Search

Aprostocetus smilax Gates & Zhang, sp. nov., is described from stem and leaf galls on Smilax havanensis Jacq. in southern Florida, USA. It is the third species of Aprostocetus Westwood known to induce plant galls. Two parasitoids of A. smilax are also described: Phylloxeroxenus smilax Gates & Zhang sp. nov. and Sycophila smilax Gates & Zhang, sp. nov. We conclude that A. smilax is the true gall inducer on Smilax L., and thus the host records of Diastrophus smilacis Ashmead and its inquiline Periclistus smilacis Ashmead, both from Smilax, are erroneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The European species of the genus Tetrastichus (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae) are revised with 93 species, including 50 species described as new. The revision was conducted using an integrative taxonomic approach, based on DNA barcoding in combination with morphological characters. The Tetrastichinae are a biologically diverse and species-rich group of parasitoid wasps with numerous complexes of morphologically often very similar species that attack a wide range of hosts in over 100 insect families in 10 different orders. The genus Tetrastichus is, with almost 500 described species, the third largest genus of Tetrastichinae. Although biological information is lacking for most species, current data indicate that Tetrastichus species are gregarious koinobiont endoparasitoids developing on juvenile stages of mainly holometabolous insects. Due to their host specificity, several species of Tetrastichus are used as biological control agents. New information The European species of Tetrastichus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are revised using a combination of externo-morphological and DNA barcoding data. This is the first integrative approach for any of the large genera of the Tetrastichinae. A total of 93 species are included, of which 50 are described as new: T. agonus sp. n., T. antonjanssoni sp. n., T. argei sp. n., T. argutus sp. n., T. asilis sp. n., T. ballotus sp. n., T. bledius sp. n., T. broncus sp. n., T. calcarius sp. n., T. calmius sp. n., T. clisius sp. n., T. cosidis sp. n., T. cumulus sp. n., T. cyprus sp. n., T. delvarei sp. n., T. doczkali sp. n., T. elanus sp. n., T. elodius sp. n., T. ennis sp. n., T. enodis sp. n., T. erinus sp. n., T. evexus sp. n., T. fadus sp. n., T. fenrisi sp. n., T. flaccius sp. n., T. gredius sp. n., T. iasi sp. n., T. illydris sp. n., T. incanus sp. n., T. inscitus sp. n., T. intruitus sp. n., T. johnnoyesi sp. n., T. lacustrinus sp. n., T. ladrus sp. n., T. lanius sp. n., T. lazius sp. n., T. lixalius sp. n., T. lycus sp. n., T. marcusgrahami sp. n., T. minius sp. n., T. mixtus sp. n., T. nataliedaleskeyae sp. n., T. nymphae sp. n., T. pixius sp. n., T. scardiae sp. n., T. splendens sp. n., T. sti sp. n., T. suecus sp. n., T. tacitus sp. n. and T. tartus sp. n. Two keys for the identification of species are presented, one for females and one for males. Based on DNA barcode sequences for 70 of the species, a Maximum Likelihood tree to assess phylogenetic relationships within the genus is presented. These 70 species are also characterised by a combination of CO1 and morphological data. The remaining 23 species, without a DNA barcode, are characterised by morphological data. Using a combination of data from the morphology and CO1 or morphological data only, the species are separated into three species groups (clito-, hylotomarum-, murcia-groups) with 41 unplaced species outside these groups. Hosts are known for 27 of the species and they are gregarious, koinobiont endoparasitoids on a wide range of immature stages of holometabolous insects and appear to be very host specific. The first host record for Lepidoptera (Tineidae) in Europe is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is one of the most serious forest pests in the United States. Ongoing research indicates that establishment of larval parasitoids depends upon the season-long availability of host stages susceptible to parasitism. We monitored emerald ash borer overwintering stages at 90 sites across 22 states to: 1) produce a model of the percentage of emerald ash borer overwintering as non-J larvae; 2) link that model to establishment of Tetrastichus planipennisi ; and 3) explore changes to our model under climate change scenarios. Accumulated growing degree days (GDD) is an important predictor of the proportion of emerald ash borer overwintering as non-J larvae (1–4 instar larvae under the bark; available to parasitoids emerging in spring) versus J-larvae (fourth-instar larvae in pupal chambers in the outer wood; unavailable to parasitoids). From north to south, the availability of non-J emerald ash borer larvae in the spring decreases as accumulated GDD increases. In areas where the model predicted >46–75%, >30–46%, >13–30%, or ≤13% of emerald ash borer overwintering as non-J larvae, the probability of establishment of T. planipennisi was 92%, 67%, 57%, and 21%, respectively. We determined that 13% of emerald ash borer overwintering as non-J larvae was the lowest threshold for expected T. planipennisi establishment. Additional modeling predicts that under climate change, establishment of T. planipennisi will be most affected in the Central United States, with areas that are currently suitable becoming unsuitable. Our results provide a useful tool for the emerald ash borer biological control program on how to economically and successfully deploy emerald ash borer biological control agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fossil species of Eulophidae, Kressleinius celans, gen. et sp. nov., is described from Eocene Baltic amber. It does not place into any extant genera within Eulophidae due to a lack of distinctive synapomorphies. The results of a morphology-based phylogenetic analysis placed K. celans in Tetrastichinae because of features shared with several genera, including having 6 flagellomeres past the anelli, admarginal setae short, propleura diverging, and a newly described feature of the transepimeral sulcus. This represents the oldest known fossil for the largest family of Chalcidoidea in terms of described species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) are a megadiverse superfamily of wasps with astounding variation in both morphology and biology. Most species are parasitoids and important natural enemies of insects in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we