DIVERSITY AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF MYMARIDS (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA) IN CENTRAL MEXICO

Abstract

The mymarids are wasps which size varies between 2 and 4 mm and they parasitize exclusively eggs of other insects, mainly Hemiptera and Homoptera. This study was carried out to know the distribution and diversity of genera of Mymaridae present in four physiographic regions in central Mexico (Eje Neovolcánico, Meseta Central, Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre del Sur), where different types of vegetation occur and we categorize them as forest, ferals, crops, weeds, and gramineous. Central México comprises seven states (Guanajuato, Hidalgo, México, Morelos, Puebla, Querétaro, and Tlaxcala) and the Federal District. The survey was done mainly during May, July and August 1991 and 1992. The samples were taken with a modified hitting net. From a total of 93 collections, 13 genera of Mymaridae were identified: Acmopolynema, Alaptus, Anagrus, Anaphes, Camptoptera, Erythmelus, Gonatocerus, Litus, Mymar, Neomymar, Ooctonus, Polynema and Stephanodes. The Shannon-Wienner index (H') indicated that the Eje Neovolcánico, the state of Puebla, the crops, and the month of May presented the highest diversity, in contrast with the Sierra Madre Oriental, the state of Que-rétaro, the dense forest, and the month of February which showed the least diversity