A revision of the Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) species subgroup of the A. seriatus species group with the descriptions of 18 new species from the Neotropical Region

Abstract The Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) species subgroup of the A. seriatus species group is defined based on two previously described species, A. bakeri and A. nigristemmaticum (Enderlein), and is greatly expanded in this paper with an identification key, descriptions, and illustrations of 18 new species from the Neotropical Region: A. andinus Shaw & Shimbori, sp. nov.; angustus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; asenjoi Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; bahiensis Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; barrosi Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; brevicarina Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; coariensis Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; goiasensis Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; gonodontivorus Shaw & Shimbori, sp. nov.; hyalinus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; inga Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; joaquimi Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; lidiae Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; mabelae Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; maculosus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; ovatus Shimbori & Shaw, sp. nov.; santarosensis Shaw & Shimbori, sp. nov.; and taurus Shimbori & Penteado-Dias, sp. nov. It is hypothesized that the A. bakeri species subgroup is a monophyletic lineage within the larger and probably artificial A. seriatus species group (those Aleiodes with a comb of flat setae at the apex of the hind tibia), and can be distinguished from other members of the seriatus group by having the hind wing vein r present, although weakly indicated; the hind wing marginal cell suddenly widened at junction of veins RS and r; the subbasal cell of the fore wing mostly glabrous but often with two rows of short setae subapically; glabrous regions of the wings also commonly found in the first subdiscal, discal, and basal cells of the fore wing, and the basal cell of hind wing; ocelli quite large, with the width of a lateral ocellus being distinctly larger than the ocellar-ocular distance; and being relatively large Aleiodes species with body almost entirely brownish yellow or reddish brown. In addition, a new replacement name, Aleiodes buntikae Shimbori & Shaw, nom. nov., is proposed for the species formerly called Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) bakeri Butcher & Quicke, 2011.

