Ans, nearly all of whom are honoured with patronynms in this paper. Haphazardly placed Townes Malaise traps in all three major ACG terrestrial ecosystems have yielded another set of ACG Apanteles species, many of which have not yet been reared and are included here (and are so indicated as distinct from the species that have been reared, many of which have not yet been encountered by Malaise-trapping). The rearing results have been complemented since 2003 by extensive DNA barcoding of one or more voucher specimens from each rearing, past and present (Janzen and Hallwachs 2011). This has provided an additional layer of data to study the ACG species of caterpillars, parasitoids, and food plants (e.g., Smith et al. 2006, 2007, 2008; Whitfield et al. 2012; Janzen et al. 2011, 2012). DNA barcoding uses a short standardized region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase (COI) as a key character for species-level identification and discovery (Floyd et al. 2002, Hebert et al. 2003a and b, Janzen et al. 2009, Smith et al. 2006, 2007, 2008). Interspecific barcode variation can be used as part of a suite of characters for the discovery and JWH-133 supplier description of new species (e.g., Hebert et al. 2004, Burns et al. 2008, Fisher and Smith 2008, Fern dez-Triana 2010), and can speed the rate of taxonomic research by flagging otherwise cryptic diversity (e.g., Janzen et al. 2009, Fisher and Smith 2008, Smith and Fisher 2009, Smith et al. 2008). DNA barcoding has been extensively used in biodiversity and taxonomic studies of Microgastrinae during the past five years (e.g., Smith et al. 2008 and 2013, Janzen et al. 2009, Fern dez-Triana 2010, Fern dez-Triana et al. 2011, Rodriguez et al. 2012, Whitfield et al. 2012, Fern dez-Triana et al. 2013). Taxonomic studies of ACG Microgastrinae have been published elsewhere (e.g., Valerio et al. 2005, Grinter et al. 2009, Smith et al. 2008, Valerio et al. 2009, Janzen and Hallwachs 2011, Janzen et al. 2009, Whitfield et al. 2012, Arias-Penna et al. 2013, Fern dez-Triana et al. 2013). However, the ACG species of Apanteles sensu stricto have never been treated in a taxonomic review. The combination of this comprehensive inventory with the richness of biological, ecological and DNA barcoding data, allowed us to engage in the taxonomic study of ACG Apanteles as a whole, and within the context of the other hundreds of species of ACG Microgastrinae. In doing so, we also revised all 19 of the previously GLPG0187 web described Apanteles sensu stricto known from Mesoamerica and incorporate them here. However, no effort was made to study specimens representing undescribed species from areas outside ACG, areas that will certainly contain hundreds of other species of Apanteles as well as many of those in ACG. We hope that this study will be a foundation upon which future studies of tropical Apanteles and other microgastrine genera can be based.Jose L. Fernandez-Triana et al. / ZooKeys 383: 1?65 (2014)Methods In this study, Mesoamerica is defined as the region from (and including) Mexico through Panama, and all the Caribbean islands, following Gauld (1988). We studied 4,100+ specimens from 3,200+ individual caterpillar rearings, and 2,000+ DNA sequences (usually one sequence per rearing event) of Apanteles from ACG. Ecological, biological and distribution data for all of these records can be accessed at http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/caterpillars/database.lasso (Janzen and Hallwachs 2013) by searching on the “DHJPARxxxxxxx” voucher code of the.Ans, nearly all of whom are honoured with patronynms in this paper. Haphazardly placed Townes Malaise traps in all three major ACG terrestrial ecosystems have yielded another set of ACG Apanteles species, many of which have not yet been reared and are included here (and are so indicated as distinct from the species that have been reared, many of which have not yet been encountered by Malaise-trapping). The rearing results have been complemented since 2003 by extensive DNA barcoding of one or more voucher specimens from each rearing, past and present (Janzen and Hallwachs 2011). This has provided an additional layer of data to study the ACG species of caterpillars, parasitoids, and food plants (e.g., Smith et al. 2006, 2007, 2008; Whitfield et al. 2012; Janzen et al. 2011, 2012). DNA barcoding uses a short standardized region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase (COI) as a key character for species-level identification and discovery (Floyd et al. 2002, Hebert et al. 2003a and b, Janzen et al. 2009, Smith et al. 2006, 2007, 2008). Interspecific barcode variation can be used as part of a suite of characters for the discovery and description of new species (e.g., Hebert et al. 2004, Burns et al. 2008, Fisher and Smith 2008, Fern dez-Triana 2010), and can speed the rate of taxonomic research by flagging otherwise cryptic diversity (e.g., Janzen et al. 2009, Fisher and Smith 2008, Smith and Fisher 2009, Smith et al. 2008). DNA barcoding has been extensively used in biodiversity and taxonomic studies of Microgastrinae during the past five years (e.g., Smith et al. 2008 and 2013, Janzen et al. 2009, Fern dez-Triana 2010, Fern dez-Triana et al. 2011, Rodriguez et al. 2012, Whitfield et al. 2012, Fern dez-Triana et al. 2013). Taxonomic studies of ACG Microgastrinae have been published elsewhere (e.g., Valerio et al. 2005, Grinter et al. 2009, Smith et al. 2008, Valerio et al. 2009, Janzen and Hallwachs 2011, Janzen et al. 2009, Whitfield et al. 2012, Arias-Penna et al. 2013, Fern dez-Triana et al. 2013). However, the ACG species of Apanteles sensu stricto have never been treated in a taxonomic review. The combination of this comprehensive inventory with the richness of biological, ecological and DNA barcoding data, allowed us to engage in the taxonomic study of ACG Apanteles as a whole, and within the context of the other hundreds of species of ACG Microgastrinae. In doing so, we also revised all 19 of the previously described Apanteles sensu stricto known from Mesoamerica and incorporate them here. However, no effort was made to study specimens representing undescribed species from areas outside ACG, areas that will certainly contain hundreds of other species of Apanteles as well as many of those in ACG. We hope that this study will be a foundation upon which future studies of tropical Apanteles and other microgastrine genera can be based.Jose L. Fernandez-Triana et al. / ZooKeys 383: 1?65 (2014)Methods In this study, Mesoamerica is defined as the region from (and including) Mexico through Panama, and all the Caribbean islands, following Gauld (1988). We studied 4,100+ specimens from 3,200+ individual caterpillar rearings, and 2,000+ DNA sequences (usually one sequence per rearing event) of Apanteles from ACG. Ecological, biological and distribution data for all of these records can be accessed at http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/caterpillars/database.lasso (Janzen and Hallwachs 2013) by searching on the “DHJPARxxxxxxx” voucher code of the.