Abstract

BRICENO, Rosa; TORRES, Daylú  and  ZALDIVAR-RIVERON, Alejandro. Primer reporte de la familia braconidae (hymenoptera: ichneumonoidea) en los parques cerro saroche y terepaima, Estado Lara, VenezuelaFirst survey of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) for the National Parks Cerro Saroche and Terepaima in Lara State, Venezuela. Bioagro [online]. 2009, vol.21, n.3, pp.223-226. ISSN 1316-3361.

The vast majority of members of the family Braconidae are parasitoids that act as natural regulators of other insects. Most of the reports come from mountain areas. However, little is known of these insects in arid and semi-arid areas, or dry environments, of Venezuela. This study was carried out in two natural ecosystems of Lara State (National Parks Cerro Saroche, PNCS, and Terepaima, PNT) in order to appreciate the biological composition of this family in those environments. For sampling, yellow traps were placed at two elevation points within each locality. We identified 13 subfamilies of Braconidae: Alysiinae, Blacinae, Doryctinae, Cenocoelinae, Cheloninae, Euphorinae, Helconinae, Hormiinae, Meteorinae, Microgastrinae, Opiinae, Orgilinae and Rogadinae. Likewise 20 genera were identified within the main four subfamilies (Doryctinae, Alysiinae, Cheloninae, and Rogadinae). In both parks the subfamily Doryctinae was the most important, followed by Alysiinae in PNT and Cheloninae in PNCS. The largest number of specimens occurred at 1200 meters elevation in both locations, and PNT was the park with the highest number of individuals.

Keywords : Protected ecosystems; parasitoids; taxonomy; arid zones.