is a monophyletic group as defined by Marsh and S.R. Shaw (1998) and Fortier and S.R. Shaw (1999), although some subsequent studies suggest that similarly appearing combs of flat setae may have evolved independently in some other lineages within Aleiodini (Areekul-Butcher and Quicke 2012; van Achterberg and M.R. . For example, a molecular phylogeny for Thai species of Aleiodes, based solely on the DNA barcoding region of the gene COI, recovered at least two separate lineages where the specialized comb of setae is present, one of which is paraphyletic (Areekul-Butcher and Quicke 2012). Additionally, the Neotropical subgenus Athacryvac (Braet & van Achterberg), which is morphologically distinct from any of the species groups previously defined, and is clearly independent from the A. seriatus species group, also exhibits a distinct comb of specialized setae on hind tibia reinforcing the homoplasious nature of this character (Shimbori et al. 2016). For the Palearctic fauna, van Achterberg and M.R. Shaw (2016) adopted a different system of division, including overall less species groups when compared with the division based on the Nearctic fauna (S.R. Shaw et al. 1997). Further supported by a molecular phylogeny, also based on DNA barcoding, the system circumscribes six or seven species groups, comprising most of the Palearctic species, but with several species left outside species groups because their relationships are not yet resolved (van Achterberg et al. 2020).
Some confusion could result since a similar comb of flat hind tibial setae has also evolved in some genera of the tribe Rogadini such as Rogas Nees, Triraphis Ruthe, Cystomastax Szepligeti, and Macrostomion Szeplegeti. It is therefore important that specimens are carefully identified as belonging to the genus Aleiodes first, using identification keys such as those of van Achterberg (1991) or S.R. Shaw (1997), before applying the species-group concepts used within Aleiodes. Additional care must be taken when examining specimens for the presence or absence of the comb of flattened setae on the hind tibia, not only because this feature is microscopically small but also because it only occurs on the inner side, and on the hind tibia only (not on the middle tibia). Despite these challenges, the row of flattened setae along the inner margin of the hind tibia has proven to be a consistently valuable characteristic for recognizing members of the A. seriatus species group from the Neotropical Region, where the group appears to be quite diverse (but see Braet and van Achterberg (2011) and Shimbori et al. (2016) for a distinction between the A. seriatus species group and the subgenus Athacryvac).
During our studies we discovered that many of the more commonly encountered specimens of the A. seriatus species group from the Neotropical Region fall into a particular presumed lineage characterized by having the hind wing vein r present (as in Figs 1, 23); the marginal cell suddenly widened at junction of veins RS and r (as in Figs 1,2,23), the subbasal cell of the fore wing mostly glabrous (as in Figs 2,27) and usually with two rows of short setae subapically (as in Figs 2,32), glabrous areas in the first subdiscal, discal, and basal cells of the fore wing (as in Fig. 2) and the basal cell of hind wing (as in Figs 2,28), ocelli large to enormous (as in Figs 7,9,15,20,24,26,30,36,38,45,49,52,57,61,65,67,70,74,77,80), with the width of lateral ocellus being distinctly larger than the ocellar-ocular distance (at least 1.8-9.0 × larger), tarsi with well-developed apical spines (as in Fig. 40), and being relatively large specimens with body almost entirely brownish yellow (as in Figs 18,22,34,41,51,59,64,69,81) or reddish brown (as in Figs 29,48,55,73). The oldest available name for a species in this distinctive lineage is Aleiodes bakeri (Brues), therefore in this paper we propose to call this presumed lineage the Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) species subgroup of the A. seriatus species group. A technical argument might be made that since "species groups" are informal constructs that merely designate groups of similar or related species, this lineage might be equally well called a "species group" but we prefer the term "subgroup" to remind the reader that this is a cluster of species within a previously named species group (the A. seriatus species group).
Although Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) was described and named more than a century ago, and is among the commonest of species covered in this manuscript, its identity and relationships to other species have remained largely obscure. A closely related species, Aleiodes nigristemmaticum (Enderlein) is the only other previously named species in this subgroup, and the only one to extend its range into the southern parts of the Nearctic Region (Marsh and S.R. Shaw 1998). Otherwise the species subgroup is found exclusively in the neotropics. In this paper, we describe and name 18 other new species of the Aleiodes bakeri (Brues) species subgroup of the A. seriatus species group.
Morphological terminology for descriptions follows that of Sharkey and Wharton (1997), S.R. Shaw et al. (1997), Shimbori et al. (2015Shimbori et al. ( , 2016, and Garro et al. (2017). Microsculpture terminology follows that of Harris (1979). Wing vein terminology follows the system adopted by Sharkey and Wharton (1997) (see Figs 1,2). The term "inclivous" is applied to describe the orientation of the vein fore wing 2CUa, where the more transverse (= vertical) veins are considered less inclivous. Measurements were taken following Shimbori et al. (2016), except for the pronotal collar length, which refers to the median length of pronotum in dorsal view. We follow Karlsson and Ronquist (2012) in defining the mesosomal area just lateral to the mesoscutellar disc (or scutellum) as the "mesoscutellar trough". The occipital carina in this group of species (and in Aleiodes in general) is either complete (as in Fig. 7) or interrupted mid-dorsally (as in Fig. 15). In some cases, among other species of the A. seriatus species group not treated in this paper, the interruption in the occipital carina is accompanied by a deviation of the carina toward the ocelli and/or an indentation on the occiput, therefore the descriptions use the terms "occiput indented"(or not) medially, and "occipital carina curved" (or not) towards the ocelli. Abbreviations used throughout the descriptions are as follows: OOL distance between eye and lateral ocellus OD diameter of lateral ocellus POL distance between lateral ocelli T1 metasomal tergite 1 T2 metasomal tergite 2 T3 metasomal tergite 3 A number of specimens from Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in Costa Rica had sequences of the COI DNA barcoding region generated by standard protocols for the ACG barcode inventory, which are described in detail by Smith et al. (2007Smith et al. ( , 2008. All sequences are deposited in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD, http://www.boldsystems.org; Ratnasingham and Hebert 2007), and access codes are provided for each barcoded specimen.
Examined specimens and types are deposited at the following collections:

Distribution
Known only from the New World with most species occurring in the Neotropical parts of South America and Central America. The northern limits of the group are set by a few species that occur in Mexico, parts of the Caribbean, and southern Florida. Species of this group have been recorded from the following countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama Peru, southeastern USA (Florida), Suriname, and Venezuela.

Biology
As far as known, species of this group are koinobiont endoparasitoids of Noctuoidea caterpillars, with all confirmed hosts of three of the treated species being from the family Erebidae (subfamilies Calpinae, Eulepidotinae and Erebinae). They have been reared from mummified caterpillars of several erebid species including hosts of economical relevance (i.e., Mocis latipes (Guenée), an occasional pest of pasture).

