First record of the Sclerogibbidae (Hymenoptera) from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Abstract

The Galapagos Islands are of great importance due to their role in the dawn and consolidation of the Darwinian model of evolution (Sulloway 1982); their recent geological origin and oceanic location are recent in a natural laboratory for the study of many evolutionary and ecological processes (Schluter 1986, Grant & Grant 2009). As a consequence, several groups of organisms, such as vertebrates, have been specifically studied (De Roy 2009, Steadman 2009); however, basic questions such as the wealth of the affected islands are more studied, and surprises continually appear, even from the most obvious groups, such as the vertebrates themselves (Gentile & Snell 2009). Arthropods are a group for which the inventory of the islands has been unevenly developed and still require a great effort despite the multiple expeditions carried out. According to Linsley and Usinger (1966), at that time the best compendium of entomological studies, from Charles Darwin's pioneering visit in 1835 to 1966, produced around eight individual and 21 group expeditions, resulting in a list of 618 species: 192 beetles, 97 lepidoptera and 31 hymenoptera. Interestingly, large groups of hymenoptera such as Braconidae, Pteromalidae, and Encyrtidae are not listed or mentioned in publications with fewer than five species (Heraty and Herrera 2017). Roque-Álbelo and Landry (2016) listed 311 species of lepidoptera, and Heraty and Herrera (2017) compiled a total of 71 hymenoptera. Interestingly, large groups of hymenoptera such as Braconidae, Pteromalidae, and Encyrtidae are not listed or mentioned in publications with fewer than five species (Heraty and Herrera 2017). Roque-Álbelo and Landry (2016) listed 311 species of lepidoptera, and Heraty and Herrera (2017) compiled a total of 71 hymenoptera. Interestingly, large groups of hymenoptera such as Braconidae, Pteromalidae, and Encyrtidae are not listed or mentioned in publications with fewer than five species (Heraty and Herrera 2017).