Two new species of wasps parasitizing the rare gelechid defoliator Coconympha iriarcha Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Cocos nucifera Linnaeus from India

Abstract

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera L. (Arecales: Arecaceae), is infested by a series of lepidopteran, coleopteran, hemipteran, and acarine pests in India. Of the long list, the species Coconympha iriarcha Meyrick 1931 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the least encountered defoliators on coconut. Here we record and describe with illustrations, two new species of parasitic wasps, viz. Pediobius coconymphagus Binoy & Sureshan, sp. nov. and Goniozus coconymphagus Santhosh sp. nov., attacking the pupae and larvae of C. iriarcha from India.

Keywords

• Coconut defoliator
• Goniozus
• India
• Parasitoid complex
• Pediobius