Trigastrotheca laikipiensis sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): A New Species of Brood Parasitic Wasp that Attacks Foundress Queens of Three Coexisting Acacia-ant Species in Kenya

摘要

Trigastrotheca laikipiensis Quicke sp. nov., from Kenya, is described and illustrated. It is shown to be an ant brood parasite in claustral colonies of three acacia ant species which inhabit Acacia drepanolobium thorns. The larvae of T. laikipiensis sp nov. consume ant eggs, larvae and pupae. Brood parasitism was found in up to 20% of Crematogaster mimosae and C, nigriceps-occupied thorns, but was far rarer in the case of Tetraponera penzigi. Crematogaster foundress queens actively defend T. laikipiensis sp. nov. larvae, cocoons and recently eclosed adults. Two new combinations and one new name are proposed: T. inermis (Guerin-Meneville) comb, nov. (on authority of C, van Achterberg) [Spinaria inermis Guerin-Meneville, 1848], T. romani nom. nov. [=Coelodontus costator. Roman; = Ichneumon costator Thunberg, 1822, a junior homonym of Ichneumon costator Donovan, 1810] and T. rugosa (Szepligeti) comb. nov. [= Bracon rugosa Szepli-geti; = K. rugosa: Quicke & Koch, 1990].