Status of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) in Cuba José L. Fernández Triana1, Horacio Grillo Ravelo2 & Mabel López3 1 Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Zoología, Santiago de Cuba; [email protected] 2 Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Universidad Central de Las Villas, Santa Clara, Cuba. 3 Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas Costeros, Cayo Coco, Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. Received 02-VI-2002. Corrected 16-VI-2004. Accepted 26-I-2005. Abstract: Current understanding of Cuban ichneumonids (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) is analysed. A new Subfamily (Tersilochinae) including 13 genera and two species are first reports for Cuba. In contrast with Braconidae, the sister group, the ichneumonids are poorly known because of the lack of local taxonomists and bacause nets, rather than interception, light and yellow pan traps have been used. Using Ophioninae as a reference, and comparing the percentage of ophionines in the fauna of Costa Rican ichneumonids, the ratio of species of Costa Rican to Cuban Ophioninae and the increase in the number of described Cuban ophionines, we suggest that actual Cuban biodiversity in this group may be between 400 and 600 species. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54 (3): 821-827. Epub 2006 Sept. 29. Key words: Ichneumonidae, taxonomy, biodiversity, Cuba. When Pastor Alayo finished his Catalog of genera (followed by Braconidae) and 140 spe- Cuban Hymenoptera in 1970 it encompassed cies (followed by Formicidae). However, in 398 genera and 914 species of Hymenoptera subsequent years there were few contributions (Alayo 1973). Recently, Portuondo and made to the study of Cuban ichneumonids. Fernández (2003) updated the information Alayo and Tzankov (1974a, b) and Tzankov available, recording 542 genera and 1 156 spe- and Alayo (1974) revised Cryptinae in part, cies, but the numbers are constantly growing. as Gelinae, and described eight new species. According to the Alayo data, Ichneumonoidea Dasch (1974) described four new species of accounted for about one quarter of all Mesochorinae in Cuba in his Neotropical Hymenoptera species reported for the country study of the subfamily. Hochmut and Manso (27 %), but since then a different pattern has (1975) reported Mesostenus sp. (Cryptinae) been found in its two families. and Trichomma sp. (Anomaloninae) as para- Thirty years ago, 40 genera and 104 spe- sitoids of the lepidopteran Hypsipyla gran- cies of Braconidae were recorded. As Alayo della Zeller, although they did not realize that predicted in the introduction of his Catalog, both genera were new records for the country. the braconids have increased significantly; the Porter (1984) studied Laticinctus group of the total number of genera known today has dou- genus Thyreodon in the Northern Neotropics bled since 1970 (see a summary in Fernández and described a new species for Cuba and and Portuondo 2001, updated in Portuondo and Bahamas. Finally, Gauld (1988) described Fernández 2003). three new species and cited two new records Figures for 1970 established Ichneumonidae of Enicospilus for Cuba in his Mesoamerican as the largest hymenopteran family with 69 revision of the Ophioninae subfamily. Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 54 (3): 821-827, September 2006 821 A compilation of this data reveals that Estimates of Ichneumonidae biodiversity Cuban ichneumonids comprise 72 genera and in Cuba were extrapolated using data for Costa 154 species and during the last 15 years no Rica, the only Neotropical country with suf- more research on the group has been done. The ficient information on the group (Gauld 1988, present work analyses some reasons for this 1991, 1997, 2000, Gauld et al. 1998, 2002, bias, reports new genera and species for the Gauld and Janzen 2004, Gauld, pers. com.). country, and offers a first attempt to estimate Nonetheless, Ophioninae was the only subfam- Ichneumonidae biodiversity in Cuba. ily with enough data for both countries (Gauld 1988, Gauld and Janzen 2004, Fernández- Triana 2005) and it was therefore used to ask MATERIALS AND METHODS the following three important questions: During a comprehensive review of Cuban - What is the percentage of ophionines in the Ophioninae (Fernández-Triana 2005), the senior fauna of Costa Rican ichneumonids? author was able to study a limited amount of - What is the ratio of species of Costa Rican material from other Ichneumonidae subfamilies to Cuban Ophioninae? housed in major collections across the coun- - What has been the increase of Cuban ophi- try. According to a first estimate (Fernández, onines, comparing previous studies (Alayo unpublished data) more than 5 000 pinned 1973, Gauld 1988) to the recent findings of specimens of Ichneumonidae may be housed Fernández-Triana (2005)? in Cuban entomological collections, but many more are stored in alcohol. For the report 1 000 These values were then used to estimate specimens were studied. The following abbre- the total number of Cuban Ichneumonidae spe- viations have been used: cies by extrapolation. BIOECO Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad, Santiago de Cuba. RESULTS CIEC Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas Costeros, Cayo Coco, A new Subfamily (Tersilochinae), 13 genera Ciego de Avila. and two species were first records for Cuba: IES Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Ciudad de La Habana. Subfamily Cremastinae: MNHNCu Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, - Trathala sp. Laguna Emperador, Cayo Ciudad de La Habana. Coco, Ciego de Avila; III-2000; Malaise UCLV Universidad Central de Las Villas, trap (1 , CIEC). This is a very large Santa Clara. cosmopolitan genus with more than 40 species in the Neotropical region, but far For each new record found the infor- more occur in tropical America (Townes mation is presented in the following order: and Townes 1966, Gauld 2000). “Locality, Municipality, Province; Date; Collecting Device and/or Collector Name Subfamily Cryptinae: (number and sex of specimens, Institution)”. - Cestrus sp. La Mula, Guamá, Santiago de However, some labels had misleading infor- Cuba; no further data (1 , BIOECO). mation about specimens (including abbrevia- Cayo Coco, Ciego de Avila; V-1994; E. tions not explained in collection catalogues or Portuondo (1 , BIOECO). Ciénaga de other data sources) and were only recorded Zapata, Matanzas; II-1995; Malaise trap with meaningful data when possible and/or (1 BIOECO). A large neotropical genus the comment: “no further data”. (Townes 1970a, Wahl 1999). 822 Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 54 (3): 821-827, September 2006 - Gelis sp. Santa Clara, Villa Clara; no fur- with about 30 described species (Gauld ther data (1 , UCLV). A very large genus, 1991, Gauld et al. 1998). worldwide (Townes 1970a, Wahl 1999). - Scambus sp. Sitio Viejo, Cayo Coco, Ciego - Platymistax sp. El Toldo, Moa, Holguín; de Avila; II-1997; Malaise trap (1 , CIEC). X-1996 & IX-1998; yellow pan trap, A. This is a large genus represented in all Fong (3 , BIOECO). A large genus regions except Australia. In the New World of pantropic distribution (Townes 1970a, there are about 35 described species, with Wahl 1999). most in North America (including Mexico) (Gauld 1991, Gauld et al. 1998). Ichneumoninae: - Zaglyptus varipes incompletus (Cresson) - Narthecura sp. Peralejo, Bayamo, Granma; Yabú, Santa Clara, Villa Clara; IX-1971; VII-1984; P. Espinosa (1 , BIOECO). H. Grillo (1 , UCLV). This species is - Trogomorpha sp. El Olimpo, Gran Piedra, reported for first time to tropical America Santiago de Cuba; II-2000; J. Reyes (1 , (Gauld et al. 1998). The status of this genus BIOECO). �������������������������������These two genera are restricted in Cuba needs further studies. Interestingly, to the New World (Wahl 1999). Townes (1960) mentions a specimen of Z. pictilis that he deposited at the United States Orthocentrinae: National Museum and collected in a plane - Megastylus sp. La Isabelica, Gran Piedra, from Havana, Cuba in 1952. Santiago de Cuba; I-1996; flight intercep- tion trap (1 , BIOECO). This is a very Tersilochinae: large and worldwide genus, with the largest - Allophrys sp. Jardín Botánico, Santiago concentration of species in the Neotropical de Cuba; XII-1995; E. Portuondo region (Townes 1970b, Wahl 1999). (2 , BIOECO). Worldwide except Paleartic (Wahl 1999). The genus is most Ophioninae: common in the Neotropical region, where - Rhynchophion flammipennis (Ashmead). the only described species, A. oculatus Siboney, Santiago de Cuba; VI-1947; P. (Ashmead), has been cited from the West Alayo (1 , MNHNCu). Cuba, no further Indies (Townes 1970b). data, J. Gundlach (1 , IES). A small - Stethantyx sp. 1. Santa Cruz del Norte, genus, previously restricted to the southern La Habana; VIII-1990; H. Pérez (1 , part of the USA and the Neotropical region MNHNCu). south to Brazil (Townes and Townes 1966, - Stethantyx sp. 2. Topes de Collantes, Gauld 1988, Gauld and Janzen 2004). Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus; XI-2001; light Present record is the first for the Caribbean trap (1 , BIOECO). Townes (1970b) islands. R. flammipennis is widely distrib- described the genus and one Neartic spe- uted from USA to Ecuador and possibly cies, but he also mentioned 23 undescribed northern Argentina. The collection season species from the Neotropical region. for Cuban specimen coincides with that of Costa Rica, where the species is collected The new ichneumonids reported here rep- between June and early August (Gauld and resent a significant increase (20.3 %) in rela- Janzen 2004). tion to what was previously