Abstract

Introduction:  Species of Mesochorus are found worldwide and members of this genus are primarily hyperparasitoids of Ichneumonoidea and Tachinidae.

Objectives:  To describe species of Costa Rican Mesochorus reared from caterpillars and to a lesser extent Malaise-trapped.

Methods:  The species are diagnosed by COI mtDNA barcodes, morphological inspection, and host data. A suite of images and host data (plant, caterpillar, and primary parasitoid) are provided for each species.

Results:  A total of 158 new species of Mesochorus. Sharkey is the taxonomic authority for all.

Conclusions:  This demonstrates a practical application of DNA barcoding that can be applied to the masses of undescribed neotropical insect species in hyperdiverse groups.

Key words: Accelerated taxonomy; BIN code; conservation; COI DNA barcode; Ichneumonoidea; parasitoid host associations; tetra-trophic interaction.