Hexacladia smithii Ashmead, 1891 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in Panama: first record and new association with Berecynthus hastator (Fabricius, 1798) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Hexacladia smithii Ashmead, 1891 is a gregarious endoparasitoid present in the neotropics which develops in nymphs and adults of some species of Coreidae, Pentatomidae and Scutelleridae. Some species of economic importance such as Arvellius albopunctatus (DeGeer, 1773), Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius, 1794), Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1798) and Diceraeus furcatus (Fabricius, 1775), were parasitized by H. smithii, in the soybean crops (Glycine max L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), among others. Here, Zachrisson et al discuss the biotic relationship between H. smithii and B. hastator.