Review of the described species of Gonatocerus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in the Neotropical region, with new additions

Abstract

The described Neotropical species of the common and speciose fairyfly genus Gonatocerus Nees ab Esenbeck (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) are reviewed and re-diagnosed. Eighty-four valid species are recognized including 11 newly described ones. Illustrated identification keys are provided to identify the 5 subgenera recognized in Gonatocerus and to females of each subgenus. The keys include 79 of the treated species, the other five species are known from males only. The known distribution ranges of the species, including new records of extralimital specimens examined, are given. Host associations of the treated species are also given, with emphasis on those species that parasitize eggs of proconiine sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae: Proconiini), all of which belong to the ater and morrilli subgroups of the ater species group of G. (Cosmocomoidea Howard), stat. rev. The other four recognized subgenera within Gonatocerus are the nominate subgenus, G. (Gonatocerus) (= sulphuripes species group of authors), G. (Lymaenon Walker), stat. rev. (= litoralis and straeleni species groups of authors), G. (Gastrogonatocerus Ogloblin), stat. rev. (= membraciphagus species group of authors), and G. (Gahanopsis Ogloblin), syn. n. & stat. n. (= deficiens species group of authors). Newly treated as synonyms of G. (Lymaenon) are Rachistus Foerster, Oophilus Enock, Agonatocerus Girault, Gonatoceroides Girault, and Decarthrius Debauche, all syn. n. Two species groups are recognized within G. (Cosmocomoidea) in the New World: the ater group, to which most Neotropical species belong (with the ater, bucculentus, morrilli, and the newly defined chusqueicolus subgroups) and the masneri group, with two described species from the Dominican Republic. The 11 new species described are G. (Gahanopsis) arkadak Triapitsyn sp. n. (Colombia), G. (Cosmocomoidea) barbos Triapitsyn sp. n. (Costa Rica and Mexico), G. (Cosmocomoidea) blefuscu Triapitsyn sp. n. (Costa Rica), G. (Cosmocomoidea) cuscus Triapitsyn sp. n. (Peru), G. (Cosmocomoidea) garchamp Triapitsyn sp. n. (Argentina), G. (Cosmocomoidea) gerasim Triapitsyn sp. n. (Mexico), G. (Cosmocomoidea) hispaniolus Triapitsyn & Huber sp. n. (Dominican Republic), G. (Cosmocomoidea) kiskis Triapitsyn sp. n. (Argentina), G. (Cosmocomoidea) logarzoi Triapitsyn sp. n. (Argentina), G. (Cosmocomoidea) mumu Triapitsyn sp. n. (Argentina), and G. (Cosmocomoidea) rakitovi Triapitsyn sp. n. (Costa Rica). Seven new synonymies are proposed: Gonatocerus h-luteum (Ogloblin) syn. n. under G. (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum (Girault); G. enicmophilus Huber syn. n. and G. necator (Ogloblin) syn. n. under G. (Cosmocomoidea) bonariensis (Brèthes); G. dimorphus (Ogloblin) syn. n. and G. monrosi (Ogloblin) syn. n. under G. (Gastrogonatocerus) margiscutum Girault; and G. setulosus (Ogloblin) syn. n. and G. dorsiniger (Ogloblin) syn. n. under G. (Gastrogonatocerus) membraciphagus Ogloblin. Litus maculipennis Ashmead, Gahanopsis deficiens (Ogloblin), and Gahanopsis straeleni (Debauche) are transferred to Gonatocerus as, respectively, G. (Cosmocomoidea) maculipennis (Ashmead) comb. n., G. (Gahanopsis) deficiens (Ogloblin) comb. n., and G. (Lymaenon) straeleni (Debauche) comb. n. Lectotypes are designated for the following 23 species: G. (Gahanopsis) acanophorae (Ogloblin), G. (Gahanopsis) aethalionis (Ogloblin), G. (Cosmocomoidea) annulicornis (Ogloblin), G. (Gastrogonatocerus) anomocerus Crawford, G. (Gonatocerus) appendiculatus (Ogloblin), G. (Gonatocerus) bonaerensis (Ogloblin), G. (Cosmocomoidea) caudatus (Ogloblin), G. (Cosmocomoidea) concinnus (Ogloblin), Lymaenon (Gastrogonatocerus) dimorphus Ogloblin, G. (Gonatocerus) excisus (Ogloblin), G. (Cosmocomoidea) gracilicornis (Ogloblin), G. (Cosmocomoidea) grandis (Ogloblin), Lymaenon h-luteum Ogloblin, G. (Cosmocomoidea) inauditus (Ogloblin), G. (Gastrogonatocerus) juvator Perkins, G. (Gastrogonatocerus) margiscutum Girault, G. (Cosmocomoidea) metanotalis (Ogloblin), G. (Cosmocomoidea) nasutus (Ogloblin), Lymaenon necator Ogloblin, G. (Cosmocomoidea) nigrithorax (Ogloblin), G. (Lymaenon) pratensis (Ogloblin), G. (Gonatocerus) stenopterus (Ogloblin), and G. (Gonatocerus) urocerus (Ogloblin).