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LIFE HISTORY DATA |
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Diagnostic features of adults |
Body length 6.1 mm; antenna with 42 flagellomeres; head with vertex black, occiput light orangish brown; ocelli large, ocell-ocular distance less than width of lateral ocellus; occipital carina broken at vertex; mesosoma mostly light orangish brown, except propodeum black; wings slightly darkened; mesopleuron granulate; apex of hind tibia with setae normal, not flattened; propodeum granulate-rugose, with median propodeal carina absent; tarsal claw simple; metasomal terga entirely black; metasomal tergum 3 costate on anterior 2/3, median carina incomplete; ovipositor short, about 0.25 x length of hind basitarsus. |
Biology and rearing records |
Aleiodes aclydis has been reared from the mummified caterpillar of an unidentified Geometridae found on Ocotea (Lauraceae). It is a solitary koinobiont endoparasitoid. |
Distribution |
This species is known only from the holotype specimen, which was collected at Isla de las Palmas, Napo Province, Ecuador, at 1883 meters elevation. |
Similar species |
Aleiodes aclydis is similar to Aleiodes speciosus (Townsend), which also has large ocelli, but A. aclydis can be distinguished by its lacking a median carina on the propodeum. Other characteristics separating these two species are given by Townsend and Shaw (2009). |
Comments |
The species name aclydis means "small javelin" or "spear" in Latin, referring to the short, sharp ovipositor of this species. |
Reference |
Townsend, A. and S.R. Shaw. 2009. Nine new species of Aleiodes reared from caterpillars in the northeastern Andes of Ecuador (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae). Journal of Insect Science 9, Article 33, pages 1-21. Available online: insectscience.org/9.33 |