Abstract
Wing reduction is well known in the cyclostome lineage of Braconidae, but very unusual in non-cyclostome groups. A new species from New Zealand, Meteorus orocrambivorus, the first micropterous species of the non-cyclostome and cosmopolitan genus Meteorus, is described. Phylogenetic analysis places it close to M. versicolor, a macropterous parasitoid of macrolepidoptera. Details about its host relationships, plant associations and habitat suggest that the necessity of succeeding in cryptic environments may explain the wing modification. A possible case of Batesian mimicry with ants could explain the extreme sexual dimorphism.
Highlights
Wing reduction is relatively common within the New Zealand braconid fauna. Iqbal et al (2003) pointed out that 75% of doryctine species displaying wing reductions occur in the Australasian Region, and this proportion is steadily increasing (Austin and Jennings 2009, Belokobylskij and Kula 2012, Belokobylskij and Austin 2013)
Females do not need to travel long distances, and the flight apparatus is reduced in favor of increasing reproduction; 3) increases in latitude and altitude are positively correlated with stable environments, and as a consequence, they lead to wing reduction; 4) a tight association with concealed, protected, and narrow niches drives the loss of wings because such structures can become a handicap to moving into small and cryptic habitats
Meteorus versicolor belongs to clade IIB proposed by Stigenberg and Ronquist (2011); their phylogenetic analysis partly agrees with Maeto’s work (1990), which was based on morphology
Summary
Wing reduction is relatively common within the New Zealand braconid fauna. Iqbal et al (2003) pointed out that 75% of doryctine species displaying wing reductions occur in the Australasian Region, and this proportion is steadily increasing (Austin and Jennings 2009, Belokobylskij and Kula 2012, Belokobylskij and Austin 2013). Some of them overlapping, have been proposed to explain the origins of wing reduction in groups where it is considered an exception to the general rule, i.e. taxa mainly composed of winged species, such as the Braconidae. Such taxa rely on flight for dispersal to accomplish mating, foraging and colonization of new habitats. Females do not need to travel long distances, and the flight apparatus is reduced in favor of increasing reproduction; 3) increases in latitude and altitude are positively correlated with stable environments (for example, alpine habitats), and as a consequence, they lead to wing reduction; 4) a tight association with concealed, protected, and narrow niches drives the loss of wings because such structures can become a handicap to moving into small and cryptic habitats
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