Copidosoma takumasakondoi Vargas & Diaz 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Seow-Choen, Francis
name: Ng, Peter K L
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Encyrtidae
Copidosoma
Copidosoma takumasakondoi

description: Copidosoma takumasakondoi Vargas & Diaz, sp. nov.   
 Copidosoma colombiensis Santamaría, Ebratt & Benavidez, 2007: 90. Nomen nudum.   
 Diagnosis. Antenna dark brown, with funicular segments brownish yellow, clava dark brown, composed of three segments, with sensory plate restricted to a truncate apex. Prothoracic legs beige-yellow, mesothoracic legs dark, with beige joints and with apical half of tibia and tarsi yellow; metathoracic legs dark, except trochanter 2 and basal half of the femur which are beige in color. Exerted ovipositor 0.06–0.12 times the length of metasoma.   
  Species comparison: Copidosoma takumasakondoi  can be distinguished from C. koehleri and C. floridanum by the following features: C. takumasakondoi has a three-segmented antennal club with truncate apex, exerted ovipositor 0.06–0.12 times metasoma length, leg color as in description and genitalia as in Figures 4 and 5. Copidosoma koehleri has a three-segmented oval antennal club; fully exerted ovipositor 0.2x metasoma length; legs light brown, posterior coxa and basal half of trochanter dark brown, with a dark band at apex of femur and base of tibia (Figure 2); with genitalia as in Figure 6. Copidosoma floridanum differs from the above by having an obliquely truncated unsegmented antennal club, with sensory plate on apical 2/3rds; legs dark with brown articulations; ovipositor not exerted.   
 Description. Female (measurements based on n = 10). Body length 1.19–1.29 mm (holotype 1.26 mm long), excluding ovipositor.   
 Head: Head 0.35–0.44 mm long; 0.36–0.41 mm wide, width approximately 0.86–1.1 times its length and 1.4–2.1 times its height; 0.21–0.27 mm tall (head length 0.42 mm, width 0.38 mm, height 0.21 mm). Width of frontovertex (FV) at anterior level of ocelli 0.20–0.27 mm, about 0.5–0.7 times the width of head (FV width 0.21 mm, head width 0.38). Distance between occipital margin and eye margin, measured at about median line of eye 0.03 mm, ca. 0.11–0.14x its length (distance between occipital margin and eye margin 0.03, eye width 0.23). Ocelli forming a 112-degree angle in relation to median ocellus. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli (POL) 0.12– 0.14 mm; the shortest distance between posterior ocellus and adjacent eye margin (OOL) 0.03 mm; the shortest distance between each ocellus and nearest occipital margin (OCL) 0.02 mm (POL: 0.12 mm, OOL: 0.03 mm, OCL: 0.02 mm). Posterior ocellus slightly closer to occipital margin than to adjacent eye. Maximum diameter of each eye 0.21–0.27 mm, 1.36–1.6x its minimum diameter (eyes 0.23 mm long, 0.17 mm wide). Distance between each antennal torulus 0.06–0.08 mm (0.08 mm), which is 2.0–2.5x the distance between each antennal torulus and mouth margin and 0.7–1.0x the distance between each antennal torulus and eye margin; distance between antennal torulus and eye margin 0.08–0.09 mm (0.08 mm). Antenna: scape 0.28–0.3 mm long, about 4.6–7.0x as long as wide; F1 0.07–0.10 mm long, about 1.25–1.60x as long as wide (Figure 1a). Clava 0.23–0.25 mm long, composed of three segments, sensory plate located at the apex of the antenna; width of sensory plate 0.04–0.05 mm, 0.5–0.7x the width of clava (Fig 1b). Mouth 0.12–0.20 mm wide, malar space 0.12–0.14 mm wide. Mouth slightly wider than malar space (mouth width 0.18 mm, malar space 0.14 mm). Mandible tridentate with inner tooth slightly shorter than rest of teeth.   
 Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 0.56–0.63 mm, approximately 1.33–1.46x its width (0.63 mm long, 0.44 mm wide). Mesoscutum transverse, 0.26–0.29 mm long, almost ⅔ its width. Scutellum length 0.20–0.23 mm, 0.72– 0.94x its width (length 0.21 mm, width 0.29 mm). Spine on median tibia 0.17–0.2 mm long, slightly longer than first tarsomere (length of spine on median tibia 0.19 mm, length of first tarsomere 0.17 mm) (Fig. 2b) and approximately ⅓ the length of the median tibia. Median tibia 0.53–0.57 mm long (0.53 mm) (Fig. 2). Forewing 1.13–1.29 mm long, 0.50–0.57 mm wide, 2.2–2.4x longer than wide (wing length 1.25 mm, wing width 0.53 mm) (Fig. 3a), apex of submarginal vein with a hyaline interrupted zone (Fig. 3c); marginal vein 1.5–2.0x longer than wide, stigmal vein 3.2–5.0x the length of the marginal vein; postmarginal vein about 0.2–0.4x the length of stigmal vein (Fig. 3b).   
