Parasitoid

The taxonomic limits of Loxopus Townes are reviewed. The genus is characterized by the lateral margin of the clypeus projecting as subtriangular lobe; lateral lobes of fourth tarsomeres distinctly longer than mesal lobes; fore wing vein 3r-m absent; hind wing vein 2-1A absent or vestigial; and first metasomal tergite with a basolateral tooth. It occurs from Mexico to southern Brazil. Nine species are recognized, of which six are described as new: L. dodecius Santos et Aguiar, L. duckei Santos et Aguiar, L. exius Santos et Aguiar, L. ichilus Santos et Aguiar, L. tenuis Santos et Aguiar, and L. venezuelanus Santos et Aguiar. The type species, L. australis Townes, and L. multicolor Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino are redescribed, and a diagnosis is provided for L. unicolor Kasparyan et Ruíz- Cancino, not examined. All studied species are illustrated and distribution records are mapped. An identification key for the species of Loxopus is presented.

Two parasitoid wasps, Torymus artemisiae Mayr and Torymoides violaceus (Nikol'skaya), were reared on Artemisia herba-alba (Asteraceae) galles, in central Iran. Torymus artemisiae and T. violaceus were developed from the gall midges: Rhopalomyia navasi Tavares and R. hispanica Tavares, respectively. The occurrence of these two parasitic wasps in Iran, and their associations with R. navasi and R. hispanica, are new. Data on the wasps' biological associations and geographical distribution are provided. The parasitoid compositions of the genus Rhopalomyia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) were also discussed.

Eleven species of Metaphycus Mercet (Hym.: Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae) are listed for Ira-nian fauna. A new record is presented and a new species is described as M. davoodii Lotfalizadeh sp. nov. reared from Coccus hesperidum L. (Hem.: Coccidae). Illustrations and discussion of affinities of the new species with its close relatives are presented.

Trichogramma and Trichogrammatoidea are the most studied egg parasitoids in biological control programs. Information on geographical distribution and status of those genus are limited in Indonesia. The research sought to study community and species distribution of these ...

Trichogramma and Trichogrammatoidea are the most studied egg parasitoids in biological control programs. Information on geographical distribution and status of those genus are limited in Indonesia. The research sought to study community and species distribution of these genus across the island of Java. Egg parasitoids were surveyed by collecting host eggs from various agricultural crops across the island. Approximatelly five species of Trichogrammatidae were recorded, Trichogrammatoidea armigera, Trichogramma flandersi, Trichogramma cojuangcoi, Trichogramma japonicum and Trichogramma minutum. T. japonicum was the only egg parasitoid species recorded
to be associated with yellow stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas. T. ‘oidea armigera, T flandersi, and
T cojuangcoi were found to attack P. xyllostella and T. minutum was recorded to parasitize eggs of Pieridae. Results showed that T. flandersi and T. minutum are habitat specific, while the rest have a much more wider distribution, and can be found across the Java Island. T’oidea armigera was the most cosmopolite species that occurs across the island by parasitizing various host species including Dipteran eggs.
Key words: Egg parasitoid, community, host, parasitization, biological control

The parasitoid complex of several lepidopteran pests were studied in maize plantations in the Southeast Anatolian Region of Turkey during 2003-2004. Apenteles sp., Bracon hebetor (Say.), Chelonus oculator Panzer, Meteorus rubens Nees (Hym.: Braconidae), Conomorium patulum Walk. (Hym.: Pteromalidae), Diadegma crassicornis (Gray.) subsp. africator Aubert (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), Euplectrus sp. (Hym.: Eulophidae), Exorista larvarum (Linnaeus), E. xanthaspis (Wiedemann) Gonia bimaculata Wiedemann, Drino imberbis (Wiedemann), Pseudogonia rufifrons (Wiedemann), and Linnaemya neavei Curran (Dip.: Tachinidae) were reared from field-collected larvae. Mythimna loreyi (Duponchel) (Lep.: Noctuidae) was for the first time found to serve as a host for Diadegma crassicornis (Gray.) subsp. africator (Hym.: Ichneumonidae).