present a transcriptome‐based phylogeny of Chalcidoidea; we found that poorly resolved relationships could only be marginally improved by adding more genes (a total of 5591) and taxa (a total of 65), proof‐checking for errors of homology and contamination, and decreasing missing data. Concatenation analyses consistently place Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae sister to remaining Chalcidoidea. However, our coalescent analyses provide a different hypothesis with a grouping of (Mymaridae (((Trichogrammatidae, Eulophidae), (Encyrtidae, Aphelinidae)), remaining Chalcidoidea)). This hypothesis complicates our hypothesis of egg parasitism as being the ancestral state in Chalcidoidea. At the deeper nodes, the results uncovered a wide spectrum of gene discordance in the transcriptomic markers and identified a strong signal of functional bias in genes supporting alternative phylogenies. These deeper nodes of the phylogeny are thus strongly influenced by biased support from different functional gene complexes. Shallower nodes showed similar gene discordance, but without strong functional bias. Understanding and identifying mechanisms that result in gene tree discordance may be beneficial and even essential for elucidating deeper relationships, especially for groups that have undergone extremely rapid radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaphania hyalinata (Linnaeus, 1767) is one of the main pests of the cucurbit crops. Biological control and botanicals are used in integrated pest management (IPM), especially in agro-ecological agricultures where the use of synthetic pesticides is restricted. Toxicological effects of plant essential oils on target and nontarget organisms should be evaluated to determine its use in IPM. The toxicity of ginger, peppermint, oregano, and thyme essential oils to D. hyalinata eggs, larvae, and pupae and their selectivity to the parasitoid Trichospilus pupivorus and the LC50, LC99 and the relative selectivity index (RSI) of these botanicals were determined. The eggs of D. hyalinata were more sensitive to the botanicals applied than its larvae and pupae, with higher toxicity of oregano and thyme essential oils, followed by those of peppermint and ginger. Topical application was the least toxic method to D. hyalinata larvae. Ginger, peppermint, and thyme essential oils were more toxic by ingestion and oregano by contact to D. hyalinata larvae. The essential oil concentrations applied to D. hyalinata pupae prevent the emergence of adults of this insect with the oregano essential oil showing the greatest toxicity. Peppermint, ginger, thyme, and oregano essential oils were selective to T. pupivorus with RSI50 of 5.40, 1.38, 8.15, and 6.98 and RSI99 of 1.54, 2.53, 3.90, and 4.16 respectively. The ginger, peppermint, oregano, and thyme essential oils were toxic to immature D. hyalinata and selective to T. pupivorus females presenting potential as an alternative control in the IPM of this pest in Cucurbitaceae crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual reproduction is the dominant mode of reproduction in plants and animals; however, some species from various taxonomic groups reproduce asexually. Because some of these asexual species lack DNA recombination and so have low genetic variability, these asexual species are more likely to go extinct than sexual species. Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid in which both arrhenotokous and thelytokous strains occur in sympatry. The thelytokous strain is infected by a parthenogenesis-inducing Rickettsia bacterium. We investigated whether fertilized progeny can be produced between females and antibiotic-induced males of the thelytokous strain. The males produced by antibiotic treatment showed the same courtship behaviors as the arrhenotokous males, but at a lower rate, and did not produce fertilized progeny. The results confirm that the thelytokous strain has been maintained by a functional apomixis mechanism rather than by occasional sex, preserving a degree of heterozygosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of the wasp Tachinobia repanda Bouček collected from egg sacs of the colonial spider Cyrtophora moluccensis (Doleschall) in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG) by Lubin, Y.D. in 1980. This is the first record of T. repanda from egg sacs of a colonial spider. The likely host of this eulophid wasp was the larvae of a sarcophagid fly that parasitizes the egg sacs of these spiders. The 67 T. repanda collected were all females and varied little in body size. We suggest that this species is a gregarious hyperparasitoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housefly, Musca domestica is used as an alternate host to rear a eulophid, Nesolynx thymus (Girault), a pupal parasitoid of the tachinid fly, Exorista bombycis (Louis) which in turn is an endolarval parasitoid of Bombyx mori (L.). An attempt was made to evaluate the host factors like pupal size, age and exposure periods of N. thymus for developing robust mass multiplication methods. The host size had significant effect on mean parasitism by N. thymus. Mated females of N. thymus when exposed to host pupae of varying size, revealed that mean per cent parasitisation was significantly higher (74%) in large sized pupae having a volume of 263.89 mm3. Regarding host age, 24 - 48 h old host pupae had higher level of parasitism (65%) by N. thymus. The parasitism rate declined with an increase in host age after 72 h. In field evaluation, release of N. thymus at weekly interval resulted in the reduction of housefly population as evinced from the higher parasitism (56 %) of the sentinel cards placed in the treated poultry sheds. The information on host factors generated will help to enhance the mass multiplication of parasitoid for the release of which would aid to bring down the M. domestica population in poultry and dairy units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalyptus camaldulensis is an essence of the family Myrtaceae. It resists a certain salt content and the sea wind. Despite that, it subject to many factors of degradation as parasitic and harmful insects. In the last years, an insect is detected on the foliage of Eucalyptus camaldulensis trees in Algeria (North-East region). The results made it possible evidence the presence of one harmful species Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle 2004 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), this parasite has been detected in 2006, The Chronology of Gall's emergence of Leptocybe invasa and its field infestation rate were followed since 2010, in Eucalyptus plantation in the North-East Region. Some statistical methods of Gall's emergence of this pest is reviewed and discussed. First, after exploration, we selected the most affected trees, second, we organized the samples of each tree, we respected the orientation (North-South-East-West). For each study site 10 trees were marked. 