Comments
We propose that the presence of the vein r on hind wing is a putative synapomorphy of this monophyletic group of species within the larger seriatus species group.
Male. Unknown. Diagnosis. Aleiodes andinus is similar to three other new species described in this paper, A. gonodontivorus, A. lidiae, and A. taurus, which also have a distinctly bicolored flagellum with rapid transition from dark to light color (Figs 4,41,59,79). However, those three species have a fore wing basal cell that is largely glabrous (Figs 47,63,83) and ovipositor sheath with an apical point (Figs 46,62,82), whereas the basal cell of A. andinus is evenly setose (Fig. 6) and the the ovipositor sheath lacks an apical point (Fig. 5).
Distribution. Known only from the type-locality in Cusco, Peru. Etymology. The name refers to the Andes Mountains, which are prominent features of the Cusco region of Peru where the holotype specimen was collected. Male. Essentially as in female, but metasoma not laterally compressed apically. Body length 5.6-6.2 mm, fore wing length 4. 2-5.4 mm; 42-44 antennomeres. Diagnosis. Aleiodes angustus is the only species in this study with long and wide ovipositor sheaths that are distinctly longer than hind basitarsus (Fig. 11). It is most similar to A. asenjoi but has the ovipositor sheaths very long and large (Figs 8,11); the division between T2/T3 is very weak and T3 is mostly smooth and without a longitudinal carina (Fig. 10); the metasoma is compressed laterally beyond T2 (Figs 10, 11); and the scutellum is entirely yellow. By contrast, in A. asenjoi the ovipositor sheaths are much shorter (Figs 14,17); a division between T2/T3 is present and distinct (Fig. 16); and the scutellum is usually dark brown apically. Males are more difficult to separate; however, males of A. angustus have a longer basal triangular polished area that clearly extends dorsally, as compared with strictly basally in A. asenjoi.

Aleiodes angustus
Distribution. Known from several localities in Peru, and in Mato Grosso state in Brazil.

Aleiodes asenjoi
Color. Brownish yellow to light brown, including antenna. With more or less distinct brown spots at apex of hind femur and apex of scutellum, sometimes also at apex of mid femur. Wings moderately tinged yellow, vein yellow with typical darker regions on vein 1M, 1CUa and apex of 1-1A and at vein r, 2RS and 2CUb, stigma with a round brown spot mid-apically. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes asenjoi is most similar to A. angustus (they are the only two species in this study that have a distinct and tubular fore wing vein 1a) but these two can be separated by the characters discussed in the diagnosis for A. angustus (above). Aleiodes asenjoi is also very similar to A. bakeri but it has the occipital carina more widely absent dorsally (Fig. 15), fore wing vein 1a present (absent in A. bakeri); vein (RS+M)a only weakly curved and almost straight (Fig. 14), fore wing stigma with an infuscate dot centrally (Fig. 14), and female with longer and wider ovipositor sheaths (Figs 14,17).
Distribution. Known from localities in Brazil and Peru. Etymology. The name is a patronym for Angelico Asenjo, the collector of the holotype specimen. Subbasal cell glabrous, with two parallel rows of short setae subapically, and a narrow patch of setae just below vein 1CUa. Basal cell mostly evenly setose, sparsely setose posteriorly. Hind wing: Vein RS bent at basal 0.3, with vein r present. Marginal cell narrowest at base. Vein M+CU/1M 1.5-1.6. Vein M+CU/r-m 1.3. Vein m-cu present, spectral. Vein m-cu position relative to vein r-m interstitial, or antefurcal. Vein 2-1A absent. Basal cell evenly, rather sparsely setose, posteriorly with small bare area.
Male. Unknown Diagnosis. Aleiodes bahiensis is similar to A. hyalinus and A. santarosensis. These three species have the antenna entirely yellow (as in Fig. 18). Aleiodes hyalinus is easily distinguished by its entirely clear wings and evenly brown wing venation, while both A. bahiensis and A. santarosensis share similar wing markings: veins 1M, 1CUa, and part of 2CUb dark brown, darker than remaining veins, and the wing membrane around these veins, and below vein 1-1A apically, is weakly to distinctly infuscate (as in Fig. 19). Aleiodes bahiensis can be distinguished from A. santarosensis by having entirely yellow legs ( Fig. 18), while in A. santarosensis the legs have tarsomeres 1-4 and at least the base of the tibia whitish yellow, contrasting with a brownish orange femur.
Distribution. Known only from the type-locality in Bahia, Brazil. Etymology. The name bahiensis refers to Bahia State in northeastern Brazil, the type-locality of this species. Re-description of holotype. Holotype in fair condition. All but the left front leg detached from body, two hind and two mid legs glued in a separate card, metasoma loose but still attached to body, both antennae broken before middle. Body length 7.0 mm. Fore wing length 6.0 mm. Metasoma. T1 length/apical width ~ 1.1. T2 length/apical width ~ 0.8. T3 length/ apical width 0.6. Mid-longitudinal carina extending until basal 0.7 of T3. Metasoma sculpture of T1, T2, and basal 0.7 of T3 rugose-costate, sculpture weaker at T3, remainder metasoma smooth. Ovipositor sheath/hind basitarsus 0.3. Apex of ovipositor sheaths roughly rounded; apical point relatively long and curved.

