Tetrastichinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) associated with spider egg sacs

Aranobroter rayorae, gen. et sp. n., is described as a gregarious predator of spider eggs within egg sacs of Metepeira incrassata (Araneidae) from Veracruz, Mexico. Baryscapus uetzi, sp. n., is described as an internal parasitoid of A. rayorae. The biology of these two species is discussed. A review of Tetrastichinae associated with spider egg sacs includes new North American records.     

Revision of the Neotropical species of the tribe Euderomphalini (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

The Neotropical species and genera of the tribe Euderomphalini (Eulophidae: Entedoninae) are revised. Five genera are described as new: Cabeza, including six species (baeostigma (§, ¦), canaliculata (§), laticeps (¦), petiolata (§), planiscapus (§), ugaldei (§)); Itahipeus, including two species (brasilicola (§, ¦), euryceps (¦)); Monterrondo, including one species (aphelosoma (§)); Sifraneurus, including one species (strigifer (§)); Xenopomphale, including one species (sulcata (§)); all above-mentioned species are described as new. Five additional genera are included: Aleuroctonus LaSalle and Schauff, with four species, one described previously: vittatus (Dozier) (§, ¦), and three described here: latiscapus (§), marki, (§, ¦) and metallicus (§); Entedononecremnus Girault, with 14 species, two described previously: krauteri Zolnerowich and Rose (§, ¦), unicus Girault (§, ¦), and 12 described here: bennetti (§, ¦), bimaculatus (§, ¦), convexus (§, ¦), crassicornis (§, ¦), depressus (§), fulgens (§), hansoni (§, ¦), imdasus (§, ¦), parfer (§, ¦), reticulatus (§), tripar (§) and unicarinatus (§); Euderomphale Girault, with two species, one described previously: flavimedia (Howard), and one described here: sulciscapus (§, ¦); Neopomphale LaSalle and Schauff, with 20 species, two described previously: aleurothrixi (Dozier) (§, ¦), quercicola (Dozier) (§, ¦), and 18 described here: azofeifai (¦), cerrobius (¦), depilis (§), dichrous (§, ¦), erecta (¦), graciliclava (§), longicornis (¦), longipilis (§, ¦), nonaequa (§, ¦), noyesi (§), pinguicornis (§, ¦), prymna (§), rubescens (§, ¦), rubii (§), silvestris (¦), transversa (§), umbonata (§, ¦), xenipennis (§); Dasyomphale LaSalle and Schauff, including one species (chilensis LaSalle and Schauff). The genera are placed in either one of three genus-groups, one of which is newly created. The species Euderomphale quercicola Dozier is newly combined to Neopomphale. Lectotypes are designated for Entedononecremnus unicus Girault, Euderomphale quercicola Dozier and Gyrolasia flavimedia Howard. Key to genera and species are included.     

Pnigalio agraules (Walker) and Pnigalio mediterraneus Ferrière and Delucchi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): two closely related valid species

The genus Pnigalio is very difficult to study because of the large intraspecific variability of many traits considered diagnostic. Pnigalio agraules (Walker) and Pnigalio mediterraneus Ferrière and Delucchi were synonymized in 1984 because it was not possible to distinguish them on the basis of morphology. Here we propose the revalidation of P. mediterraneus based on multiple evidence: two molecular markers, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), and the second expansion segment (D2) of the 28S ribosomal subunit (28S-D2), host ranges and the shape of eggs. As the two valid species are potentially important parasitoids for biological control of key pests such as Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) and Cameraria ohridella Deschka and Dimic, practical consequences of the wrong synonymy are also discussed.     

The preimaginal stages of Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees) and Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitoids associated with Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera,Gracillariidae)

The biology and morphology of the early larval instars of Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees) are redescribed and the morphology of the preimaginal stages of Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are described in detail for the first time. Both species are larval-pupal parasitoids of Phyllonorycter issikii (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), which is associated with Tilia sp. The female of M. frontalis lays her egg beside the host larva and the newly hatched first instar larva moves and has to find the host larva. The larva of P. issikii tries to continue its feeding but never pupates after paralysis. The female of C. laomedon lays its egg inside the cuticle of the larva of P. issikii, but the newly hatched parasitoid larva vacates the host larva and develops externally on its surface as an ectoparasitoid. Such behaviour might be facilitated by the constant temperature and humidity inside the mine. Some peculiarities of parasitoid–host relationships are described and discussed.     

