A new species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) inducing ovule galls on Miconia chamissois Naudin,a potentially invasive shrub in the Brazilian cerrado

ABSTRACT

Allorhogas Gahan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a mainly Neotropical doryctine wasp genus whose species have been associated with 11 vascular plant families. All species of Allorhogas whose feeding habits are known are confirmed or presumed to be phytophagous, either by being gall inducers on seeds, seeds predators or by inquilinism of other gall former taxa. Here we describe a new species of Allorhogas from Brazil and assess its phylogenetic affinities using one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear (28S) marker. Different from other described species of Allorhogas that induce galls on fruits/seeds of Melastomataceae, the new species attacks floral bud ovules of Miconia chamissois Naudin (Melastomataceae), forming ‘fruit-like’ galls. We recovered a clade exclusively composed of species of Allorhogas that attack Melastomataceae species. The new species could potentially be used as a biological control of M. chamissois populations to prevent the imbalance of the plant diversity of cerrado, which is one of the most endangered biomes in Brazil.

http://www.zoobnk.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:27ADE2CD-6C55-4712-92EC-B0F209FEFD10     

Reclassification of Bracon mendocinus,a gall‐associated doryctine wasp,and description of a new closely related species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

One of the first reported gall‐associated braconids, from 1910, Bracon mendocinus Kieffer and Jörgensen, is removed from the subfamily Braconinae and transferred to the doryctine genus Allorhogas, A. mendocinus (Kieffer and Jörgensen) comb. nov. A new species morphologically similar to A. mendocinus, A. joergenseni Martinez and Zaldivar‐Riverón sp. nov., is also described. Additionally a neotype is designated for B. mendocinus Kieffer and Jörgensen. We base our conclusions on the morphological examination of recently collected specimens from central Argentina associated with galls on Lycium chilense (Solanaceae), as well as on the DNA variation at 28S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial DNA genes.     

Aylax hypecoi Trotter (Hymenoptera,Cynipidae) in Europe: Redescription,with taxonomic and biological notes

Aylax hypecoi (Trotter) (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Aylacini), a poorly known cynipid wasp inducing galls on Hypecoum species (Papaveraceae), was described from North Africa and also doubtfully recorded from Greece about a century ago. The species has now been found in Bulgaria and thus its presence in Europe is confirmed for the first time. The species is redescribed and illustrated with SEM pictures of the adult female; galls are also described and illustrated. Data on distribution and biology are given, and its taxonomic and phylogenetic position are discussed. Aylax spirorhynchusii Diakontshuk, , another aylacine species, recorded from Transcaucasus and Middle Asia as a gall‐inducer on Spirorhynchus sabulosus Kar. and Kir. (Brassicaceae) is a synonym of Aylax hypecoi and the host plant record stated is a possible misidentification.     

Population dynamics of the gall inducer Eriogallococcus isaias (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae) on Pseudobombax grandiflorum (Malvaceae)

Eriogallococcus isaias Hodgson and Magalhães is a Neotropical species of gall-inducing scale insect (Coccoidea: Eriococcidae), whose phenological synchrony with its host plant, Pseudobombax grandiflorum, is fundamental to the maintenance of its population. Furthermore, E. isaias is unusual among gall-inducing Eriococcidae because its galls are not sexually dimorphic and are induced by the second-instar nymphs. We studied the life cycles of the host plant and the galling insect, and followed the development of the insects and the structure of the gall. The results showed that gall induction is synchronous with leaf flushing, and that the galls and leaves mature concomitantly. Males have a 36–48-day life cycle within the gall, whereas females have a 75–100-day life cycle.     

Behavioural ecology of Australian gall thrips (Insecta,Thysanoptera)