Aleiodes bakeri (Brues, 1912)
Color. Mostly pale honey yellow; all coxa, trochanter and trochantellus, and base of femur whitish (fore legs lighter than hind, hind coxa light yellow); stemmaticum and mandible tips brown; wings weakly tinged yellow, with two infuscate regions on fore wing, one around vein 1M, extending to a infuscate region below apex of subbasal cell, and another at stigma level, including the second submarginal cell and part of vein 2CUb (in original description the infuscate regions are described as cross-bands, maybe specimen lost color during the past 100 years; in holotype and in younger specimens the infuscate regions do not form cross bands. Instead there are infuscate regions around vein 1M, below apex of vein 1-1A, around vein r and veins forming the second submarginal cell, and around vein 2CUb medially); stigma brownish yellow without any dark spot; veins yellow, brown in the infuscate regions: veins 1M at basal ¾, 1CUa, apex of 1-1A, r, 2RS, 3RS, and 2CUb subapically.
Color. Essentially as in holotype. Body color varying from brownish yellow to pale yellow. Some specimens have a brown subapical spot on the pterostigma.
Diagnosis. The color patterns, body proportions, and other features of Aleiodes bakeri are similar to those in A. nigristemmaticum (Enderlein). The most useful characters to distinguish them are the occipital carina, which is incomplete at the vertex in bakeri (Fig. 24) but is complete in nigristemmaticum, and the hind wing venation, with vein M+CU being more than 2 × longer than 1M in bakeri (Fig. 23), as compared with ~ 1.5 × longer in nigristemmaticum. Specimens of A. nigristemmaticum have the antenna dark brown basally, lightening toward apex, as compared with entirely honey yellow in A. bakeri (Fig. 22). Three of the new species, A. angustus, A. asenjoi, and A. mabelae, also have a dorsally incomplete occipital carina. Two of these, A. angustus and A. asenjoi, are easily distinguished by having the fore wing vein 1a present (as in Fig. 1), while this vein is absent in A. bakeri (Fig. 2). Aleiodes mabelae can be distinguished by its longer fore wing second submarginal cell (Fig. 64) and the flagellum which is black at the base (Fig. 64). The second submarginal cell is comparatively shorter in A. bakeri (Figs 2,23), and the flagellum is entirely the same color, yellow or orange, without being black basally (Fig. 22).

