with inwards genal projections (Fig. 8); propodeum with anterior transverse carina centrally weak and indented (Fig. 9); metasoma with tergite I slender but slightly shorter than mesosoma and rather straight (Figs 1, 3, 6); ovipositor shorter than the fore wing (Fig. 6).

Description.

Female. Fore wing 7.4 mm long.

Head in dorsal view with gena behind eyes rounded (Fig. 7); posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.7 × its own maximum diameter (Fig. 7); genal projection present, laterally indistinct, ventroposteriorly evident; projection narrowing apically, horizontally oriented to inside of oral cavity; genal projections almost touching each other (Fig. 8); antenna with 35 flagellomeres (Fig. 6); flagellomere I 1.0 × as long as flagellomeres II and III combined. Epomia absent.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum smooth with isolated inconspicuous punctures; scutellum in profile weakly convex; hind wing with Cu1 strongly pigmented, not reaching margin (Figs 5, 10); propodeum (Fig. 9) 2.1–2.2 × as long as broad; anterior transverse carina complete, centrally weak and indented, thus not forming a smooth arc from side to side (area basalis posteriorly enclosed); pleural carina complete; posterior transverse carina complete, although laterally weak; lateral longitudinal carina complete (area spiracularis enclosed); lateromedian longitudinal carina reaching anterior transverse carina, then absent; area lateralis not enclosed internally, rectangular, about 2.3 × as long as broad, with posterolateral corner at right angle removed from lobe surrounding coxal insertion. Area superomedia not differentiated, basally and distally weak, laterally open.

Metasoma. Tergite I (Figs 1, 3, 6) straight (not bowed upwards) and slender, shorter than mesosoma (mesosoma 1.5 × as long as tergite I); tergite I at least 4 times as long as broad posteriorly; visible part of ovipositor 2.7–2.9 × as long as hind tibia (Fig. 6).

Color. (Figs 1–5).

A predominantly black species with head with yellow circumocular area and clypeus. Pronotum with two longitudinal yellow spots, along ventral and dorsal margins, and a submedial red spot towards posterior margin. Mesopleuron mostly red with two large black areas, one at epicnemium and other towards posterior margin, and a yellow spot close to tegula. Mesoscutum with yellow longitudinal spots distally. Scutellum mostly brownish anteriorly. Propodeum with brownish area basalis, area superomedia with yellow central spot, yellow areae petiolaris, posteroexterna and spiracularis, dull yellow area lateralis. Metasoma with extensively yellow marked tergites. Dull yellow ovipositor sheath. Fore and mid legs with extensively yellow-marked coxae and femora. Hind leg with extensively red marked coxa and femur. Fore wing hyaline.

Pubescense. Gena, vertex, mesosoma and metasoma with dense, whitish setae, setae longer on propleuron, pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron.

Etymology.

The name of this new Grotea species refers to its uncommon pubescence.

Discussion.

The 12 described species of the Grotea anguina species-group have backwards-directed genal projections whilst Grotea villosissima sp. n. has inwards-projecting genal projections (Fig. 8).

The three described species of the Grotea chiloe species-group have an upwards bowed first tergite, whilst Grotea villosissima sp. n. has a straight first tergite (Figs 1, 3, 6).

The two described species of the Grotea gayi species-group lack genal projections, have a strong epomia and have a fully closed area superomedia. Grotea villosissima sp. n. has genal projections (Fig. 8), lacks epomia and has an incomplete area superomedia (Fig. 9).

Grotea superba, the only described species of the Grotea superba species-group, is similar to Grotea villosissima sp. n. in having a straight first tergite (Figs 1, 3, 6). However, Grotea superba has sharp downwards-projecting genal projections, 43 flagellomeres, 9.0–12.5 mm fore wing length, hind wing with a strongly pigmented Cu1 reaching the margin of the wing, and ovipositor always longer than the fore wing. Grotea villosissima sp. n. has inwards-projecting genal projections, 35 flagellomeres, 7.4 mm fore wing length, hind wing with Cu1 not reaching margin of the wing (Fig. 5, 10) and ovipositor shorter than the fore wing (Fig. 6). Finally, there are also clear differences in the color pattern between these two species (e.g. black flagellum with a white ring between flagellomeres 24 to 42 in Grotea superba and a black flagellum (Figs 1, 3) in Grotea villosissima sp. n.). All the differences between Grotea villosissima sp. n. and the described species of Grotea make the inclusion of this new species into any of the species-groups proposed by Wahl (1993) uncertain.

Grotea villosissima sp. n. is the first species of Grotea recorded from Colombia, where at least 5 more species of this genus occur (Gonzalez and Giraldo 2009).