Anatomy,reach and classification of the parasitoid complex of a common British moth,Anthophila fabriciana (L.) (Choreutidae)

The small plurivoltine moth Anthophila fabriciana is widespread and often abundant in Britain wherever its main larval foodplant, stinging nettle, occurs. It overwinters as a larva (first generation) then has one or more partly overlapping summer broods (notionally second generation). A total of 5017 larvae were collected and reared from widely distributed populations in Britain, and the resulting 2167 host mortalities due to parasitoids were assessed. Small collections of pupae were also made. Altogether 25 parasitoid species, including secondary parasitoids, were found. Larval parasitism was heaviest in the second generation. In each generation there was a dominant parasitoid that was absent from the other. Summary information on the developmental biology and host range (expressed quantitatively and resulting from very broad rearing programmes) for each parasitoid is given. They are classed as ‘absolute specialists’, ‘taxon oligospecialists’, ‘niche oligospecialists’, ‘niche generalists’, ‘casuals’ and ‘strays’. Both kinds of oligospecialists can be ‘paraspecialists’ if only one potential host occurs locally. Although constructing a quantitative food web is not appropriate, providing both source web and sink web data in quantitative form enables the parasitoid complex to be understood in the wider context of the ecosystem, necessary for both biodiversity and nature conservation interests. In Appendix 1, parasitoids reared from other European Choreutidae are listed quantitatively.     

XV.—Descriptions of three new freshwater fishes from China

The North American members of the eulophid subfamily Tetrastichinae are reviewed in light of systematic advances which have occurred in other geographic realms. Forty-two genera are recognized as valid, with the largest of these, Aprostocetus, having four subgenera in the study area. Thirteen new genera are described: Apterastichus, Careostrix, Chytrolestes, Comastichus, Cucarastichus, Dapsilothrix, Eriastichus, Exalarius, Exastichus, Hadrotrichodes, Mesofrons, Oxypracetus, Styotrichia; the new subgenus Quercastichus is described in the genus Aprostocetus. Five new generic synonymies are made. With Aprostocetus Westwood, 1833: Exurus Philippi, 1873, Omphalomopsis Girault, 1917, Paromphaloidomyiia Girault, 1917, and Prothymus Girault, 1917. With Pentastichus Ashmead, 1894: Hypertetrastichus Moser, 1965. Six previously described genera are newly recorded from North America: Aceratoneuromyia, Anaprostocetus, Henryana, Kocourekia, Lisseurytomella and Pentastichus. Two hundred and twelve species of North American Tetrastichinae are currently recognized as valid. Eighty new combinations are proposed from North America, and three from the Neotropical Region. The majority of these species are being moved from the genus Tetrastichus, which had previously held most of the North American Tetrastichinae species. Eighteen new species are described: Aprostocetus (Quercastichus) burksi, Apterastichus oculatus, Careostrix yoshimotoi, Chytrolestes alibaba, Comastichus zopheros, Cucarastichus texanus, Dapsilothrix jeanae, Eriastichus cigdemae, E. masneri, E. nakos, Exalarius huachucensis, Exastichus odontos, Hadrotrichodes waukheon, Kostjukovius grahami, Mesofrons villosus, Oxypracetus opacus, Styotrichia bicolor, S. quadrata. One new specific synonymy is made. With Aprostocetus (Quercastichus) pattersonae (Fullaway, 1912): Tetrastichus spilopteris Burks, 1943. A lectotype is designated for Tetrastichus pattersonae Fullaway. Aprostocetus (Ootetrastichus) mymaridis (Girault) is removed from synonymy with Tetrastichus polynemae Ashmead and considered as valid. Twelve previously described species are newly recorded from North America: Aceratoneuromyia fimbriata Graham, Anaprostocetus acuminatus (Ratzeburg), Aprostocetus antiguensis (Crawford), A. leucone (Walker), A. pygmaeus (Zetterstedt), A. strobilanae (Ratzeburg), A. longicauda (Thomson), A. terebrans (Erdös), Henryana magnifica Yoshimoto, Kocourekia debilis (Ratzeburg), Lisseurytomella flava (Ashmead), Tamarixia leucaenae Bou?ek.     