Color.
Brownish yellow or pale honey yellow. Antenna dark brown basally, gradually lightening toward brown or brownish yellow apex. Legs with same color as body, rarely hind femur mostly dark brown. Wings tinged brown, stigma and most veins light brown; fore wing veins 1M, 1CU, apex of 1-1A, 2CUb medially, r, and veins of second submarginal cell dark brown. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.
Male. The only male paratype is very similar to the females with dark brown hind femur. Body length 7.8 mm; fore wing length 6.7 mm; antenna with 44 antennomeres.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes barrosi is similar to A. joaquimi in that both species have the first subdiscal cell relatively long and widening apically (Figs 27, 28), and both have the vein 1CUb 1.7-2.1 × longer than 1CUa (0.9-1.3 × in other species). These two species are easily separated by the mainly yellow body color in A. barrosi (deep reddish brown in A. joaquimi), yellow palpi and tegula (dark brown in A. joaquimi), and entirely yellow tibia and tarsi (tibia basally and tarsi 1-4 white in A. joaquimi). Additionally, the hind wing vein 2-1A is absent in A. barrosi (Fig. 28), but present in A. joaquimi (Fig. 58 Vein 1-1A nearly straight. Vein 1a absent. Second submarginal cell trapezoidal. Subbasal cell glabrous, with two parallel rows of short setae subapically, and a narrow patch of setae just below vein 1CUa. (Fig. 32). Basal cell mostly evenly setose, sparsely setose posteriorly. Hind wing: Vein RS bent at basal 0.3, with vein r present. Marginal cell narrowest at base. Vein M+CU/1M 1.5-1.8. Vein M+CU/r-m 1. 2-1.4. Vein m-cu present and pigmented, although not tubular. Vein m-cu position relative to vein r-m interstitial or nearly so. Vein 2-1A absent. Basal cell evenly, rather sparsely setose, posteriorly with small bare area (Fig. 31).
Color (Figs 29,30). Brownish orange. Palpi yellow. Antenna mostly brownish orange, but basally brown and tip slightly darker. Wings weakly infuscate, veins brown, stigma yellow. Fore and middle legs with femur dark brown, tibia and tarsi brownish yellow or pale yellow; fifth tarsomeres light brownish orange. Hind legs with femur mostly dark brown apically, tibia pale yellow with apical ~ 0.3 dark brown, tarsi 1-4 mostly pale yellow, fifth tarsomeres light brown. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes brevicarina is one of a small group of species with similarly colored, distinctively banded hind legs (Fig. 29), including A. joaquimi, A. maculosus, and A. ovatus. This species differs from these other species with similarly banded hind legs in having propodeum with a very short longitudinal carina, less than half of its length.

Aleiodes coariensis
Color. Body entirely brownish yellow, including palpi and tegula. Antenna dark brown basally, gradually lightening toward light brown apex. All three femora apically dark brown, dark region larger at hind femur. Wings tinged yellow; most veins yellow, except vein 1M basally and 1CUa dark brown, apex of 1-1A brown, and veins r, 2RS, 3RS, 2M and part of 2CUb light brown; distinct infuscate spot around vein 1M, more faintly infuscate areas around veins r and 2CUa, and bellow apex of vein 1-1A; stigma varying from entirely yellow to mostly dark brown expect basal 0.3 yellow. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.
Male. Essentially as in female with stigma mostly dark brown, although dark spot at stigma smaller. Body length 8.0-8.6 mm; fore wing 6.7-7.0 mm; antenna with 61 segments.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes coariensis is the only species in the A. bakeri species subgroup with all femora at least partially marked with dark brown color (Fig. 34). There is also a distinctive infuscate spot on the fore wing near the base of vein 1M (Fig. 35). See the key for additional diagnostic characters.

Distribution. This species is known from localities in Brazil and Peru (Amazonian region).
Etymology. The name coariensis refers to the municipality of Coari, in Amazonas State in northwestern Brazil, the type-locality of this species. Color. Brownish orange. Stemmaticum black. Antenna dark brown basally, gradually lightening toward brownish yellow apex; pedicel dark brown; scape dark brown, ventrally yellow. Wings weakly tinged yellow; stigma and most veins yellow but veins 1M at basal 0.7, 1CUa, apex of 1-1A and of 2CUb, and sometimes vein r brown to dark brown; infuscate areas around base of vein 1M and below apex of vein 1-1A. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.

Aleiodes goiasensis
Male. Unknown Diagnosis. Aleiodes goiasensis is similar to A. nigristemmaticum (Enderlein) but differs by having the fore wing vein r distinctly longer than 2RS (Fig. 39), the occipital carina distinctly curved mid-dorsally (Fig. 38), and the hind femur relatively shorter (4.7-4.8 × longer than wide). In contrast, in A. nigristemmaticum specimens the fore wing vein r is approximately equal to vein 2RS length, the occipital carina dorsally is mostly straight or only slightly bent, and the hind femur is 5.5-5.7 × longer than wide.
Distribution. Aleiodes goiasensis is known only from central Brazil.

