The present study aimed to perform molecular identification of lepidopteran larvae from canopy fogging including gut-content analyses. A total of 130 lepidopteran larvae were selected from 37 fogging ...samples at the Panguana station, district Yuyapichis, province Puerto Inca, department Huánuco, Peru. Target trees were pre-identified and subsequently submitted to molecular confirmation of identity with three markers (rbcL, psbA and trnL-F). The COI gene of 119 lepidopteran larvae was successfully sequenced and found to belong to 92 species: Comparison of DNA barcodes with the reference database of adult moths resulted in 65 (55%) matches at species level, 32 (27%) at genus level, 19 (16%) at subfamily or family level, three just to order level. Three larvae could not be assigned to a family. For these larvae the fogged target tree now suggests a potential host-plant relationship. Molecular gut content analysis, based on High-Throughput-Sequencing was successfully tested for ten larvae corroborating feeding on the target plant in some cases but elucidating several other cases of potential 'alternative feeding'. We propose a larger-scale approach using this rapid and efficient method including molecular gut-content analyses for comprehensively testing the ratio of 'alternative feeders' and pitfalls caused by collateral fogging of larvae from neighboring trees.
We revise the 10 genera and 23 species of the tribe Phaeogenini (Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) known to occur in the Afrotropical region. We describe the following 13 new taxa: Kibalus Rousse, van ...Noort & Diller, gen. n.; K. toro Rousse, van Noort & Diller, sp. n.; K. mubfs Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Arearia oxymoron Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Chauvinia nyanga Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Dicaelotus asantesana Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; D. hoerikwaggoensis Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; D. tablemountainensis Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Heterischnus mfongosi Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; H. mkomazi Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Lusius flummox Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Tycherus amatola Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; and T. nardousberg Rousse & van Noort, sp. n. New distribution records: Heterischnus africanus (Heinrich, 1936) from South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda; H. krausi Schönitzer, 1999 from Rwanda; Lusius tenuissimus (Heinrich, 1938) from Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. A doubtful record of Aethecerus foveolatus Gregor, 1940 from Sao Tome is additionaly reported in the appendix. We provide illustrated diagnoses and identification notes. Online interactive dichotomous and matrix Lucid keys to genera and species are available at http://www.waspweb.org.
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