Abstract

This research focuses on the discovery, description and biology of several new species within the braconid genera Andesipolis and Aleiodes. Specimens obtained for the study were reared from Lepidoptera larvae in the northeastern Andes of Ecuador, one of the world's hotspots of global biodiversity. One new species of Andesipolis, A. yanayacu, was described. Illustrations of the adult wasp, parasitoid cocoon and host caterpillar are given for this species. A. yanayacu represents the northernmost distribution record for this genus which has previously only been known to occur in the Andean region of Chile. A. yanayacu was reared from a shelter-building Pyralidae species feeding on Phenax rugosus and Boehmeria bullata (Urticaceae) yielding the first ever biological observations for the genus. Based on morphological data and biological observations, the subfamily placement of Andesipolis is changed from Mesostoinae to Rhysipolinae. Nine new species of Aleiodes are also described and illustrated: A. aclydis, A. albiterminus, A. arbitrium, A. atripileatus, A. capillosus, A. greeneyi, A. nebulosus, A. speciosus and A. stilpnos. Because of the difficulties in distinguishing neotropical species that belong to the circumscriptus and gastritor species-groups, a larger species-group combining the two, termed the circumscriptus/gastritor species-group, was created. The new species described in this study belonged to the seriatus, albitibia, gressitti, and circumscriptus/gastritor species-groups, respectively. A. capillosus represents the first species belonging to the gressitti species-group found in the Neotropics. Of the 34 previously described species of Aleiodes from the Neotropics, only 13 have known biologies. The Aleiodes species in this study were reared from the families Geometridae and Noctuidae, two of the most common host families of other Aleiodes species not only in the Neotropics but worldwide. This study greatly increased biological information of Aleiodes in the Neotropics.