Originally described in

Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina, 67:209.

Diagnosis

Female scape yellowish-white; female flagellum stout; mesoscutum metallic golden-purple, bluish-green, or golden-green, in male frequently golden-red, with anterior 2/3 with raised and weak reticulation, posterior 1/3 with engraved reticulation; scutellum metallic bluish-purple, bluish-green, or golden-green, in male frequently golden-red, with engraved and weak reticulation; propodeum with submedian grooves 1.3X as wide as median carina and completely reticulate, median carina reticulate posteriorly and strongly narrowed posteriorly; first gastral tergite with posterior ½ with punctures or with weak reticulation. See also acragus, cohnorum, clavicornis, cockerelli and jimenezi.

Distribution

Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago.

Biology

Opsiphanes crameri Feld. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Urbanus proteus (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), Astraptes talus (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) [presumably from a parasitoid host in the hesperiid larva]; unidentified microgastrine Braconidae on Hesperiidae and on Opsiphanes invirae, from pupa of Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Hypomicrogaster sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Synale cynaxa (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from Chamaedorea costaricana (Palmae), from pupa of Cotesia congregata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Sphingidae (Lepidoptera), from Apanteles sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on: sphingid larva on cassava (Manihot sp.), Astraptes talus, Brassolis sophorae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Erinnyis alope (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae); . The following records are from the Janzen & Hallwachs rearings from the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG): Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez05) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Achlyodes pallida (Hesperiidae) (voucher 96-SRNP-12740); Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez23) on Astraptes alardus (Hesperiidae) (voucher 98-SRNP4102, 98-SRNP-4130, 99-SRNP-13543); Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez18) on Bungalotis erythus (Hesperiidae) (voucher 98-SRNP-6638); Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez54) on Cephise aelius (Hesperiidae) (voucher 00-SRNP-6693); Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez17) on Nascus broteas (Hesperiidae) (voucher 97-SRNP-6471); Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez36) on Phocides belus (Hesperiidae) (voucher 96-SRNP-12450); Apanteles sp. (Rodriguez41) on Polygonus leo (voucher 92-SRNP-3586, 93-SRNP-2605, 95-SRNP-4548); Apanteles sp. on Polythrix asine (Hesperiidae) (voucher 92-SRNP-5700); Cotesia sp. (Whitfield10) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Cogia calchas (Hesperiidae) (voucher 97-SRNP-5849.01); Cotesia sp. (Whitfield02) on Dyscophellus sp. (Burns01) (Hesperiidae) (voucher 95-SRNP-546); Cotesia sp. (Whitfield79) Opsiphanes cassina (Nymphalidae) (voucher 95-SRNP-8037, 02-SRNP-13724); Cotesia sp. (Whitfield17) Pachylia ficus (Sphingidae) (voucher 96-SRNP-12740) (voucher 02-SRNP-17538); Glyptapanteles sp. (Whitfield33) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Pararcte schneideriana (Noctuidae) (voucher 95-SRNP-8939, 95-SRNP-9065). Hyperparasitoid.

Similar species in Lucid key

acragus, and females are inseparable, but males of opsiphanis with slender scape.

Depository of primary type

Unknown.