Abstract
In this study three common European species of the genus Adialytus Forster, 1862 were examined: Adialytus ambiguus (Haliday, 1834), Adialytus salicaphis (Fitch, 1855) and Adialytus thelaxis (Starý, 1961). Molecular analysis involved the DNA barcod- ing of a region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI). The genetic difference based on Kimura's two-parameter model for computing pairwise distances showed that A. thelaxis differs from both A. ambiguus and A. salicaphis by 4.9 and 6% on average, respectively. The genetic distance between A. ambiguus and A. salicaphis was 1.5% on average, suggesting that barcodes based on the COI gene are insufficiently informative for separating these two species. Geometric morphometrics analysis of forewing size and shape revealed statistically significant differences. The R1 vein on the forewing of A. ambiguus is more elongated than on the wings of A. salicaphis and A. thelaxis. The geometric morphometrics analysis of the forewings also revealed that A. salicaphis and A. thelaxis have much broader forewings, suggesting strong flight ability associated with their parasitizing arboricolous aphids. The distal part of the forewing of Adialytus ambiguus is narrower, which in this case suggests poor flight ability associated with parasitizing Sipha aphids on grasses. An illustrated key for identifying the European species of Adialytus is provided.
Highlights
The genus Adialytus Förster, 1862 belongs to the koinobiont endoparasitic wasps of the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
The distal part of the forewing of Adialytus ambiguus is narrower, which in this case suggests poor flight ability associated with parasitizing Sipha aphids on grasses
In this study we explored and identified variation in the morphology of the forewings of A. ambiguus, A. salicaphis and A. thelaxis
Summary
The genus Adialytus Förster, 1862 belongs to the koinobiont endoparasitic wasps of the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Its generic rank was restored by Mackauer & Starý (1967) and Mackauer (1968) It is usually considered as a genus of the subtribe Lysiphlebina Mackauer, along with the genera Lysiphlebus and Lysiphlebia Starý & Schlinger, 1967. One year later, Starý & Rakauskas (1979) described Adialytus balticus and confirmed the generic status of Adialytus. Seven valid Adialytus species are recognized: A. ambiguus (Haliday, 1834), A. balticus Starý & Rakauskas, 1979, Adialytus fuscicornis (Ashmead, 1891), Adialytus kaszabi Takada, 1979, A. salicaphis (Fitch, 1855), A. thelaxis (Starý, 1961) and A. veronicaecola (Starý, 1978). The species A. veronicaecola parasitizes leaf-curling aphids of the genus Aphis (Starý & Juchnevic, 1978; Rakhshani et al, 2012)
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