Species Of Parasitic Wasps Research Articles

枣园桃蛀果蛾寄生蜂种类及其与寄主的关系

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 枣园桃蛀果蛾寄生蜂种类及其与寄主的关系 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201106150801 作者: 作者单位: 国家林业局森林保护学重点实验室/中国林业科学研究院森林生态环境与保护研究所,国家林业局森林保护学重点实验室/中国林业科学研究院森林生态环境与保护研究所,河南省濮阳市林科所,濮阳,陕西省榆林市佳县红枣站,榆林,宁夏灵武市林木检疫站 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 中央级公益性科研院所基本科研业务费专项资金(CAFRIFEEP200808) Investigation of populations of parasitic wasps parasitizing Carposina sasakii Matsumura (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae) in jujube orchards in China, with respect to the wasp-host relationship Author: Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of the State Forestry Administration,Research Institute of Forest Ecology,Environment and Protection,Chinese Academy of Forestry,Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of the State Forestry Administration,Research Institute of Forest Ecology,Environment and Protection,Chinese Academy of Forestry,Puyang Research Institute of Forestry,Puyang,Jiaxian Jujube Branch of Government,Yulin,Linwu Plant Quarantine Branch of Government,Ninxia,Linwu Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:桃蛀果蛾(Carposina sasakii Matsumura)是我国十分重要的果实性害虫,其中枣受害最严重,因其幼虫在果实内蛀食危害、高度隐蔽性的生活而较难防治。寻找有效天敌,开展生物防治成为必然。2009年与2010年研究调查了我国大枣部分产区陕西、山西、河南与宁夏枣园桃蛀果蛾寄生性天敌,共发现了3种寄生蜂,即中华齿腿姬蜂(Pristomerus chinensis Ashmead)、章氏小甲腹茧蜂(Chelonus (Microchelonus) zhangi Zhang)和金小蜂(Pteromalidae),3种寄生蜂均从桃蛀果蛾的茧中羽化而出,其中中华齿腿姬蜂和章氏小甲腹茧蜂为优势天敌,但它们表现出十分明显的地域性分布。同时,对中华齿腿姬蜂和章氏小甲腹茧蜂羽化、寄生率以及与寄主之间的关系进行了初步研究,结果表明,中华齿腿姬蜂越冬代成虫出蛰活动始于6月中旬,越冬代寄生率较低,第1代成虫羽化在8月下旬至9月上旬,这代寄生蜂具有较高的寄生率,可达25%;章氏小甲腹茧蜂第1代成虫羽化集中在8月中下旬和9月上旬,由于在2009年与2010年对样地进行不施用杀虫剂的管理,该天敌在2010年自然寄生率显著提高,最高时可达64.52%。因此,科学管理,合理保护与利用当地天敌成为实现该害虫生物防治的关键。 Abstract:The peach fruit borer Carposina sasakii Matsumura (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae) (= Carposina niponensis (Walsingham)) is a harmful and widespread pest insect that attacks many types of fruit, including apple, peach and jujube, in northern China. Among these hosts, jujube has been most severely affected, with about 90% of Chinese jujube orchards being damaged. The larvae drill into the fruit and eat the pulp and kernel, producing bore dust and frass that make the fruits inedible by humans, and causing the fruit to fall from the trees. The quality and quantity of fruits affected by the borer are markedly reduced, as are the yields of infested orchards, causing large economic losses. The peach fruit borer is predominantly found in Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea) and the far east of Russia. Because of the risk to fruit orchards, in 1988 the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization placed C. sasakii on the A1 list of pests recommended for control by quarantine. However, the peach fruit borer is difficult to control because it is concealed within the fruit, and general methods of pest treatment fail to achieve sustainable control. It has therefore become necessary to identify and utilize natural enemies of this pest to develop a bio-control strategy. Many researchers have worked on this problem, and have obtained valuable data and results. However, there are many factors that remain to be elucidated; for example, precisely which species are parasitoids of the peach fruit borers that attack the jujube tree, how are they restricted to their host, and what is the host-parasitoid relationship? In this project, we investigated populations of parasitic wasps attacking C. sasakii in jujube orchards in Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces and in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2009-2010. Three species of parasitic wasp were identified (Pristomerus chinensis Ashmead, Chelonus (Microchelonus) zhangi Zhang and a species of Pteromalidae) and all were reared from their host cocoons. P. chinensis Ashmead and C. (M.) zhangi Zhang are both preponderant agents, but their population size varied markedly among the above four regions; P. chinensis was found predominantly in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, whereas C. (M.) zhangi was observed principally in Henan. The relationship between emergence, parasitism rate and host were studied for P. chinensis and C. (M.) zhangi. The results indicate that P. chinensis emerged half a month later than its host. Adult hosts emerged from over-winter cocoons in the middle of June, with a parasitism rate of 8.86%; the summer generation emerged from the last week of August to the first week of September, with a 25% parasitism rate. For C. (M.) zhangi, the summer generation emerged from the middle of August to the first week of September. In general, fruit drop occurred in the first (in 2010) to the second (in 2009) week of August in jujube orchards in Puyang city, Henan province; C. (M.) zhangi began to emerge one week later, with the peak emergence at 10-12 days. The graph of parasitism rate for C. (M.) zhangi revealed three time periods: from 16 to 26 August, from 27 to 31 August and from 1 to 8 September. As a whole, the parasitism rate declined from the first period to the third, which could be related to host behavior. No insecticide was used in the experimental areas during the years 2009-2010; as a consequence, the parasitism rate for C. (M.) zhangi increased markedly to 64.52% in 2010. Thus, it can be seen that local natural enemies have been playing an important role in controlling the peach fruit borer naturally, and should be protected and utilized appropriately. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Behavioural consequences of cold exposure on males and females of Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stephani Perez (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Cold storage of insect parasitoids is currently used before mass release in the field in biological control programmes. The physiological consequences of constant cold storage are known in various species of parasitic wasps, but there are few reports on the behaviour of survivors and even fewer reports where both sexes were tested. In this study, we observed the consequences of a long storage of Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stephani Perez (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the cereal aphid Sitobion avenae Fabricius (Hemiptera: Aphididae), at low temperature on some key behavioural decisions that both sexes will make when released in the field. Males are less tolerant than females and both sexes suffer from a long exposure (28 days or more) at 4°C during the pupal stage: alteration of olfactory responses, decrease in mating capacity and decrease in the efficiency of patch exploitation by females.

