ZooKeys 633: A Biodiversity Hotspot for Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in North America Annotated Species Checklist for Ottawa, Canada

About this book

Microgastrinae wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are a group of parasitoid wasps that attack caterpillars and play an important role in the natural biocontrol of agriculture and forestry pests. Over 2,700 species are known worldwide, but at the regional or local level our knowledge is very incomplete, with few biodiversity inventories available and most published information not being comprehensive enough to capture the actual diversity of species. Based on the analysis of almost 2,000 specimens, collected between 1894 and 2010, and housed in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, this paper records 158 species within 21 different genera of Microgastrinae for the city of Ottawa and surroundings (Canada). Two new species for North America and two additional species records for Canada and Ontario, as well as dozens of new additions to the regional fauna are reported. The results represent by far the highest number of species ever recorded for a locality in North America, and highlight the incredible diversity of parasitoid wasps and how much remains to be discovered, even in temperate areas and/or city environments.

Contents

Introduction   2
Methods   2
Results   4
Annotated checklist of Microgastrinae from Ottawa, Canada   15
Acknowledgements   91
References   91

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