Trichogramma esalqueanum Querino & Zucchi, 2003

Querino, Ranyse B. & Zucchi, Roberto A., 2019, Annotated checklist and illustrated key to the species of Trichogramma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) from South America, Zootaxa 4656 (2), pp. 201-231 : 208-209

Trichogramma esalqueanum Querino & Zucchi, 2003

Diagnosis. Flagelliform setae long; basiconic sensilla oval-elongate; scutellum with long blackish anterior setae; genital capsule elongate; dorsal lamina short, with blunt apex at level of intervolsellar process, which is short.

Comments. This species is similar to T. bruni , but differs in having elongated basiconic sensilla, scutellum with long anterior setae, and short dorsal lamina extending to the level of the intervolsellar process. Samples of T. esalqueanum were analyzed for the ITS2 sequence of rDNA (GenBank ID AY182763.1), and the results showed that it differs from all other previously known species ( Almeida & Stouthamer 2015). It was collected in a forest reserve.

Type repository. ESALQ (holotype) and University of California, Riverside.

Type locality. Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.

Distribution in South America. Brazil (forest reserve).

Hosts. Mechanitis lysimnia (Fabricius, 1793) and Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius, 1775) ( Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae ). Both butterfly species lay their eggs on Passiflora sp. ( Passifloraceae ).