Journal of Hymenoptera Research (2017) 61, 49-64

Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Jose Fernández-Triana, Faith W. Nyamu and Komi M. Agbodzavu (2017)
Cotesia icipe sp. n., a new Microgastrinae wasp (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of importance in the biological control of Lepidopteran pests in Africa
Journal of Hymenoptera Research 61, 49-64
Abstract: A new species of Microgastrinae, Cotesia icipe Fernández-Triana and Fiaboe, sp. n., is described from eastern Africa. It was reared in Kenya as a solitary parasitoid from two major amaranth pests, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1833) and S. exigua (Hübner, 1808); study of specimens in collections also revealed its presence in four other countries in the Afrotropical region (Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Yemen). Morphological, molecular and biological characters are used to describe the new species and to distinguish it from all 12 previously described species of Afrotropical Cotesia. Cotesia icipe shows potential in the biological control of key Lepidopteran pests in small scale farming conditions in Africa.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Mawufe Komi Agbodzavu

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
identification/taxonomy

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Spodoptera exigua		Kenya
	Spodoptera littoralis		Kenya
Cotesia icipe (parasitoid)	Spodoptera exigua		Kenya
Cotesia icipe (parasitoid)	Spodoptera littoralis		Kenya