Species of Sceliphron show varying degrees of prey-specificity, capturing only one or several species of spiders. In Paujul (Caqueta), Sceliphron asiaticum only captures individuals of Alpaida veniliae. This fact suggests the development of a local selective behavior for this species of spider.

The aim of this study was to investigate the biological control of the green shield scale, Pulvinaria psidii Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccidae), on guava trees in Gahrbiya, Egypt, by the release of two of its natural enemies. For this purpose, 12 releases of larval Exochomus flavipes (Thunberg) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Coccophagus scutellaris (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) were carried out on guava trees between May 2007 and April 2008. These two beneficials were reared under defined climatic conditions (25-27°C and 65-75%) in a laboratory. A significant reduction in the number of P. psidii populations was recorded as compared with control plots. Six months after the release of E. flavipes , the average populations of P. psidii decreased from 1897/30 to 475/30 leaves in the treated plot. With regard to C. scutellaris, the number of parasitized P. psidii nymphs in the treated plots increased from 2% to 54% as compared to the control plots. The present study indicated that C. s...

Two new species viz., Chelonus (Areselonus) caeruleus sp. nov., and Chelonus (Areselonus) lithocolletiscus, sp. nov., are described as new to science from the northern part of India. These two species were reared from Acrocercops caerulea (Meyrick) and Lithocolletis virgulata (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). Materials about other species viz., Ascogaster acrocercophagus Shujauddin and Varshney and C. (A.) chailini (Walker and Huddleston) have also been recorded. The importance of apico-dorsal spine of metasoma for taxonomy is discussed. An updated checklist of chelonine leaf miner parasitoids from the Indian subcontinent is also provided.

During parasitoid development, the immature parasitoid is confined to the host species. As a result, any potential to modify the physiology or behaviour of the host could play an important role in parasitoid fitness. The potential for host manipulation by the aphid parasitoid Aphidius avenae to increase cold thermotolerance was investigated using the aphid host species Metopolophium dirhodum and Sitobion avenae. Aphids were parasitized at L3/L4 instar stage (5 d old) and allowed to develop into pre-reproductive adults (10 d old) containing a 5 d old parasitoid larva. A control group was created of non-parasitized pre-reproductive adults (10 d old). The inherent physiological thermotolerance (LT50) and potential behavioural thermoregulation (behaviour in a declining temperature regime) of parasitized and non-parasitized aphids were investigated. Results revealed no effect of parasitism on the physiological thermotolerance of S. avenae and M. dirhodum. Significant differences in the b...

Dolichomitus Smith is a widely distributed pimpline genus with more than seventy known species. There are eight species previously reported from South America: D. annulicornis (Cameron), D. bivittatus Townes, D. hypermeces Townes, D. jatai Loffredo & Penteado-Dias, D. longicauda Smith, D. megalourus (Morley), D. moacyri Loffredo & Penteado-Dias and D. zonatus (Cresson). In this paper, we describe five new species: D. mariajosae Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. menai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. orejuelai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. pimmi Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., and D. rendoni Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov. All have been collected in cloud forests in the Colombian tropical Andes. An illustrated key to the South American species of the genus is also provided.