30 leaves of each tree were removed, so it is 300 leaves for each site, which were analyzed. We used the method of time series that connects the time with the number of galls. This study is based on the number of galls observed, on both sides of the leaves. In order to highlight the degree of attack of pests. The outputs were made from October 2012 to October 2013, due to two outputs per month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, pest occurrence in forest plantations has been increasing influenced by genotypes and environmental conditions such as climate change, thus impacting production negatively. In 2008, the exotic pest Leptocybe invasa (Hym: Eulophidae), known as the blue gum chalcid, was introduced in Brazil causing damage to eucalypt plantations in many regions of the country. To this end, this study evaluated the susceptibility of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (one seedlot), E. grandis (four seedlots), E. urophylla (four seedlots), and the "E. urograndis" hybrid (E. urophylla × E. grandis) (three seedlots) exposed to a natural infestation by L. invasa in two seasons (winter and summer). The attack on seedlings was classified in terms of severity as healthy (no pest attack), oviposition (only oviposition signs) and gall formation. The results show a significant higher pest incidence in summer compared to winter. Further, Eucalyptus urophylla was the least attacked and 90% of the seedlings were healthy whereas E. grandis showed the highest number of seedlings with galls. The E. urograndis hybrid showed intermediate results between the two species. Differences in susceptibility were observed between seedlots within species. Eucalyptus camaldulensis, which was expected to have the highest incidence of galls, had a high oviposition incidence (60%) and low gall incidence (< 10%), probably due to its provenance. The susceptibility of the different eucalypt families varied significantly with respect to L. invasa infestation, and family heritability ranged from 0.27 to 0.68. The genetic control of L. invasa is possible through the selection of tolerant and resistant material, considering the species, provenance, and family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weevil Larinus sibiricus Gyllenhal and a rich complex of associated hymenopteran parasitoids were reared from flower heads of Xeranthemum annuum L. (Asteraceae) in Bulgaria. As a result, the following taxa were established: Bracon urinator (Fabricius) (Braconidae), Exeristes roborator (Fabricius) (Ichneumonidae), Cyrtoptyx sp., Norbanus cerasiops (Masi), Pteromalus vibulenus (Walker), Stenoselma nigrum Delucchi (Pteromalidae), Exopristus trigonomerus (Masi) (Torymidae), Leptomastix ephyra Noyes & Hayat (Encyrtidae), Aprostocetus venustus (Gahan), Baryscapus sp. near carthami Graham (Eulophidae), Eupelmus microzonus Förster (Eupelmidae) and Eurytoma curculionum Mayr (Eurytomidae). Three of them (E. curculionum, L. ephyra and N. cerasiops) are recorded for the first time from Bulgaria and L. ephyra is a newly recorded species for the Balkan Peninsula and Europe. New associations with L. sibiricus and X. annuum were established for all reared parasitoids except B. urinator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, the parasitoid complex of Leucoptera sinuella (Reutti) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) was studied in two localities (town of Banya and Voinjagovo village) near Striama River in Central South Bulgaria. Larvae and pupae of L. sinuella were periodically collected in poplar (Populus spp.) plantations and studied in laboratory conditions. As a result, four eulophids (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were identified: Baryscapus endemus (Walker), Chrysocharis pentheus (Walker), Cirrospilus pictus (Nees) and Pediobius bruchicida (Rondani). Three species (B. endemus, C. pentheus and P. bruchicida) were established for first time in the parasitoid complex of L. sinuella. The most abundant species was B. endemus (86.1%), followed by P. bruchicida (9.7%), C. pictus (2.8%) and C. pentheus (1.4%). The mortality of the host caused by the parasitoids in different samples varied between 0 and 76.7%, with an average of 10.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a natural enemy of several important pests. This biocontrol agent is also a host for different parasitoids. Little is known about the parasitoid complex of C. septempunctata in Pakistan. The authors identified Oomyzus scaposus (Thomson, 1878) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) as a larval‐pupal parasitoid of C. septempunctata in the district of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Out of 36 C. septempunctata pupae collected, 58.3% were parasitized by O. scaposus. This study documents the first record of O. scaposus parasitizing C. septempunctata in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the biological control of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), we studied the life history traits and host-killing rate of Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on T. absoluta at 25 ± 0.5 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and a L:D 14:10 photoperiod. The parasitoid was able to parasitize and host feed on the first, second and third instar host larvae with preference to the second instar. Life history traits and host-killing parameters were highest on the second instar host larvae compared to the first or third instar. The host-killing rate of the parasitoid was much higher than the intrinsic rate of increase. N. formosa appeared to be a potential biocontrol agent of T. absoluta and would supplement its biological control in tomato involving other biocontrol agents like Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) and Necremnus spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oomyzus spiraculus Song, Fei & Cao sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) is described and illustrated as a gregarious larval-pupal endoparasitoid of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae). Differentiation between O. spiraculus and its similar species is discussed and a key to differentiate the female and male of these species is provided. DNA barcodes of O. spiraculus and O. scaposus are analyzed and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oomyzus flavotibialis sp. nov. is described from Liaoning and Shandong provinces, China. Oomyzus gallerucae (Fonscolombe) is reported for the first time from China. A key to Chinese species of Oomyzus is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of galling on the distributions of plant metabolites can vary greatly with plant genotype. In this study, two Eucalyptus genotypes with different resistance levels were chosen, and the levels of several primary and secondary metabolites, as well as phytohormones in galls and ungalled portions of galled leaves infested by the gall wasp Leptocybe invasa, and gall-free (control) leaves were compared. It was found that galls of both two plant genotypes accumulated higher concentrations of carbon, total phenolics, gibberellins (GA), and abscisic acid (ABA) but had lower chlorophyll content than ungalled portions. However, galls of highly susceptible genotype contained higher nitrogen (N), cytokinins (CK), GA, and chlorophyll content but lower C/N ratio, total phenolics, tannins, and ABA than less susceptible genotype. For both two genotypes, ABA in galls and ungalled portions increased compared with adjacent control leaves. CK and GA levels increased in galls but decreased in ungalled portions of highly susceptible genotype, compared with control leaves. For less susceptible genotype, CK levels increased in both galls and ungalled portions compared with control leaves, but higher levels of tannins, total phenolics, and GA were only detected in galls. Therefore, our study found insufficient evidence that the impact of galling on the distributions of these metabolites and phytohormones extended beyond the attacked leaves, because they varied greatly with plant genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian eulophid wasp Tetrastichus planipennisi is being released in North America as a biocontrol agent for the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), a very destructive invasive buprestid beetle that is devastating ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). We identified, synthesized, and tested a female-produced sex pheromone for the wasp. The key component eliciting behavioral responses from male wasps in flight tunnel bioassays was identified as (6S,10S)-(2E,4E,8E)-4,6,8,10-tetramethyltrideca-2,4,8-triene. Female specificity was demonstrated by gas chromatographic (GC) comparison of male and female volatile emissions and whole body extracts. The identification was aided by coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis, microchemical reactions, NMR, GC analyses with a chiral stationary phase column, and matching GC retention times and mass spectra with those of synthetic standards. The tetramethyl-triene hydrocarbon was synthesized as a mixture of two enantiomeric pairs of diastereomers, and as the pure insect-produced stereoisomer. In flight-tunnel bioassays, males responded to both the natural pheromone and the chiral synthetic material by upwind flight and landing on the source. In contrast, the mixture of four stereoisomers was not attractive, indicating that one or more of the "unnatural" stereoisomers antagonized attraction. Field trials, using yellow pan traps baited with natural pheromone, captured significantly more male wasps than control traps over a four week trial. The identified pheromone could increase the efficiency and specificity of the current detection methods for Tetrastichus planipennisi and aid in the determination of parasitoid establishment at release sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted from July 2019 to February 2020 to evaluate the diversity of chalcidoids in different natural and manmade agroecosystems from three agro-climatic zones (Chhattisgarh Plains, Bastar Plateau and Northern Hills) in the state Chhattisgarh, India. The survey resulted in the collection of 386 specimens belonging to eight families Chalcididae-256 specimens (66.32%), Encyrtidae-13 (3.37%), Eulophidae-77 (19.94%), Eurytomidae-06 (1.56%), Mymaridae-02 (0.52%), Ormyridae-01 (0.26%), Pteromalidae-16 (4.14%), and Torymidae-15 (3.89%), respectively from 17 collection sites. The highest diversity of chalcidoids was observed in the natural vegetation of Chhattisgarh Plains with Chalcididae as the most predominant family. Altogether, five predominant genera were collected using sweep net and yellow pan traps and were identified as Antrocephalus Kirby - 48 specimens (18.75%), Brachymeria Westwood - 71 (27.73%), Dirhinus Dalman -78 (30.47%), Epitranus Walker - 02 (0.78%), and Hockeria Walker - 57 (22.27%). The Chalcididae genera collected from different natural vegetation in descending order of their dominance were: Brachymeria- 53 specimens (32.31%) > Dirhinus- 42 (25.61%) > Antrocephalus- 34 (20.73%) > Hockeria- 33 (20.13%) > Epitranus-02 (1.22%). However in the manmade agroecosystems, Dirhinus was the most dominant genus and the descending order of dominance of genera observed were: Dirhinus- 36 specimens (39.13%) > Hockeria- 24 (26.09%) > Brachymeria- 18 (19.57%) > Antrocephalus- 14 (15.21%) with absence of the genus Epitranus. Comparing all the survey sites, Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, Mungeli was found most abundant in chalcid diversity under natural ecosystem and College of Agriculture, Raipur under agroecosystem with maximum diversity in vegetable fields of spine gourd, bottle gourd and sponge gourd altogether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 2014-2019 the complex of parasitoids of Asphondylia spp. causing flower galls on Lamiaceae was investigated, mostly in locations of Southern Italy. Samples of flower galls caused by Asphondylia hornigi Wachtl on Origanum vulgare, Asphondylia nepetae Viggiani on Clinopodium nepeta, Asphondylia serpylli Kieffer on Thymus vulgaris, Asphondylia sp. 1 on Clinopodium vulgare and Asphondylia sp. 2 on Micromeria graeca, subsp. graeca, subsp. fruticulosa, subsp. tenuifolia and also subsp. consentina, were