Aleiodes gonodontivorus
Color. Brownish yellow. Stemmaticum black. Antenna with basal 14-16 flagellomeres black, apical segments yellow; pedicel black; scape black, ventrally brownish yellow. Wings weakly tinged yellow; stigma pale yellow, most veins yellow but veins 1M at basal half, apex of 2CUb, and sometimes vein r brown; faint infuscate areas around base of vein 1M and below apex of vein 1-1A. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes gonodontivorus resembles A. nigristemmaticum (Enderlein) but is readily recognizable by the distinctly and abruptly contrasting bicolored antenna (Fig. 41). In A. nigristemmaticum specimens the flagellum is dark basally but becomes gradually lighter over many flagellomeres. Aleiodes gonodontivorus may also be easily distinguished by the short second submarginal cell (Fig. 44), and the fore wing vein r being distinctly longer than vein 2RS (Fig. 44). In A. nigristemmaticum the veins r and 2RS are of similar length. Aleiodes gonodontivorus is also similar to A. lidiae but these two species can be easily separated by the characters given in couplet 17 of the key and they are also discussed in the diagnosis for A. lidiae.

Diagnosis.
Aleiodes hyalinus is most similar to A. santarosensis, but its wings are entirely subhyaline with all veins honey yellow to light brown, without distinct darker regions (Fig. 50). By contrast, the wings are tinged with yellow and with dark markings in A. santarosensis (Figs 76, 78). The body is brownish orange or reddish brown in A. hyalinus (Fig. 48), as opposed to being entirely yellow in A. santarosensis (Figs 76, 77). The ovipositor sheath is mostly dark brown to black in A. hyalinus (Fig. 48), as opposed to being light brown in A. santarosensis (Fig. 76), and the basal cell is evenly setose in A. hyalinus (Fig. 50), while in A. santarosensis the basal cell has a large bare area entirely lacking setae (Fig. 78).
Diagnosis. Aleiodes inga is unique within the subgroup in having the fore wing vein r longer than 2RS and much shorter than 3RSa, the second submarginal cell rectangular and comparatively long (Fig. 54)  Subbasal cell glabrous, with a row of setae just below vein 1CUa and a row of setae apically just above vein 1-1A. Basal cell with more or less large glabrous region posteriorly, sometimes with sparse setae; costal and apical regions evenly setose. Hind wing: Vein RS bent at basal 0.3, with vein r present. Marginal cell narrowest at base. Vein M+CU/1M 1.6. Vein M+CU/r-m 1. 4-1.5. Vein m-cu present and pigmented, although not tubular. Vein m-cu position relative to vein r-m interstitial. Vein 2-1A present, although very short (Fig. 58). Basal cell sparsely setose, bare posteriorly.
Color . Dark reddish brown. Palpi and tegula dark brown. Antenna mostly pale yellow, apex and base brown. All tibiae pale yellow with dark reddish brown apex, dark region larger in posterior legs; tarsi 1-4 whitish yellow, fifth tarsomere dark brown. Wings weakly tinged brown, veins brown, no infuscate regions. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.
Male. Unknown Diagnosis. Aleiodes joaquimi differs from similar species with banded hind legs by its deep reddish brown color (Figs 55-57), absence of infuscate spots on wings (Fig.  55), hind wing vein 2-1A present, although short (Fig. 58), and vein 1CUb relatively long, ~ 1.7 times longer than vein 1CUa (no more than 1.25 times in other species). It is most similar to A. barrosi, and the differences between these two species are discussed in the diagnosis for A. barrosi.
Male. Essentially as in female. Body length 6.8 mm; fore wing length 5.6 mm; antenna broken.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes lidiae is most similar to A. gonodontivorus, but differing by having the hind femur mostly dark brown (Fig. 59) and conspicuous infuscate spots on the fore wing (Figs 59, 63). It also resembles A. andinus. The differences between these two species are discussed in the diagnosis given for A. andinus.
Distribution. This species in known only from localities in Peru. Etymology. The name is an honorary patronym for our friend and fellow braconidologist, Lidia Sulca. Color (Fig. 64). Brownish yellow. Antenna dark brown basally, gradually lightening toward yellow to light brown apex; scape ventrally lighter. Apex of hind tibia darker apically, varying from dark brown to only faintly darker; hind femur, and sometimes of mid femur, dark brown in some specimens. Tarsal claws brown. Wings tinged yellow; most veins yellow, infuscate spots at fore wing veins 1M/1CUa, r, apex of 1-1A and 2CUb, membrane around these veins distinctly infuscate; stigma mostly dark brown or entirely brownish yellow. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.

