rjnjr's Favorites

This is a brand NEW species - published 02/27/2018 in Zookeys. It was named Cotesia nuellorum after my son, Robert and I.

The paper is open access so please visit and download a copy.

"During October of 2014, RJNJr and RJNIII collected three caterpillars of Citheronia regalis (Fig. 1) in larval form on small American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) trees in the Sam Houston National Forest near Stubblefield Lake Park, Walker County, Texas. One of the specimens was a 2nd or 3rd instar caterpillar which subsequently died after about 13 days during the emergence of the braconid parasitoids described below. The parasitoid emergence was not observed by the authors, but the cocoons were saved and some were allowed to produce adult wasps. The original host, some larval parasitoids, cocoons, and adult parasitoids were saved for further study."

Photography:
"Dr. James B. Whitfield & M. Jared Thomas, Illinois Natural History Survey, for his assistance with the habitus photos of the parasitoids. Clayton Bownds - Texas Master Naturalist photographed the original Larval host - used here with permission."

Reference: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/24226/