Abstract
The microgastrine parasitoid wasp Apanteles hemara Nixon, 1965, is currently being considered as a potential biocontrol agent of amaranth leaf-webber pests in Africa. To facilitate future research and identification of the species, we characterize it from an integrative taxonomy perspective by providing a comprehensive morphological redescription, extensive illustrations (including the first images of the holotype), DNA barcodes, wasp biology, host data (Choreutidae and Crambidae caterpillars), and updated geographical distribution of the species (including eight new country records). Despite a wide distribution across four major biogeographical regions (mostly within the Old World tropics), the species seems to be relatively uniform from a molecular and morphological perspective, based on studied specimens from Africa and Asia.
Highlights
Apanteles hemara was described more than 50 years ago (Nixon 1965), and even at that time it was considered to have a wide distribution
The species has been recorded from many countries: Australia, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, China, Cyprus, France, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Madeira Islands, Mauritius, mainland Portugal, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, mainland Spain, Turkey, Vietnam, and the former Yugoslavia (Austin 1992, Papp 1988, 2007, 2012, Long and Belokobylskij 2003, Shaw 2012, Kedar and Kumaranag 2013, Madl and van Achterberg 2014, Yu et al 2016)
The host species attacked by A. hemara are varied: it has been considered a regular solitary parasitoid of Tebenna micalis (Mann, 1857) (Choreutidae), wherever both species occur (Shaw 2012), but it is recorded from several species of Crambidae: Cnaphalocrocis trapezalis (Guenée, 1854), Herpetogramma stultalis (Walker, 1859), Hydriris ornatalis (Duponchel, 1832), Omiodes indicata (Fabricius, 1775), Spoladea recurvalis (Fabricius, 1775) and Udea ferrugalis (Hübner, 1796) (Long and Belokobylskij 2004, Papp 2012, Madl and van Achterberg 2014, Yu et al 2016)
Summary
Apanteles hemara was described more than 50 years ago (Nixon 1965), and even at that time it was considered to have a wide distribution. In order to better characterize the species, this paper provides the first molecular information for Apanteles hemara (DNA barcodes), expands the known distribution to an additional eight countries, and presents the first color pictures of the species, including the holotype. A. van Harten, voucher code: CNC666414 (1 specimen, CNC); Fujairah, Fujairah, 25.1333 56.350000, light trap, 13–29.xi.2005, coll.
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