collected in several periods of each year and maintained in Petri dishes or in microdishes until the emergence of parasitoids. Some galls were kept singly isolated. Observations on the larval behaviour of the parasitoids and their association with the host were made dissecting the flower galls. The identified parasitoids were: Aprostocetus westwoodii (Fonscolombe), Eurytoma dentata Mayr, Mesopolobus sp., Pseudocatolaccus nitescens (Walker), Sigmophora brevicornis (Panzer), Systasis encyrtoides Walker, Torymus thymi Ruschka. A species of Baryscapus recognized as a new taxon was reared from pupae of S. brevicornis and is here described. The relative abundance of the parasitoids in the complex associated with the single species of gall midge was analysed and illustrated. Biological notes on the parasitoids are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Ionympha Graham (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is recorded first time from India and Oriental region. A new species, I. lenis sp. nov. is described from Uttar Pradesh, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to collect and identify chalcidoid wasps associated with Asteraceae and their possible hosts in the northwest of Iran during 2013–2014. Fourteen species of parasitoid wasps were recovered from 19 species of Asteraceae. These parasitoids include five Eulophidae: Aprostocetus malagensis, Crataepus marbis, Hyssopus nigritulus, Pronotalia hungarica; two Eurytomidae: Eurytoma compressa, Eurytoma robusta; one Eupelmidae: Eupelmus vesicularis; one Ormyridae: Ormyrus orientalis; three Pteromalidae: Pteromalus albipennis, Pteromalus sp., Sphengigaster nigricornis; two Torymidae: Pseudotorymus leguminum, Microdontomerus annulata. Four species, Aprostocetus malagensis, Pronotalia hungarica, Pseudotorymus leguminum and Sphengigaster nigricornis, are new records for the Hymenoptera fauna of Iran. All host-plant associations were newly established to the science. General distribution of these parasitoids and their biological associations were discussed. A list of associated Chalcidoidea to Tephritidae in Iran was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey and relative densities of L. trifolii and its parasitoids were studied on three faba bean cultivars in newly reclaimed sandy land at El-Salhia district, Sharkia Governorate Egypt during 2015 / 16 and 2016/17 growing seasons. The obtained results were summarized as follows: 1. The faba bean leafminer infestation on faba bean cultivars started in the 3rd week of November in the first and second seasons. It continued till the end of both seasons. 2. Two tested cultivars; Giza 716 and Giza 3 were highly susceptible to the pest infestation while, Giza 843 cultivar was less susceptible to the pest infestation. The mean numbers of larvae / sample for the three cultivars were 140.45, 127.23 and 110.77 & 147.57, 123.24 and 115.33 in the first and second seasons, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the differences between three cultivars were significant and highly significant (F = 7.537* and 16.607**) during 2015 / 16 and 2016/17 seasons, respectively. 3. The mean percentages of infestation in the first season were 77.95, 76.36 and 67.91% on Giza 716, Giza 3 and Giza 843, respectively. They were 75.05, 74.19 and 67.05% in the second season, respectively. 4. In the first season, means of mines/sample for Giza 716, Giza 3 and Giza 843 were 202.59, 188.77 and 181.86, respectively. While in the second season 214.19, 181.38 and 177.57 were recorded, consecutively. 5. Eleven hymenopterous parasitoid species, of L. trifolii belonging to Eulophidae, Braconidae and Pteromalidae were recorded. They included four ecto-larval, three endo-larval and four endo-larval-pupal parasitoids. 6. Generally, the most dominant ecto-larval parasitoid was Diglyphus isaea (Walk.), accounting for 24.65 and 30.10% of the total recorded parasitoids in the first and second seasons, successively. It was followed by endo-larval parasitoids, Neochrysocharis formosa (West.) Which composed 21.42 and 17.35% of parasitoids in the first and second seasons, respectively. Opius basalis Fischer was the most abundant endo-larval - pupal species which parasitized 11.02 and 10.90 % of the pest larvae in the first and second seasons, consecutively. 7. The parasitoids of L. trifolii on faba bean cultivars had four to six peaks annually. The mean parasitism percentages of the host larvae were 66.38, 63.24 and 57.78 & 61.97, 65.39 and 54.30% on Giza 716, Giza 3 and Giza 843 in the first and second seasons, respectively. 8. Temperature and relative humidity affected infestation percentages by 22.29, 31.37 and 22.41% & 23.12, 15.75 and 17.09% during 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, respectively. While their influences on percentages of parasitism were 15.89, 15.76 and 6.28% & 16.84, 42.06 and 14.66% during two seasons, respectively. 9. The chemical contents affected on the infestation percentages by L. trifolii infested three faba bean cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lychee gall midge, Litchiomyia chinensis Yang and Luo (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), invaded Taiwan in 2008. This fly induces blister-galls on the leaves of lychee, Litchi chinensis Sonn (Sapindaceae), and causes significant yield losses. At present, its natural enemy complex is largely undocumented; thus, the overall aim of ongoing research is to investigate the natural enemies on L. chinensis in different areas and seasons in Taiwan. We describe two species that parasitise this gall midge: Quadrastichus lasallei, sp. n. and Quadrastichus johnlasallei, sp. n. that demonstrate biocontrol potential of this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genus Setelacher Bouček, S. lasalleisp. nov. Gumovsky and van Noort, is described from the Afrotropical region (Central African Republic, Gabon and Uganda). It confirms the presence of the genus in the region. The only described species of the genus, S. fasciatus Bouček, is of Australasian and Indo-Malayan distribution, and one undescribed species was previously recorded from South Africa. All images presented here are available on [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eulophidae is a hyper-diverse family of chalcidoid wasps with 324 genera, about 5300 described species and probably thousands of others to be described. Until now, the absence of unequivocal