Urban gardens are a prominent part of agricultural systems, providing food security and access within cities; however, we still lack sufficient knowledge and general principles about how to manage pests in urban agroecosystems in distinct regions. We surveyed natural enemies (ladybeetles and parasitoids) and conducted sentinel pest removal experiments to explore local management factors and landscape characteristics that influence the provisioning of pest control services in California, USA, and Chiapas, Mexico. We worked in 29 gardens across the two locations. In each location, we collected data on garden vegetation, floral availability, ground cover management, and the percentage of natural, urban, and agricultural land cover in the surrounding landscape. We sampled ladybeetles, Chalcidoidea, and Ichneumonoidea parasitoids with sticky traps, and monitored the removal of three different pest species. Ladybeetle abundance did not differ between locations; abundance decreased with garden size and with tree cover and increased with herbaceous richness, floral abundance, and barren land cover. Chalcicoidea and Ichneumonoidea parasitoids were more abundant in Chiapas. Chalcicoidea abundance decreased with herbaceous richness and with urban cover. Ichneumonoidea abundance increased with mulch and bare ground cover, garden size, garden age, and with agriculture land cover but decreased with tree richness and urban cover. Predators removed between 15-100% of sentinel prey within 24 h but prey removal was greater in California. Generally, prey removal increased with vegetation diversity, floral abundance, mulch cover, and urban land cover, but declined with vegetation cover and bare ground. Although some factors had consistent effects on natural enemies and pest control in the two locations, many did not; thus, we still need more comparative work to further develop our understanding of general principles governing conservation biological control in urban settings.

The long-term goal of this report is the documentation of the sublethal effects of pesticides to parasitic Hymenoptera. The objective of this laboratory study was to determine if parasitoids can be conserved or augmented againstBemisia argentifoliiin crops where insecticides are also applied for other pests. Lethal and sublethal effects were measured for six insecticides applied in the laboratory to host larvae containing two different developmental stages each ofEretmocerus mundusMercet from Spain and a common local speciesEretmocerus tejanusRose and Zolnerowich. Survival varied according to insecticide and developmental stage. When applied 5 days after parasitoid oviposition, thiodicarb allowed the highest rates of adult emergence byE. tejanus(65.9%) andE. mundus(35.8%). Endosulfan was the next least-toxic material, followed by the organophosphates azinphos-methyl and methyl parathion, and the insect growth regulator buprofezin. The pyrethroid bifenthrin was most toxic to both parasitoids in both developmental stages. When applied just before the expected emergence of adults, survival ranged from 47.2 to 92.2% with buprofezin, thiodicarb, and endosulfan. Some significant differences among treatments in longevity of emerged adults were detected, but females of both parasitoid species that survived the least-toxic materials were able to mate and reproduce. These findings demonstrate that there exists a wide range of responses byBemisiaparasitoids across a variety of chemicals, and that sublethal effects on the subsequent longevity and reproductive ability among survivors of the least-toxic chemicals were not severe. This study demonstrates the value of assessing sublethal effects of pesticides by showing that adult parasitoids that survive pesticides applied to immature stages within their host do not necessarily suffer latent detrimental effects on important biological parameters.

The taxonomic limits of Acorystus are reviewed. The genus is characterized by a body surface shiny and mostly impunctate, supra-antennal area with a conical horn, epomia and posterior transverse carina of propodeum entirely absent, ovipositor tip very slender, without nodus and with very weak teeth. Two new taxa, A. albicornis Scherrer et Santos, sp. nov., and A.circumflexus Scherrer et Santos, sp. nov., are described and illustrated. Acorystus albicornis is diagnosed mainly by the white band of the female flagellum covering only about five flagellomeres, supra-antennal area with a white central horn, with a very weak and slightly rugose longitudinal swelling, orbital band reaching supra-clypeal and supra-antennal areas, propodeum with anterior transverse carina almost straight, and pleural carina very weak, with short transverse wrinkles. It is recorded from two close localities at Espírito Santo State (19º57’55”S 40º32’25”W and 20º16’21”S 40º28’40”W), in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil. Acorystus circumflexus is diagnosed mainly by the white band of the female flagellum covering about fifteen flagellomeres, supra-antennal area with a black central horn, with a strong and rugose longitudinal swelling, orbital band absent, propodeum with anterior transverse carina centrally arched forwards, and pleural carina entirely absent. It is recorded only from Caxiuanã (2º4’54”S 51º51’5”), Eastern Amazon Basin. A key to all three known species of the genus is provided.