Collections, observations and experiments were used to investigate the behavioural ecology of gall thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Data are presented on aspects of gall morphology, male and female morphology, behaviour, life cycles, and sex ratios for six gall-forming species, five species of inquilines (invaders that do not form galls), and one genus that uses secretions to glue phyllodes (modified petioles) together. During gall foundation on phyllodes of Acacia pendula, females of Kladothrips rugosus Froggatt fight other females to the death, males fight other males to the death, and one female or one adult of each sex remains alive within the gall to breed. In addition to the live adults, half of newly found galls contained dead bodies of from one to 13 males and females, which were apparently killed in fights. In Oncothrips tepperi Karny, which forms galls on Acacia oswaldii, single females found new galls, and females engage in lethal fighting during the period from gall initiation until closure. First-generation broods of Oncothrips tepperi comprise winged males and winged females with a sex ratio of about 1:6 female biased. Each gall also contains several wing-reduced adults with larger forelegs than winged adults, which probably either fight among themselves or defend their siblings from gall invaders. Adults of Oncothrips tepperi breed in the galls for two or more generations, whereas in all of the other species studied on Acacia only one generation occurs in a gall. Females of the inquiline Koptothrips flavicornis invade young, first-generation galls of Oncothrips tepperi, kill the foundling female, and produce their own offspring. Single females of Oncothrips antennatus (Moulton) form galls on Acacia aneura, and apparently do not fight. Winged females of Oncothrips antennatus have smaller forelegs, relative to their body size, than do winged females of Oncothrips tepperi. In Onychothrips arotrum Mound and Onychothrips tepperi (Uzel), single females from galls on Acacia aneura. In each species, females engage in lethal fighting during gall initiation. The sex ratio of Onychothrips arotrum broods is about 1:18 female biased. The inquiline Csirothrips watsoni Mound invades galls of Onychothrips arotrum, apparently after most or all of the offspring have left, and breeds inside. Females of this inquiline will kill live Onychothrips arotrum inside the galls, and they apparently plug gall entrances with cast O. arotrum exuviae. Iotatubothrips crozieri Mound and Crespi is involved in the formation of large, woody galls on stems of Casuarina, perhaps in association with a microorganism. They breed in these galls for many generations. Galls contain several to thousands of individuals, and the adult sex ratio is about 1:4 female biased. Adults of the inquilines Thaumatothrips froggatti and Phallothrips houstoni Mound and Crespi invade these galls, kill the Iotatubothrips adults, and breed therein. The Iotatubothrips occasionally attempt, ineffectually, to fight off the invaders, and they apparently make partitions within the gall to protect themselves from takeover. Adults of Lichanothrips spp. glue phyllodes of Acacia harpophylla together using eggs and patches of secretion, and they breed in the resultant narrow space. Xanothrips xantes Mound breed in these spaces after the Lichanothrips have left. Fighting in Kladothrips rugosus, Oncothrips tepperi and Onychothrips tepperi involves two adults rearing up head to head, sparring with their enlarged, armed forelegs raised, and attempting to grasp and hold their opponent with their forelegs and drive their sharply pointed fore-tarsal teeth into their opponent's body. Females of Onychothrips arotrum also grasp, stab and kill with their forelegs, but they have not been observed to rear up head to head. Three of the inquiline species, Csirothrips watsoni, Thaumatothrips froggatti and Phallothrips houstoni, kill the original gall inhabitants by extending their forelegs directly in front of their bodies, tilting their heads back, remaining in this position for variable periods of time, and sharply pulling their armed fore tibiae towards the fore femora when their victim is near. Inquilinism in gall thrips may have evolved from lethal intraspecific fighting. Certain aspects of behaviour and morphology in Australian gall thrips, such as high prevalence of lethal fighting, gall ‘plugging’ in Csirothrips watsoni, attempted gall defence and apparent formation of partitions in Iotatubothrips crozieri, and the presence of wing-reduced adults in Oncothrips tepperi, indicate that these species exhibit some of the most complex behaviour thus far discovered in Thysanoptera.     

Temporal distribution,seed damage and notes on the natural history of Acanthoscelides quadridentatus and Acanthoscelides winderi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) on their host plant,Mimosa setosa var. paludosa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae), in the Brazilian Cerrado

The seed beetles, Acanthoscelides quadridentatus and Acanthoscelides winderi are here recorded for the first time feeding on seeds of Mimosa setosa var. paludosa in the Brazilian Cerrado. Our main aims were to describe the temporal distribution, seed damage, and notes on the natural history of these two species on their host plant. We hypothesised that: (a) healthy seeds from infested fruits would have worse germination rate than healthy seeds from noninfested fruits, and (b) females of seed beetles would lay more eggs on large fruits. We made field observations and an experimental field study with the presence of seed beetles versus their exclusion on plants. Results revealed that seed beetles are synchronised with fruiting, with a temporal partitioning in occurrence. Attacked seeds did not germinate, whereas healthy seeds from infested fruits had worse germination rate than healthy seeds from noninfested fruits. Females of seed beetles laid more eggs on large fruits. These results suggest that seed beetles avoid competition through a temporal partitioning curcial for their coexistence, and select large fruits to oviposit as these fruits probably provide more food resource for their offspring. Furthermore, plants might perceive seed beetles’ damage and then reduce resource allocation on infested fruits.     

