Body length 6.5 – 6.9 mm. Ovipositor length 5.3 – 5.6 mm. Gena rounded or with an obtuse angle posterolaterally. Longitudinal groove on interantennal prominence absent. Protuberances on occiput absent. Propodeum with carinae forming areolae, median areola rounded anteriorly. Notauli well-impressed, smooth without crenulae, or with one or two crenulae restricted to extreme anterior apex along border of mesoscutum. Posterior margin of syntergum 2+3 convex, covering most of terminal terga. Median syntergite 2 + 3 striate between lobes, first lobe usually smooth but varies from smooth to weakly rugose; second lobe varies from smooth to weakly rugose to striate; third lobe always smooth medially; fourth lobe varies from weakly striate to weakly rugose to smooth. Forewing mostly or entirely infuscate. Color as in Figs 20, 21. Color variation: Quite consistent in color. The propodeum may be pale posteriorly. The pale color of the abdomen is almost always yellow but it is orange in a few specimens.

BOLD process ID/Janzen parasitoid voucher/GenBank accession:

ASBC962-07/DHJPAR0021150/JN034721

ASHYC4672-10/DHJPAR0037927/JN034720

ASHYM043-08/DHJPAR0023291/JN034719

ASAG218-07/DHJPAR0015532/JN034718

ASHYD1531-09/DHJPAR0036340/JN034717

ASHYF030-09/DHJPAR0028268/JN034716

ASHYD1533-09/DHJPAR0036342/JN034715

ASHYD1534-09/DHJPAR0036343/JN034714

ASHYE1634-09/DHJPAR0036723/JN034713

ASHYE268-08/DHJPAR0028031/JN034712

ASHYD2379-10/DHJPAR0038806/JN034711

ASBC979-07/DHJPAR0021167/JN034721

ASHYC4673-10/DHJPAR0037928/JN034709

ASHYC4672-10/DHJPAR0037927/JN034720

Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. Click here for a distribution map.

This wasp is the only species of Lytopylus found to date using Zeuzerodes caenosa (Thyrididae) as its host caterpillar (26 wasp rearings from 193 rearings of wild caught Zeuzerodes caenosa caterpillars), and apparently uses only this caterpillar. These parasitoid rearings are from the small rain forest trees Mortoniodendron costaricense (Tiliaceae, n =16) and Quararibea funebris (Bombacaceae, n = 10). Although the DNA barcode cluster contains significant divergence (max K2P 4.98%, average 1.216%), there is no morphological or ecological indication that these host-tree records suggest a wasp species complex, but rather, that the wasp finds Zeuzerodes caenosa wherever it is.

Zeuzerodes caenosa caterpillars construct a leaf roll shelter as described for Dysodia, but it is more sloppy and loose-fitting to the caterpillar, seemingly with more room to move around in (and perhaps in which to flee from a wasp ovipositor). The wasp cocoon is spun inside the caterpillar prepupal chamber (Fig. 22) but usually kills the prepupal caterpillar before it has had the occasion to spin a full (and very tough) cocoon.

In ACG rain forest, Zeuzerodes caenosa is used only by Lytopylus mingfangi, with the exception of a single unidentified tachinid fly parasitoid record.

Of all 5,700+ rearings of ACG Thyrididae caterpillars, only these two Lytopylus species appear to be regular users of the thryridid caterpillar fauna. The single rearing of Austroearinus niger and of Therophilus Sharkey01 from Thyrididae suggest that these two species of wasps normally use other species of host caterpillars, leaving Lytopylus mingfangi and Lytopylus jessiehillae as the two agathidine parasitoids of the ACG thyridids known to date.

Named in honor of Ming Fang of Hawaii and China, who has enthusiastically supported the conservation of the ACG forest occupied by this parasitoid wasp.

Holotype: ♀, H8016 (DHJPAR0040338), Costa Rica: Guanacaste: Area de Conservación Guanacaste: Sector San Cristobal: Tajo Angeles, 7.viii.2010, 10.86472N, 85.4153W, 540m [AEI].

Paratypes [AEI, HIC, INBio]: Costa Rica: Guanacaste and Alajuela: Area de Conservación Guanacaste: Sector San Cristobal: Rio Blanco Abajo, 10.90037N, 85.3725W, 500m: ♀H7055 (DHJPAR0021150) 18.vii.2007. ♂ H7062 (DHJPAR0021167) 5.viii.2007. San Gabriel, 10.87766N, 85.3934W, 645m: ♀ H6416 (DHJPAR0023291) 9.vii.2007. ♀ H7059 (DHJPAR0028031) 3.vii.2008. ♀ H7058 (DHJPAR0037927) 10.xi.2009. ♂ H7057 (DHJPAR0038806) 11.iii.2010. ♂ H7061 (DHJPAR0037928) 12.xi.2009. Sendero Carmona, 10.87621N, 85.3863W, 670m: ♀ H7060 (DHJPAR0028268) 28.viii.2008. Sendero Colegio, 10.89296N/85.3788. 520m: ♀ H7064 (DHJPAR0015532) 31.x.2005. Sendero Corredor, 10.87868N, 85.3896W, 620m.♀ H7054 (DHJPAR0036723) 22.viii.2009. Tajo Angeles, 10.86472N, 85.4153W, 540m: ♀ H6626 (DHJPAR0036342) 8.viii.2009. ♀ H7961 (DHJPAR0041593) 25.x.2010. ♀ H7052 (DHJPAR0036344) 9.viii.2009. ♀ H7905 (DHJPAR0041599) 13.viii.2010. ♀ H8014 (DHJPAR0040346) 4.viii.2010. ♀ H7065 (DHJPAR0036340) 7.viii.2009. ♂ H7051 (DHJPAR0038907) 28.viii.2010. H7053 (DHJPAR0036343) 7.viii.2009. H7955 (DHJPAR0041595) 11.x.2010. ♂ H7952 (DHJPAR0041590) 25.x.2010. Sector Rincon Rain Forest: Sendero Albergue Crater, 10.84866N, 85.3281W, 980m: ♀ H7056 (DHJPAR0037916) 6.xi.2009.