Supplementary Material

XML Treatment for Grotea villosissima
zookeys.389.6066-treatment1.xml (12.3KB, xml)

Acknowledgements

Edgard E. Palacio loaned the specimen that during the study belonged to his personal collection and now is housed by the Museo de Entomología “Francisco Luis Gallego”, Universidad Nacional, sede Medellín (UNCM). Consuelo García from the Herbarium of Universidad de Antioquia (HUA) made the drawings. Luciana Bueno dos Reis Fernandes edited the figures. Monique Dumontet, Kathy Block and Tim Podolsky reviewed the text. Ricardo Callejas, Fernando J. Muñoz-Quesada, Fernando Fernández, John Alveiro Quiroz, Diego Campos, Allan H. Smith, Víctor Hugo González and Juan Manuel Vargas advised me during the undergraduate project that generated this publication. DEGSA (Department of Entomology Graduate Student Association) and UMGSA (University of Manitoba Graduate Student Association) gave me financial support for this publication.

Citation

Herrera-Flórez AF (2014) A new species of Grotea Cresson (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Labeninae) from Colombia. ZooKeys 389: 27–33. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.389.6066

References

  1. Cameron P. (1886) Hymenoptera. In: Godman FD, Salvin O (Eds) Biologia Centrali Americana; or, Contributions to the knowledge of the fauna and flora of Mexico and Central America, Zoology 1: 241-328 [Google Scholar]
  2. Cresson ET. (1864) Description of two new genera of North American Ichneumonidae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia 3: 397-402 [Google Scholar]
  3. Cresson ET. (1874) Descriptions of Mexican Ichneumonidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 1873: 374-413 [Google Scholar]
  4. Cresson ET. (1879) Description of Ichneumonidae, chiefly from the Pacific slope of the United States and British North America. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 30(1878): 348-381 [Google Scholar]
  5. Daly HV, Stage GI, Brown T. (1967) Natural enemies of the bee genus Ceratina (Hymenoptera: Apidea). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 60: 1273–1282 [Google Scholar]
  6. Gauld ID. (1983) Classification evolution and distribution of the Labeninae, an ancient southern group of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera). Systematic Entomology 8: 167-178. 10.1111/j.1365-3113.1983.tb00477.x [Google Scholar]
  7. Gauld ID. (1991) The Ichneumonidae of Costa Rica 1. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 47: 1-589 [Google Scholar]
  8. Gauld ID. (2000) The Ichneumonidae of Costa Rica 3. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 63: 1-453. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2000.tb00015.x [Google Scholar]
  9. Gauld ID, Wahl DB. (2000) The Labeninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): a study in phylogenetic reconstruction and evolutionary biology. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 129: 271-347. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2000.tb00015.x [Google Scholar]
  10. González VH, Giraldo C. (2009) New Andean bee species of Chilicola Spinola (Hymenoptera: Colletidae, Xeromelissinae) with notes on their biology. Caldasia 31(1): 145-154 [Google Scholar]
  11. Graenicher S. (1905) On the habits of two ichneumonid parasites of the bee Ceratina dupla Say. Entomological News 16: 43-49 [Google Scholar]
  12. Janvier H. (1967) Estudio biológico de algunos Himenopteros de Chile. Publicaciones del Centro de Estudios Entomologicos 9: 1-58 [Google Scholar]
  13. Packer L. (2004) Taxonomic and behavioural notes on Patagonian Xeromelissinae with the description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Colletidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 77(78): 95-110 [Google Scholar]
  14. Porter CC. (1989) Una revision taxonomica de los Groteini Chilenos (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Acta Entomologica Chilena 15: 143-162 [Google Scholar]
  15. Rau P. (1928) The nesting habits of the little carpenter-bee, Ceratina calcarata. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 21: 380-397 [Google Scholar]
  16. Schmiedeknecht O. (1907) Hymenoptera. Fam. Ichneumonidae. Subfamilie Pimplinae. Genera Insectorum 62: 1-120 [Google Scholar]
  17. Slobodchikoff CN. (1970) A revision of the genus Grotea (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 46: 50-63 [Google Scholar]
  18. Spinola M. (1851) Himenopteros. In: Gay C. (Ed) Historia fisica y politica de Chile.Zoologia 6: 153–569
  19. Thunberg CP. (1822) Ichneumonoidea, Insecta Hymenoptera illustrate. Memoires de l’Academie Imperiale des Sciences de Saint Petersbourg 8: 249-281 [Google Scholar]
  20. Townes H. (1969) Genera of Ichneumonidae 1. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 11: 1-300 [Google Scholar]
  21. Townes H, Townes M. (1960) Ichneumon-Flies of America North of Mexico: 2. Subfamilies Ephialtinae, Xoridinae, Acaenitinae. United States National Museum Bulletin 216(2): 1-676. 10.5479/si.03629236.216.1-2 [Google Scholar]
  22. Wahl DB. (1993) Cladistics of the ichneumonid subfamily Labeninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Entomologia Generalis 18: 91-105. 10.1127/entom.gen/18/1993/91 [Google Scholar]
  23. Yu DS, van Achterberg K, Horstmann K. (2005) World Ichneumonoidea 2004. Taxonomy, Biology, Morphology and Distribution. Taxapad, CD/DVD, Vancouver, Canada [Google Scholar]

Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

XML Treatment for Grotea villosissima
zookeys.389.6066-treatment1.xml (12.3KB, xml)

Articles from ZooKeys are provided here courtesy of Pensoft Publishers

RESOURCES