morphological apomorphies and the low resolution provided by the handful of Sanger sequenced genes have hampered the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships within the family. Here, we used ultra-conserved elements and their flanking regions to resolve relationships among 84 species of eulophids included in 63 genera representing all subfamilies and most tribes, plus 15 outgroups. Our analyses recover all traditional Eulophidae subfamilies and tribes with high support and globally agree with the traditional classification of the family. Our results confirm that Eulophinae + Tetrastichinae is the sister group of (Opheliminae + Entiinae) + Entedoninae. At the generic level, our analyses provide high support for intergeneric relationships for which morphology and Sanger markers previously failed to provide resolution. Our results also confirm that Trisecodes does not group with Eulophidae and may not belong to this family; however, its correct classification still awaits a large-scale phylogenomic hypothesis for Chalcidoidea. This work opens new avenues towards a better understanding of the evolutionary history, biogeography and evolution of host–parasitoid associations in this hyper-diverse family of chalcidoid wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus, Lasalleistichus, is described based on material from the Neotropical region (Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru). This new genus includes four species: L. albiclava, L. albifasciatus, L. fuscicoxa, L. longicaulis, all spp. n. and described here. The group is mainly female based, males are known only for L. albiclava. There is no biological information available for this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature-driven development rates and longevity times of Psyllaphycus diaphorinae Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a hyperaparasitoid of Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis (Shafee, Alam & Agarwal) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), 2 primary parasitoids of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), were quantified. Development times and longevity were investigated at 6 average daily temperatures (15, 18, 20, 25, and 32 °C) that either were constant or fluctuated over 24 h. Thermal performance curves for egg-to-adult development of P. diaphorinae reared on D. aligarhensis were characterized using 1 linear and 2 nonlinear degree-d models (i.e., Ratkowsky and Performance-2). Daily thermal fluctuations had significant effects on development rates and longevity of P. diaphorinae adults. Psyllaphycus diaphorinae reared under fluctuating profiles completed development more slowly (20, 25, and 32 °C), and survived longer (18–32 °C) than those reared under constant profiles with equivalent mean temperatures. In addition, P. diaphorinae emerged from fluctuating but not constant profiles at 15 °C. Estimates of thermal constants (i.e., degree-d to complete development) predicted by the linear model were 36% lower for the constant temperature regimen than the fluctuating temperature regimen. Nonlinear and linear model estimations of the theoretical lower and upper thermal thresholds ranged between –3.7 to 11.9 °C and 33.7 to 34 °C, respectively. The development rate of male and female P. diaphorinae was most favorable at 30 °C. These results demonstrate the significant effects of average temperatures and daily temperature variations on P. diaphorinae life history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We have evaluated different rearing strategies of Baryscapus silvestrii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a parasitoid of Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae), including the use of a factitious host, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), and in the process acquired new knowledge of the parasitoid's biology. We found that B. silvestrii: (1) parasitizes only puparia and exclusively if they are concealed, (2) is able to parasitize and complete its development on puparia of all ages, (3) prefers to oviposit on the medfly in choice tests, (4) completes development faster if reared on 2–3 day-old puparia, (5) exhibits sex allocation related to host puparium age. This study provides critical information on several biological traits of B. silvestrii, and the new rearing method can be used to establish a parasitoid rearing for augmentative releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ophelimus near migdanorum, a foliage gall wasp-inducer of Eucalyptus, is recorded for the first time in Colombia, infesting both mature ornamental trees of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) and monoculture plantations in the periurban forest in the city of Bogotá. The parasitoid Closterocerus chamaeleon was also emerged from the galled foliage. The spread of this pest and its parasitoid in other Eucalyptus species planted in Colombia has not been evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New records of Tetrastichinae from Italy are given. The Italian species of Aprostocetus (Ootetrastichus) are revised, a new species is described, and a key to their identification is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeydew is a sugar-rich food source produced by sap-feeding insects, notably by major pests such as aphids and whiteflies. It is an important alternative food source for the adult stage of various key natural enemies (e.g., parasitoids), but it may be used also as food by agricultural pests. Necremnus tutae is an idiobiont parasitoid, and it is the most abundant larval parasitoid associated with the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, in recently invaded European areas. The impact of N. tutae on T. absoluta populations was evaluated under greenhouse conditions with and without the presence of a honeydew producer, the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae. In addition, laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the longevity of N. tutae and T. absoluta adults when fed with water, honey or honeydew produced by the aphid. In the greenhouse, N. tutae effectively reduced T. absoluta population by the end of the experiment, and this independently of the presence of the aphid; still the presence of M. euphorbiae led to delayed and reduced T. absoluta population peak when controlled by the parasitoid (there was a fourfold increase in parasitoid density