A new species of Josephiella (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) forming leaf galls on Ficus microcarpa L. (Moraceae)

A second species of Josephiella Narendran, J. microcarpae, is described and figured, based on specimens reared in Hawaii, California and the Canary Islands. This wasp develops in galls on the leaves of Ficus microcarpa L., a widely cultivated ornamental banyan tree that is native to South-East Asia and adjacent islands. It has not been found on any other hosts. Both sexes are described, and males, which are apparently all fully winged, are relatively rare. We postulate that this wasp is a recent introduction into Hawaii, California and the Canary Islands, from an unknown location in South-East Asia, where Ficus microcarpa is native.     

Gall‐induction by an Australian insect of the family Thripidae (Thysanoptera: Terebrantia)

Leaf‐fold galls induced by Cyrilthrips cecidis gen. nov. et sp. nov. on Austrosteenisia blackii (Fabaceae) in eastern Queensland, Australia, involve either single or double folds. Single‐fold galls are subject to invasion by two species of kleptoparasitic Phlaeothripidae, to which double‐fold galls are largely immune. This thripid is a member of a southeast Asian lineage of Thripinae in which gall‐induction is possibly recurrent. This lineage includes the genus Chaetanaphothrips in which some species are crop pests but not gall‐inducing. Females of Cyrilthrips have a unique curved spur on the hind coxae, and the ocellar chaetotaxy is also unique among Thripidae.     

First-instar morphology and sexual dimorphism in the gall-inducing scale insect Apiomorpha Rubsaamen (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae)

Sexual dimorphism among crawlers of the scale insect family Eriococcidae is reported for the first time. The general morphology of crawlers of the gall-inducing genus Apiomorpha (Eriococcidae) is presented and sexual dimorphism described. Sexual dimorphism appears to be associated with differential dispersal and settling-site preference of the sexes during the crawler stage. First-instar males of the A. pharetrata and A. munita species-groups settle only on the galls induced by their mothers or, in the case of A. munita, also galls of nearby females, whereas female crawlers disperse. Female crawlers of all species of Apiomorpha, and male crawlers of most species, are well suited for air-borne dispersal. It is suggested that sexual dimorphism among crawlers of Apiomorpha, and some other scale insects, is the result of loss or reduction of those morphological features associated with dispersal. In addition, male crawlers of some species of Apiomorpha have sensory structures which may assist in the detection of sex-specific settling sites.     

The life cycle and natural history of the tropical aphid Cerataphis fransseni (Homoptera: Aphididae: Hormaphidinae), with reference to the evolution of host alternation in aphids

We describe the life cycle and general biology of the tropical cerataphidine aphid Cerataphis fransseni. We demonstrate that this aphid migrates between trees of Styrax benzoin and various species of palms; palm-feeding populations have previously been known as C. variabilis and C. palmae, which now become synonyms of C. fransseni. On S. benzoin the fundatrix induces a relatively simple gall which can contain >6000 aphids at maturity with a large number of reproductively sterile soldiers that protect the gall from predators. These galls are apparently produced throughout the year. Colonies on the secondary host plants, palms, are apparently obligately tended by ants whereas colonies within galls on Styrax are never tended by ants. We discuss the life cycle of this tropical aphid with respect to hypotheses for the evolution and maintenance of host alternation.     

Harpacticoid copepods (Thalestridae) infesting the cultivated Wakame (brown alga,Undaria pinnatifida) in Korea

Two species of thalestrid harpacticoid: Amenophia orientalis n. sp. and Parathalestris infestus n. sp., are described based on specimens collected from Soando Island in Korea. These copepods infest the cultivated brown alga, Wakame, Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey), producing galls with pinholes (0·5–1·1.5 mm in diameter) on the fronds, midribs, and sporophylls. A. orientalis outnumbered P. infestus in all of the observed incidences; however, the fecundity of the latter species is twice that of the former.     

Scale insects of the families Asterolecaniidae and Eriococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in New Caledonia

The scale insect families Asterolecaniidae and Eriococcidae are discussed from New Caledonia. One new genus Oacoccus gen. nov., and a new species Oacoccus nothofagi sp. nov. on Nothofagus sp., are described in the Asterolecaniidae, and a new species Eriococcus millei sp. nov. is described in the Eriococcidae. A new genus Rhopalotococcus gen. nov., and two new species Rhopalotococcus dugdalei sp. nov. and Rhopalotococcus metrosideri sp. nov., are also described in the Eriococcidae. Both species induce leaf galls on Metrosideros sp. Keys are provided for all the New Caledonian genera and species in the families Asterolecaniidae and Eriococcidae.     