 Metasoma: Length of metasoma 0.47–0.51 mm, about 0.6x the length of mesosoma and head combined; mesosoma plus head 0.71–0.83 mm long. In dry specimens its length varies depending on the degree of extension of the sclerites, 0.5–0.7x the length of the head and mesosoma combined (mesosoma plus head length 0.78, metasoma length 0.48). Cerci inserted in the middle third of metasoma and hypopygium not reaching the apex. Genitalia as in Figure 4; length of ovipositor 0.43–0.51 mm, excerted ovipositor 0.06–0.12x (0.09) the length of metasoma, its length ca. 0.8x the length of middle tibia.   
 Color: Head and body shiny black in color. Frontovertex black, with a reflection of green or shiny blue green. Face and gena with purplish-blue reflection. Antenna dark brown, with black radicle, basal half of scape black, changing gradually to brown and becoming yellow apically. Dorsal side of pedicel and funicular segments brown; ventral side brownish yellow. Clava dark brown. Mesoscutum transverse, black with a blueish-green reflection, of a lighter color and more intense than in the frontovertex, with a golden reflection; with a purplish reflection towards anterior part; scutellum black with blueish purple in the dorsal part and at its apex looking smoother in appearance; with a blueish-green color like the mesoscutum. Mesopleuron black, with a blue-purplish reflection. Foreleg leg: coxa, trochanter 1 and 2 translucent beige, femur, tibia and tarsi yellow, last tarsal segment dark brown. Middle leg: coxa and trochanter 1 and 2 dark brown, femur basal half beige, apical half dark brown, except for basal 1/8 th of femur and apical 1/8 th of tibia forming a beige area, this is followed by a dark brown area that extends less than half of the tibia where it becomes yellow, like the spine and tarsi; last tarsal segment dark brown. Hind leg: coxa and trochanter 1 dark brown, trochanter 2 beige, same as basal half of femur; apical half of femur, tibia and tarsus dark. Mesopleura dark, with hints of blueish purple. Metasoma black with a golden reflection. Wings hyaline.   
 Sculpture: Frontovertex, frons and mesoscutum with reticulations composed of small, irregular cells; each cell polygonal in appearance and about ⅛ the size of an ocellus. Pronotum, axillae, tegula and scutellum of equal size and shape as those of scutum but appearing more superficial. Sculpture on frons, gena, prepectus and mesopleura more superficial, slightly more elongated than on frontovertex, and more orderly aligned.   
 Male: Body length 1.17–1.29 mm. General appearance similar to that of female, but head slightly wider (head width 0.93–1.04x its length and 1.86–2.08x its heigth). Antenna as in Figure 1b, escape 0.19–0.3 mm long, 3.6–5.8x as long as wide; length of F1 0.07–0.10 mm, ca. 1.7x its width. Clava solid, with sensory area restricted to the apex; width of sensory area 0.01 mm, 0.16–0.18x clava width. Genitalia as in Figure 5. Phallobase 0.23–0.28 mm long, 0.46–0.54x the length of middle tibia, with 10–14 pairs of setae, each digitus with two apical claws; aedeagus with two pairs of sensillae at the apex; length of aedeagus 0.23–0.29 mm, aedeagus 0.46–0.54x the length of middle tibia. Color and sculpture as in female.   
 Biology: Santamaria et al. (2007) studied the biology and life cycle of this species (as C. colombiensis, nomen nudum) and reported that eggs within the ovarioles are 0.14 ± 0.01 mm long and 0.02 mm wide, having a bulb, neck, and a long basal region characteristic of the genus. The larvae are creamy white in color and the larval stage lasts 12.81 ± 2 days; when it reaches its maximum development it measures 1.87 ± 0.15 mm. The hyaline exarate pupa is 1.48 ± 0.05 mm long and turns dark when older; the pupal stage lasts 18.44 ± 2.11 days. The average development time, from parasitization to emergence from the fruit by the parasitized larval host is 28 days; and 29.4 ± 2.29 days inside a mummy state of the host larvae, for a total of 58 days of development. The adult female is 1.41 ± 0.13 mm long and the adult male is 1.49 ± 0.12 mm long. Adults provided with food live 5.96 ± 4.1 days and 3.8 ± 1.09 days without food.   
