Biodiversity and distribution of the subfamily Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in three natural ecosystems in Venezuela

Resumen

The subfamily Alysiinae represents a group conformed by parasitoids including about 41 genera for the New World and nearly 1 000 described species worldwide belonging to 60 genera. All Alysiinae are endoparasitoids cenobionts of Diptera Cyclorrhapha and are recognized by their exodonts mandibles. During 2001, 2002 and 2003 collections of these wasps in three localities with natural ecosystems NP Yacambu, NP Guaramacal and Sector El Candelo at an altitude between 1 400 and 1 600 m. Each sampling lasted seven days, and we used four kinds of methods: malaise, interception, yellow trays and light. Analyses of the components of biodiversity for the genera as well as their distribution at all three sites were carried out. A total of 1 183 individuals were captured during all trips made collection. Of these, 699 (59,08%) were collected in SE Candelo, 421 (35,58%) in PN Yacambu and 63 (5,34%) in PN Guaramacal. We identified 16 genera of Alysiinae including a possible new genus. According to diversity analyses, NP Yacambu shows the greatest richness of genera, followed by the SE Candelo and NP Guaramacal. According to the number of specimens collected, yellow trays proved the method with the greatest number of specimens, viz. 770 (65,08%) collected, followed by interception traps with 342 (28,9%) specimens, the malaise trap with 55 (4,64%) and finally the light trap with 16 (1,38%) specimens collected.