in presence of aphid). The longevity of both N. tutae and T. absoluta females increased in the presence of honeydew (when compared to water only) under laboratory conditions; it hinted that honeydew could be used by an herbivore as T. absoluta. The interactions between the two phytophagous species showed contrasting effects, and this mostly independently of parasitoid presence. Tuta absoluta had no impact on aphid population dynamics. By contrast, the production of T. absoluta larvae was higher in the first part of the experiment as the adults lived longer (feeding on aphid honeydew) and produced more larvae. In the second part of the experiment, there were fewer T. absoluta larvae in the presence of the aphid, likely owing to resource competition and/or negative plant-mediated indirect interactions. We demonstrated that honeydew producers could impact parasitoid-host population dynamics both through direct and indirect interactions and that potential positive effects of a sugar food source toward a pest can be nullified in the long term by other negative effects occurring simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Iheringia. Série Zoologia is the property of Fundacao Zoobotanica do Rio Grande do Sul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. Insects harbor a myriad of microorganisms, many of which can affect the sex ratio and manipulate the reproduction of the host. Leptocybe invasa is an invasive pest that causes serious damage to eucalyptus plantations, and the thelytokous parthenogenesis, low temperature resistance, protection in galls, generation overlap and small body of L. invasa contribute to its rapid invasion and population growth. However, the endosymbiotic bacterial composition, abundance and sex differences of L. invasa remain unclear. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the bacterial communities in L. invasa adults and compare them between the sexes of L. invasa lineage B. Results. The Illumina MiSeq platform was used to compare bacterial community composition between females and males of L. invasa by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. A total of 1,320 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained. These OTUs were subdivided into 24 phyla, 71 classes, 130 orders, 245 families and 501 genera. At the genus level, the dominant bacteria in females and males were Rickettsia and Rhizobium, respectively. Conclusion. The endosymbiotic bacteria of L. invasa females and males were highly diverse. There were differences in the bacterial community of L. invasa between sexes, and the bacterial diversity in male specimens was greater than that in female specimens. This study presents a comprehensive comparison of bacterial communities in L. invasa and these data will provide an overall view of the bacterial community in both sexes of L. invasa with special attention on sex-related bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tetrastichus julis had a short developmental time and a female-biased sex ratio. • Tetrastichus julis females likely allocate progeny sex ratio based on the instar size of the host. • Sibling mating and superparasitism were commonly observed in T. julis. • Tetrastichus julis females can live longer in the absence of its host. Tetrastichus julis is the key larval endoparasitoid of the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus. The beetle has recently invaded cereal growing regions of western Canada, and classical biological control with T. julis is a viable management option. Although the general biology of T. julis is known, several knowledge gaps on life history traits still remain particularly in relation to host preferences and their consequences for parasitoid-beetle interactions. We investigated life history parameters and host preferences of T. julis with reference to a number of developmental parameters including survivorship, clutch size, ovipositional preferences for larval stages and their influences on realized clutch size of the parasitoid. Salient features of T. julis biology observed in this study were a short developmental time, a female-biased sex ratio, which is slightly more pronounced in larger instars, extended longevity of females, sibling mating, and more importantly, the capacity of females to live longer in the absence of hosts. The seasonal trend in parasitism rate of T. julis indicated a peak in activity in mid-June. This investigation revealed that T. julis females can discriminate among host instars and can adjust clutch size accordingly and to some extent increase production of females more than males in larger instars. In laboratory and field trials, given a choice, females laid more eggs in fourth instars than in first instars. The sex ratio was female biased and was positively correlated with clutch size. At least one male emerged from most clutches (>2) and sibling mating was common. Parasitism rates were higher after an exposure period of 48 h than 24 h. Mass rearing of T. julis can be enhanced by exposing mated T. julis females for at least 48 h to fourth-instar larvae of O. melanopus. Understanding T. julis biology can enhance mass rearing to relocate parasitoids and improve sustainable management of the cereal leaf beetle as it expands its geographic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trioza erytreae, a vector of Candidatus liberibacter spp, the causal agent of HLB huanglongbing disease, is established in Europe. • A classical biological control program using the parasitoid Tamarixia dryi was implemented in the Canary Islands. • Tamarixia dryi successfully established, dispersed from the released island to the neighboring islands and controlled the vector. • The percentage of sites infested by T. erytreae was reduced from about 80% to less than 5% in two years. The African citrus psyllid Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is one of the most threatening pests for Mediterranean citriculture. It vectors the phloem-limited bacteria Candidatus liberibacter spp, the causal agent of huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating citrus disease worldwide. Although HLB has yet to be recorded in Europe, T. erytreae has established in the Macaronesia Islands of Madeira (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain), and in mainland Europe. In 2017, a classical biological control program was implemented, and Tamarixia dryi (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was