 In this study, the first symptoms of parasitization were observed on larvae of N. elegantalis at the time they exited their host fruit to pupate on dry leaves at the base of the host plant; most parasitized larvae were characterized by their slow movements, and the presence of a lump on the thorax or abdomen (Fig. 7a, 7b). After two to three days it was observed through the semitransparent cuticle of the larvae of N. elegantalis the formation of chambers which house the parasitoid larvae (Fig. 7c, 7d, 7e); and at this time the mummification of the host larva begins; after three to four days the meconia (intestinal wastes) of the parasitoid larvae become visible and pupation begins, and after one or two days they reach the pupal stage (Fig. 7f, 7g). It lasted 9–11 days from the time the larvae left the fruit until the parasitoids pupated, and 25 to 27 days until emergence of the adult parasitoids were observed (Fig. 7h, 7i).   
An average of 173 adult parasitoids emerged from a host larva, depending on the size of the larva. Sometimes only females emerged, in other cases only males emerged, and in some cases both females and males emerged, in the latter situation the sex ratio varied between 0.18–4.0 females to each male (n = 25 host larvae). When only females were born the average number of emerged individuals ranged between 48 to 332 (n = 39 host larvae); and in the case when only males were born, the average number of emerged individuals ranged between 58 to 266 (n = 16 host larvae).  
 Geographical distribution: Colombia: Departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Huila, Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, Quindío, Tolima, Risaralda in Premontane wet forest (wf-PM) Premontane very wet forest (vwf-PM), Lower Montane wet forest (wf-LM), and Premontane dry forest (df-PM), according to the classification by Holdridge life zones. Ecuador: In the provinces of Pastaza, Pichincha, and Tungurahua.   
 Type material. Holotype, ♀: Colombia, Risaralda, Guatica, 05°20′23.2″N, 75°46′50.4″W, 2082 m a.s.l. Reared off Neoleucinodes elegantalis larvae collected on fruit of Solanum betaceum. Collected by G. Higuinio (Gilberto Higuinio) [CTNI: Colección Taxonómica Nacional de Insectos “Luis María Murillo”]. Paratypes 11 ♂, 10 ♀, same data as holotype [USNM:National Museum of Natural History; UNAB: Universidad Nacional Agronomía Bogotá; MEFLG: Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego, Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellín.].   
 Etymology: The specific epithet “ takumasakondoi ” is dedicated to Dr. Takumasa Kondo, a prestigious Japanese-Colombian Entomologist, in recognition of his valuable collaboration with the research project: “Fundamentos para el desarrollo de estrategias de control biológico del perforador del fruto Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) en frutas solanáceas andinas exóticas [Foundations for the development of biological control strategies of the fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a pest of exotic Andean solanaceous fruits]” which was funded by the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO). Dr. Kondo is better known as a world expert on the taxonomy and systematics of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha), and currently works in the area of integrated pest management of insect pests of tropical fruits at Agrosavia, Palmira Research Center.   
 Insect hosts: Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée), N. imperialis (Guenée) and N. prophetica (Dyar) Capps (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).   
 Associated plants: Solanum quitoense, S. betaceum, S. subinerme and S. umbellatum.   
 Geographical distribution. Neotropical region: Colombia, Ecuador.   
 Notes. Santamaría et al. (2007) made a detailed study on the biology and taxonomy of an undescribed species of Copidosoma, a parasitoid of Neolecucinodes elegantalis on tree tomato, Cyphomandra betacea, likely a conspecific of C. takumasakondoi sp. nov., and referred to the species throughout their paper as Copidosoma sp. nov. However, at the end of their paper, they gave the name “ Copidosoma n. sp. colombiensis, ” refering to this name as a “provisional name”. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, chapter 16.1., “All names: intention of authors to establish new nominal taxa to be explicit. Every new name published after 1999, including new replacement names (nomina nova), must be explicitly indicated as intentionally new”. Because Santamaría et al. (2007) used the word “provisional” when referring to the above name in their study; we conclude that there was no intent to officially describe the species. Furthermore, although Santamaría et al. (2007) mentioned that some specimens were sent to the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN), they gave no explicit indication as to the repository of the Holotype (Article 16.4.2., “where the holotype or syntypes are extant specimens, by a statement of intent that they will be (or are) deposited in a collection and a statement indicating the name and location of that collection (see Recommendation 16C)”. Based on these reasons, we believe that the name used by Santamaria et al. (2007) does not fulfill the requirements indicated in the Code, thus we consider it a nomen nudum.
description: Published as part of Seow-Choen, Francis & Ng, Peter K L, 2024, A new species of Copidosoma Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitizing Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée), N. imperialis (Guenée) and N. prophetica (Dyar) Capps (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Colombia and Ecuador, pp. 245-254 in Zootaxa 5453 (2) on pages 247-252, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5453.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/11233966