Aleiodes mabelae
Male. Essentially as in females with dark stigma and apex of hind femur and tibia dark brown. Body length 7.0 mm, fore wing length 5.5 mm; antenna broken, with 33+ segments.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes mabelae is similar to A. bakeri in having the occipital carina interrupted mid-dorsally (Fig. 65), and the vein 1a absent from the fore wing. However, these two species are readily separated by the color of the antenna, which is dark brown basally in A. mabelae (Fig. 64) but entirely brownish yellow in A. bakeri (Figs 21, 22). Also, the longitudinal carina of the propodeum is complete in A. mabelae, whereas it is incomplete in A. bakeri.
Comments. Specimens collected at higher elevations (~ 900-1000 m) have the stigma and all legs yellow, while specimens from lower elevations (~ 200-500 m) have the stigma mostly dark brown, and the apex of the hind tibia and femur dark brown.
Distribution. This species is known only from localities in Peru.

Aleiodes maculosus
Color (Fig. 66). Body mottled pale yellow, orange and dark brown. Head pale yellow, clypeus and part of face just above clypeus brown, mandibles pale brown with dark brown teeth. Antenna yellow. Mesosoma mostly pale yellow except propodeum orange; dark brown markings at propleuron and pronotum anteriorly, mesopleuron below subalar groove and ventrally, posterior corners of mesoscutum, and scutellum; metanotum and part of metapleuron pale brown. Metasoma orange, pale yellow ventrally. Wings slightly infuscate, most veins dark brown, costal vein brownish orange, basal veins yellow; stigma mostly dark brown with both tips whitish yellow; tegula brown or dark brown. Legs with trochanter, trochantellus, tibia and tarsi 1-4 whitish yellow; coxae and femora dark brown, but light yellow at base; fifth tarsomeres yellow; exceptions: hind coxa mostly brown, hind tibia with apical 0.25 dark brown.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes maculosus can be easily distinguished by its mottled pale yellow, orange and dark brown body colors (Figs 66-68). It is most similar to A. brevicarina, but differs in having the fore coxa dark brown, stigma dark brown (Fig. 66), palpi yellow to pale brown (Figs 66, 68), face light yellow with mid-ventral brown spot which extends to clypeus and mandibles (Fig. 68), tegula infuscate (Fig. 67), and antenna entirely yellow ( Fig. 66) (the antenna is basally dark brown in A. brevicarina). Aleiodes maculosus has a complete longitudinal carina on the propodeum, whereas the propodeal carina of A. brevicarina is quite short, extending over less than half the length of the propodeum.
Distribution. This species is known only from localities in Brazil. Etymology. The specific epithet maculosus is Latin for dappled or spotted, a reference to the mottled color pattern in this species (Figs 66-68).
Color (Figs 79-84). Brownish orange. Head and pronotal collar yellow, stemmaticum black. Antenna with basal 12 or 13 flagellomeres black, apical segments brownish orange; pedicel black; scape dark brown to black, ventrally brownish orange. Base of tibiae and tarsi 1-4 slightly lighter than remainder legs. Wings subhyaline; stigma and most veins orange to yellow; vein 1M almost entirely dark brown, veins 1CUa, r, 2RS, and apex of 2CUb brown; infuscate areas around base of vein 1M and below apex of vein 1-1A. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown.

Male. Unknown.
Diagnosis. Aleiodes taurus is most similar to A. gonodontivorus. The main distinguishing characters are the differently shaped second submarginal cell, long and widening apically, with vein 3RSa 2.1 × longer than vein 2RS (Fig. 83), and the propodeum with very short longitudinal carina (Fig. 84) in A. taurus. In A. gonodontivorus the vein 3RSa is at most 1.7 × longer than 2RS (Fig. 44), and the longitudinal carina of propodeum is nearly complete.
Distribution. This species is known only from the type-locality in Brazil. Etymology. The name is from the Latin word taurus meaning bull, being a reference to the collecting locality. The holotype was collected in a forest fragment at the research station of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation -EMBRAPA, formerly a farm named Fazenda Canchim, in which a breed of beef cattle was developed, the Canchim, between 1940 and 1970. This area now comprises one of the largest remaining fragments of forest in the municipality of São Carlos.