Life cycle and behaviour of Charoxus spinifer and Charoxus major (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), predators of fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae)

Charoxus spinifer is associated in southern Florida with native fig trees (Ficus aurea and Ficus citrifolia). Winged adult beetles, 3.0–3.6 mm long, mate on Ficus twigs outside the syconia (fruits), and enter the syconia through holes cut by male pollinating wasps. Adults and larvae eat adult wasps within the syconia. Ovaries hold few, large, mature eggs. Larvae develop through three instars. Fully grown larvae abandon the syconia, drop to the ground, burrow to a depth of 1.5–3.7 cm, spin a silken cocoon, and pupate. Pupal duration is 8–9 days. Larval populations are highest in May, when penultimate stage syconia (phase D) are most abundant, but were detected in all months except June. Charoxus major is reported from Veracruz, associated with Ficus lapathifolia. Its adults extract wasp occupants of galled fig ovaries within syconia, and its eggs were found singly in empty galls.     

Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) seed-predators of Syzygium and Eugenia spp. (Myrtaceae), with description of the Alcidodes expansitarsis species group (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae: Mecysolobini)

The weevils known to develop in Syzygium and Eugenia (Myrtaceae) fruit are reviewed. These weevils belong to the genera Curculio, Alcidodes, Acythopeus, Apotomorhinus (Curculionidae: Curculioninae, Molytinae and (the last two) Baridinae respectively) and Sitophilus (Dryophthoridae) in the Old World, and Atractomerus (Curculionidae: Anthonominae) in the Neotropics; two undescribed baridine species (one in Australia and the other in the USA) are also known to feed on the fruits, and the Omophorine Teleuropus (Curculionidae: Molytinae) has been found associated with them. Particular attention is paid to species of Alcidodes from aseasonal dipterocarp-dominated forests in South-East Asia. Two Bornean species (Alcidodes janetae sp. n. and A. eugeniophilus sp. n.) are the first of their genus to be reared from the fruit of Syzygium or Eugenia. These species, plus two other (A. expansitarsis sp. n. from Assam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and A. gymnasticus sp. n. from Malaysia) belong to a previously undescribed species group of Alcidodes; all four species are described and keyed.     

A new species of Munromyia Bezzi (Diptera: Tephritidae) reared from Chionanthus battiscombei (Oleaceae) in northern Kenya

Munromyia marsabitensis sp. nov. is described from the isolated mountains of Marsabit in northern Kenya. It can be distinguished from the two known congeners by the thoracic and abdominal colour patterns, structure of the male and female terminalia, and host plants. Larvae are seed predators, developing within the green, aborted fruits of Chionanthus battiscombei. Over 70% of sampled fruits (n?=?74) were infested with larvae, but nearly all of the individually infested fruits (96.1%) produced only one adult tephritid. Bactrocera biguttula, but not M. marsabitensis, was reared from ripe fruits of the same plant.     

Description,molecular phylogeny,and natural history of a new kleptoparasitic species of gelechiid moth (Lepidoptera) associated with Melastomataceae galls in Brazil

The male, female, pupa and larva of a new species of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera), Locharcha opportuna Moreira and Becker, are described and illustrated with the aid of optical and scanning electron microscopy. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences including members of related lineages is also provided. The immature stages are associated with galls induced by a species of Palaeomystella Fletcher (Lepidoptera: Momphidae) on Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest. Larvae are kleptoparasitic, usurping the gall internal space and thereafter feeding on the internal tissues. By determining the variation in population density of both species and following gall development individually throughout ontogeny under field conditions, we demonstrated that the kleptoparasite completes its life cycle inside galls induced by Palaeomystella, where pupation occurs. The variation in seasonal abundance of the kleptoparasite is tied to that of the cecidogenous species, with their corresponding peaks in density occurring sequentially.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:525F6D52-8CE1-47D1-A0D9-78B564DF5565     

A new genus and species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea) from Spain,parasitic in cynipid galls on Fumaria

Neaylax versicolor (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae), which forms galls on fumitory (Fumaria), is attacked in Spain by Rivasia fumariae, a species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) herein described as new and assigned to a new genus. The new genus has an unusual combination of morphological characters but seems best placed in the pteromalid subfamily Ormocerinae. An account is given of the biology and larval morphology of the new species.