A new genus of Australian Tetrastichinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): an introduced pest of Chamelaucium uncinatum (Myrtaceae) in California

A new genus of tetrastichine eulophid, Oncastichus LaSalle, is described to contain a single new species, Oncastichus goughi Headrick and LaSalle. This species is native to Australia, and is a gall former on the Geraldton waxflower, Chamelaucium uncinatum. Oncastichus goughi was accidentally introduced into California where it causes economic damage to the Californian horticultural industry. This is the first example of a tetrastichine Eulophidae becoming an economically important introduced pest species.     

The Hymenoptera (Chalcidoidea,Ichneumonoidea, Platygastroidea) described by Vittorio Delucchi: an annotated catalogue

The present catalogue lists 144 species and one subspecies described by Delucchi (134), Delucchi et al. (eight), Ferrière in Delucchi (two), and Ferrière and Delucchi (one). Name-bearing types are deposited in the entomological collections at the Lund University (three), the Natural History Museums of Budapest (three), Geneva (nine), London (four), Oxford (one), Paris (three), and Vienna (35), the Royal Africa Museum, Tervuren (26), and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (60). The actual depository of the name-bearing types of one species and the subspecies (Scelionidae) is unknown. Lectotypes of 15 species are here designated. Twenty new synonyms are established, Eulophidae: Entedon erdoesi Delucchi= E. metatarsalis Thomson. Pteromalidae: Gitognathus gibberosus Delucchi and Lamprotatus kerrichi Delucchi= Sphaeripalpus viridis Förster; Glyphognathus umbelliferae Graham= G. convexus (Delucchi); Kentema viride Delucchi= Merismus megapterus Walker; Lamprotatus cupreus Delucchi, L. ornatus Delucchi, and L. rusticus Delucchi= L. splendens Westwood; Lamprotatus flavus Delucchi= L. crassipes Thomson; Lamprotatus montanus Delucchi= L. picinervis Thomson; Miscogaster fulgens Delucchi= M. rufipes Walker; Miscogaster lucens Delucchi= M. hortensis Walker; Seladerma agreste Delucchi= S. convexum Walker; Seladerma luteolum Delucchi= S. bicolor Walker; Seladerma nobile Delucchi and S. violaceum Delucchi= S. laetum Walker; Skeloceras cerebrosum Delucchi= Lamprotatus truncatus (Fonscolombe); Skeloceras glaucum Delucchi= Lamprotatus novickyi (Delucchi); Stictomischus lamprosomus Graham= S. nitentis Delucchi; Telepsogos helveticus Delucchi= Seladerma nigrum (Delucchi). Twelve new combinations are proposed, Eulophidae: Achrysocharoides parva (Delucchi) (from Enaysma); Aprostocetus hanangensis (Delucchi), A. longiscutulum (Delucchi), A. scutellaris (Delucchi), Neotrichoporoides crassianulus (Delucchi), N. microstigma (Delucchi), and Pracetus stramenticius (Delucchi) (all from Tetrastichus); Notanisomorphella bicolor (Delucchi) (from Sunha); Platyplectrus meruensis (Delucchi) (from Euplectromorpha). Pteromalidae: Glyphognathus convexus (Delucchi) (from Stictomischus) and G. nitidus (Delucchi) (from Sphaeripalpus); Theocolax oblonga (Delucchi) (from Cerocephala). The paper provides taxonomic notes on several species, references to published figures of and detailed information on type specimens. Parts of them, mostly antennae and wings, were mounted on slides by Delucchi and were contained in a hitherto unknown slide collection. These slides are individually associated with the respective specimens.     

Distinct parasitoid communities associated with host races of the leaf-mining moth Acrocercops transecta on distantly related host plants (Juglandaceae and Ericaceae)

Differences in host-plant species may affect the structure of parasitoid communities of phytophagous insects. Phytophagous insect species often consist of host races, and comparisons between host races enable us to infer the effects of host-plant differences on parasitoid communities. Here, we compare the parasitoid fauna of two host races of the leaf-mining moth Acrocercops transecta, which are associated with either Juglandaceae or Lyonia ovalifolia (Ericaceae). Field collection and subsequent laboratory rearing revealed a significantly higher parasitization ratio in the Juglandaceae race than in the Lyonia race. In the Juglandaceae race the majority of parasitoids were Braconidae, whereas in the Lyonia race the majority were Eulophidae. Furthermore, even within the same host race the most abundant parasitoid species differed between populations with different host associations. Hence, the present results strongly indicate that different host-plant taxa affect the structure of parasitoid communities even within a single phytophagous insect species.