released in an experimental citrus orchard in the Canarian Island of Tenerife in the spring of 2018. This study aimed to analyze i) the distribution and spatio-temporal dispersion of T. dryi , ii) the seasonal trend of T. erytreae and parasitism rates of T. dryi in the field and iii) the effect of T. dryi on T. erytreae population densities in the Canary Islands three consecutive years after the release of the parasitoid. Our results showed that T. dryi successfully established in the island of Tenerife and dispersed in four out of five surrounding islands where T. erytreae was present. Two years after the release of T. dryi , the proportion of sites infested by the psyllid decreased from more than 80% to less than 5% in the three main islands: Tenerife, La Palma, and Gran Canaria. Furthermore, the population density of T. erytreae was extremely low in the sites where it was present two and three years after the release of T. dryi. Parasitism rates remained higher than 40% throughout the sampling periods. Overall, our three-year study shows that the parasitoid T. dryi reduced and controlled the Candidatus liberibacter spp vector, the causal agent of HLB, T. erytreae in the Canary Islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome of a predominant parasitoid, Necremnus tutae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) (GenBank accession number MT916846) is 15,252 bp in length, and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and an A + T-rich region. The overall base composition is 38.86% for A, 7.14% for C, 8.57% for G, and 45.43% for T, with a high AT bias of 84.29%. ATA, ATT, ATG were initiation codons and TAA and T were termination codons. All the 22 tRNAs displayed a typical cloverleaf secondary structure, except for trnS1 and trnR which lacked the dihydrouracil (DHU) arm. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using 13 PCGs showed that N. tutae is closely related to Tenthredo tienmushana, which in accordance with the traditional classification.

The mitochondrial genome has been widely used in the study of phylogeny and species-level evolution. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the full mitogenome of Tetrastichus howardi, an important natural enemy of many lepidopteran pests. The complete mitochondrial genome has 14,791 nucleotides, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and a partial control region. All the 13 PCGs started with typical ATN (ATA, ATG, and ATT) codon. Among 13 PCGs, nine genes terminated with the stop codon TAA and four genes terminated with T. Our study provides information on comparative mitogenomics of Eulophidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genome sequence of a novel iflavirus isolated from the gregarious and koinobiont endoparasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae, tentatively named "Tetrastichus brontispae RNA virus 3" (TbRV-3), was determined by total RNA and Sanger sequencing. The complete genome is 9998 nucleotides in length, 8934 nt of which encodes a putative polyprotein of 2978 amino acids. TbRV-3 was found to have a similar genome organization and to contain conserved domains and motifs found in other iflaviruses, with some variations. Phylogenetic analysis based on deduced amino acid sequences of the RdRp domain showed that TbRV-3 clustered with Dinocampus coccinellae paralysis virus (DcPV). However, the percent amino acid sequence identity of the putative capsid proteins of TbRV-3 and DcPV determined using BLASTp was below the species demarcation threshold (90%), suggesting that TbRV-3 is a new iflavirus. This is the first virus of the family Iflaviridae to be isolated from a wasp of the family Eulophidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanaman eukaliptus (Eucalyptus spp.) merupakan jenis tanaman yang dibudidayakan di hutan tanaman industri (HTI), untuk dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan baku industri pulp dan kertas. Salah satu permasalahan dalam budi daya eukaliptus adalah puru daun yang disebabkan oleh serangga dari Ordo Hymenoptera. Puru daun dapat menyebabkan kerusakan daun dan mengganggu pertumbuhan tanaman sehingga kualitas kayu menurun. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi serangga yang berasosiasi dengan puru daun eukaliptus. Sampel daun yang bergejala puru diambil di areal HTI eukaliptus sektor Tele yang berada di antara Kabupaten Humbang Hasundutan dan Kabupaten Samosir, Sumatra Utara. Identifikasi dilakukan berdasarkan karakter morfologi pada antena, mesosoma dorsal, sayap depan, dan tungkai belakang serangga. Hasil identifikasi mendapatkan tujuh spesies serangga yang berasosiasi dengan puru daun eukaliptus, yaitu Ophelimus eucalypti (Gahan) (Eulophidae) sebagai hama puru daun eukaliptus, Eurytoma sp. Illiger (Eurytomidae), Aprostocetus sp. Westwood, Quadrastichus mendeli Kim & La Salle, Chrysonotomyia germanica (Erdös), dan Closterocerus chamaeleon (Girault) (Eulophidae) yang berperan sebagai parasitoid dan Diplesiostigma bisetosum Boucek (Tetracampidae) yang belum diketahui perannya.

We report the results of investigations 2010 through 2023 of hymenopteran parasitoids associated with gall midges in Europe. A total of 242 collections of gall midges were made, from each of which one to several parasitoid species emerged, resulting in ca. 200 recorded parasitoid species and 267 host-parasitoid interaction records. The parasitoid families involved were Eulophidae (63 species), Platygastridae (56 species), Torymidae (34 species), Pteromalidae (31 species), Ceraphronidae (5 species), Eupelmidae (4 species), Eurytomidae (2 species) and Encyrtidae (1 species). As many as 159 interactions are reported for the first time, significantly enlarging our knowledge of gall midge - parasitoid interactions on the species level. Even more interesting, 51 host records are for parasitoid species for which no host was previously known. Similarly, 28 species of gall midge are reported as host to named parasitoids for the first time. Additionally, 91 parasitoid records were the first for the country in question. Differences between the rearing methods applied and their suitability for recording species with contrasting life histories, are discussed., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest to declare Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Hans Henrik Bruun, Simon Haarder, Peter Neerup Buhl, Richard R. Askew.)