SummaryMillions of years of co-evolution have driven parasites to display very complex and exquisite strategies to manipulate the behaviour of their hosts. However, although parasite-induced behavioural manipulation is a widespread phenomenon, the underlying neuronal mechanisms are only now beginning to be deciphered. Here, we review recent advancements in the study of the mechanisms by which parasitoid wasps use chemical warfare to manipulate the behaviour of their insect hosts. We focus on a particular case study in which a parasitoid wasp (the jewel wasp Ampulex compressa) performs a delicate brain surgery on its prey (the American cockroach Periplaneta americana) to take away its motivation to initiate locomotion. Following a brief background account of parasitoid wasps that manipulate host behaviour, we survey specific aspects of the unique effects of the A. compressa venom on the regulation of spontaneous and evoked behaviour in the cockroach host.

1. The number of natural enemies that should be introduced to control a pest is a controversial subject in biocontrol. A previous semi‐mechanistic model parameterised using a laboratory system consisting of two parasitoid wasps, Anisopteromalus calandrae and Heterospilus prosopidis, parasitising a pest beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis, indicated that the introduction of the non‐native parasitoid H. prosopidis decreases the level of intraspecific interference between native A. calandrae females. The model also suggested that this decrease was the main factor destabilising the population dynamics of the host–parasitoid system, resulting in chaos.

Insect outbreaks are expected to increase in frequency and intensity with projected changes in global climate through direct effects of climate change on insect populations and through disruption of community interactions. Although there is much concern about mean changes in global climate, the impact of climatic variability itself on species interactions has been little explored. Here, we compare caterpillar–parasitoid interactions across a broad gradient of climatic variability and find that the combined data in 15 geographically dispersed databases show a decrease in levels of parasitism as climatic variability increases. The dominant contribution to this pattern by relatively specialized parasitoid wasps suggests that climatic variability impairs the ability of parasitoids to track host populations. Given the important role of parasitoids in regulating insect herbivore populations in natural and managed systems, we predict an increase in the frequency and intensity of herbivore ...

Absract: Encarsia sophia (Girault and Dodd) ) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was reared from Pealius mori (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), an exotic whitefly species recently found infesting mulberry, Morus alba L. (Moraceae) in Giza, Egypt. This is the first record of E. sophia parasitizing this host species.

Fitness, defined as theper capitarate of increase of a genotype with reference to the population carrying the associated genes, is a concept used by biologists to describe how well an individual performs in a population. Fitness is rarely measured directly and biologists resort to proxies more easily measured but with varying connection to fitness. Size, progeny survival, and developmental rate are the most common proxies used in the literature to describe parasitoid fitness. The importance of the proxies varies between papers looking at evolutionary theories and those assessing ecological applications. The most direct measures of fitness for parasitoids are realised fecundity for females and mating ability for males, although these proxies are more difficult to measure under natural conditions. For practical purposes, measure of size, through body size or mass, is the proxy easiest to use while providing good comparative values; however, care must be taken when using a single proxy...

The effects of various honey produced in Turkey on the longevity of the adult lepidopteran parasitoid, Bracon hebetor was investigated. Experiments were carried out in laboratory conditions, 25±1ºC and relative humidity of 60±5%. There was no photoperiodic regimen used during the experiments. Larvae of Galleria mellonella were used as a host to rear the parasitoid adults. After the newly emerged adult parasitoid males and females were separated according to sexes, they were fed individually with only water, flower-honey, sunflower-honey, chesnut-honey, lavender-honey, and oak-honey. Observations continued daily until all parasitoids died and sex discrimination was made on the dead parasitoids. All experiments were repeated three times with different adult parasitoids and at different times. The longevity of male parasitoids obtained from sunflower-honey fed adults was the highest, while the highest longevity of female parasitoids was obtained from lavender-honey fed adults. Female parasitoids lived longer than male parasitoids in all experimental groups. Feeding with different honey types significantly increased the longevity of both male and female parasitoids compared to those that were fed only water. Differences between the longevity of parasitoids in all experimental groups can probably be explained by the different composition of the nutritional components of each honey and how this corresponds to the metabolic requirements of the parasitoid.