Parasitoids ofApiomyia bergenstammi(Wachtl) (Dipt., Cecidomyiidae), a new pest on pears, in Hatay province, Turkey.

Studies were carried out on the galls formed byApiomyia bergenstammi(Wa.) on buds and/or twigs of pear trees, in Yayladagi, Senköy, and Belen, Hatay province, Turkey in 2003. The pest was introduced into Hatay province at least 5 years ago. It produces one generation a year and hibernates as larvae in the galls. In Yayladagi, Senköy and Belen, 20, 18 and 5%, respectively, of buds/twigs of pear trees were attacked byA. bergenstammi. Each of the galls contained on average 9.6 ± 0.5 (range: 6–11) larval chambers. Adults were reared from galls collected at the beginning of spring, viz.A. bergenstammiemerged in the first half of April 2003,Oxyglypta rugosaRuschka (Hym., Pteromalidae) andTorymus apiomyiaeBoucek&Mihajlovic (Hym., Torymidae) (a new record for Turkey) emerged in the second half of April. Other chambers contained unemerged adults ofPlatygastersp. (Hym., Platygasteridae). Natural parasitism rates obtained by dissecting 10 galls from Yayladagi and Senkoy in 2003 were: 26.6 ± 4.4% byO. rugosaand 10.0 ± 3.2% byPlatygastersp. The parasitism rate byT. apiomyiaewas 16.6% as determined from the galls collected from Belen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]