Abstract
Accurate identification of parasitoids is crucial for biological control of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug,Halyomrpha halys(Stål). A recent work by Talamas et al. (2017) revised the Palearctic fauna ofTrissolcusAshmead, egg-parasitoids of stink bugs, and treated numerous species as junior synonyms ofT. semistriatus(Nees von Esenbeck). In the present paper, we provide a detailed taxonomic history and treatment ofT. semistriatusand the species treated as its synonyms by Talamas et al. (2017) based on examination of primary types, molecular analyses and mating experiments.Trissolcus semistriatus,T. belenus(Walker),T. colemani(Crawford), andT. manteroi(Kieffer) are here recognized as valid and a key to species is provided. The identification tools provided here will facilitate the use ofTrissolcuswasps as biological control agents and as the subject of ecological studies.
Highlights
In support of studies on the egg-parasitoid complex of European Pentatomoidea, a survey of egg masses was conducted and previously collected specimens were examined
Using the key to species provided by Talamas et al (2017), Trissolcus specimens that emerged from Aelia rostrata Boheman, Arma custos (F.), Carpocoris spp., Eurygaster maura (L.), Graphosoma lineatum (L.), Palomena prasina (L.) collected between 1996 and 2017 in Piedmont (NW Italy) were identified as T. semistriatus
The meaning of this sentence is unclear because we have not found in the literature previous synonymy of T. grandis under T. semistriatus, and it is not clear that Masner sought to synonymize them for the first time
Summary
In support of studies on the egg-parasitoid complex of European Pentatomoidea, a survey of egg masses was conducted and previously collected specimens were examined. Most authors continued to distinguish T. semistriatus and T. grandis by tibial color and ignored setation of the hind femora This color-based distinction was employed in numerous previous and following papers (Delucchi 1961; Javahery 1968; Kozlov 1968, 1978; Safavi 1968; Voegelé 1969; Fabritius 1972; Kozlov and Lê 1977; Kozlov and Kononova 1983), and no substantial change was indicated in keys to species by Kononova (1995, 2014, 2015). In a study on larval stages, Voegelé (1964) provided information about pigmentation of the membrane secreted by the larvae of different Trissolcus species reared in eggs of Eurygaster austriaca (L.) He distinguished T. semistriatus from T. grandis by the width of the pigmented band close to the margin of host egg operculum This last feature is used in the key by Kononova (2014, 2015) to distinguish T. artus from both T. grandis and T. semistriatus
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