Identification of two leafminer parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae),Neochrysocharis formosaandProacriassp. from Australia, with both showing thelytoky and infection byRickettsia

Abstract

AbstractLiriomyza huidobrensis,L. sativaeandL. trifoliiare polyphagous agromyzid leafminers that have recently arrived in Australia, posing a threat to Australian vegetable and ornamental crops. Adventive and endemic hymenopteran parasitoids of agromyzid leafminers already present in Australia should assist in the management of these invasive agromyzid species.Neochrysocharis formosa(Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Entedoninae) is an idiobiont endoparasitoid commonly attackingLiriomyzaspp. in many countries, but it has not been formally identified in Australia. This study provides the first confirmed Australian record ofN. formosaas well as an unidentifiedProacriasspecies, another entedonine species. Females of both species were reared from several adventive and endemic agromyzid leafminers in southern Australia. Laboratory cultures of both species established the presence of thelytokous reproduction. DNA barcodes (5′ COI, 3′ COI, ITS1, ITS2, 28S) were used to delineate species boundaries, with the 5′ end of the mitochondrial COI sequences pointing to multiple cryptic lineages amongN. formosa. Additionally, 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that both species were infected with aRickettsiabacterium, which is related to theRickettsiapresent in thelytokous populations ofN. formosain Japan and China. These findings expand records for parasitoids attacking leafminers in Australia and highlight the potential for an endosymbiont to produce thelytokous strains that could provide for more efficient biocontrol agents for augmentative release.