Andrew C. Townsend, Scott R. Shaw
Journal of Insect Science 9 (36), 1-7, (1 June 2009) https://doi.org/10.1673/031.009.3601
KEYWORDS: Mesostoinae, Pyralidae, Phenax rugosus, Boehmeria bullata
A new species of braconid wasp, Andesipolis yanayacu, is described from the eastern Andes of Ecuador. Andesipolis yanayacu was reared as a gregarious koinobiont parasitoid of shelter building Pyralidae (Lepidoptera) larvae feeding on Urticaceae (Phenax rugosus and Boehmeria bullata). These are the first biological observations for the genus Andesipolis and the first species recorded from Ecuador. This is also the northern-most record for the genus as previously described species are from Chile. Based on morphological attributes and the newly discovered biology, Andesipolis is re-classified from the subfamily Mesostoinae into the subfamily Rhysipolinae.