Antagonisten und Prädatoren der Maulbeerschildlaus Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti, 1886) (Homoptera: Diaspididae) in Baden-Württemberg

a ntagonists of the white scale (Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, targioni-t ozzetti, 1886) were determined from peaches and sweet cherries as host plant at the orchards of the Centre for a griculture and t echnology augustenberg (ltZ) in 2009 and 2010 as well as from four other commer - cial red and black currant orchards in Baden-Wuerttemberg in 2010. the study focused mainly on the parasitoid species of P. pentagona as well as the rate of parasitism of white scale caused by these parasitoids using emergence traps with invested branch samples of the different host plants in the laboratory. beside the parasitoids, possible predators of the white scale were observed in the field in 2010 at the orchard of the ltZ. the two parasitic wasp species Aphytis diaspidis and Encarsia berlesei (Howard, 1881 and 1906) were determined as parasitoids of the white scale, whereas A. diaspidis was dominant at most sites. rate of parasit- ism caused by both species ranged from 1.9 to 23.0%. the Kidney-Spot Ladybird Beetle (Chilocorus renipustulatus, Scriba, 1790) could be observed as a predator of the white scale in the field.

Natural variation in learning and memory dynamics studied by artificial selection on learning rate in parasitic wasps

Animals form memory types that differ in duration and stability. The initial anaesthesia-sensitive memory (ASM) can be replaced by anaesthesia-resistant memory (ARM), and/or by protein synthesis-dependent, long-term memory (LTM). We previously showed that two closely related parasitic wasp species differ in learning rate and memory consolidation. In Cotesia glomerata, LTM lasting at least 24 h was formed after single-trial conditioning, whereas single-trial conditioning led to ARM that waned before 24 h in Cotesia rubecula. This species formed LTM only after repeated conditioning trials spaced in time. Here, we used artificial selection on learning rate to investigate whether selection for a low learning rate in C. glomerata would result in C. rubecula-like memory dynamics. Memory consolidation was tested by using cold-shock anaesthesia and protein synthesis inhibitors. After single-trial conditioning, ARM was consolidated within hours in unselected C. rubecula, but directly, without an intermediate ARM phase, into LTM in unselected C. glomerata. We obtained low learning rate selection lines of C. glomerata wasps that, like C. rubecula, did not form LTM after single-trial conditioning, to see whether such wasps would then consolidate ARM instead of LTM. We showed that this was not the case. The selected wasps formed LTM after repeated, spaced conditioning trials, but formed only ASM without consolidation of ARM or LTM after single-trial learning. Ecological consequences of this type of memory formation are discussed.

New genera and species of Scelionidae (Insecta: Proctotrupoidea) from Rovno amber

Two new genera and three new species of parasitic wasps from the family Scelionidae are described from the Late Eocene Rovno amber: Pseudotelea gracilis Kononova, gen. et sp. nov. (subfamily Scelioninae), Pseudidris striatus Kononova, gen. et sp. nov., and Ceratobaeoides cornutus Kononova, sp. nov. (subfamily Baeinae). The new taxa are compared with representatives of the Recent fauna.

Selectivity of chlorantraniliprole to parasitoid wasps

Chlorantraniliprole is a novel anthranilic diamide insecticide registered for use in vegetables, fruits, grains and turf against a variety of insect pests. The objective of this article is to summarize results of acute toxicity testing of chlorantraniliprole on seven species of parasitic wasps with wide geographic distribution and relevance to different crops and integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. Tier-1, worst-case laboratory studies evaluated wasp survival and reproduction following different exposure concentrations and scenarios to chlorantraniliprole (i.e. fresh-dried spray deposits on glass plates, direct contact, ingestion, egg card, dipped leaf residue bioassays, sprayed mummies). No statistically significant effects on adult survival, percentage parasitism or emergence were observed following exposures to chlorantraniliprole compared with controls. Chlorantraniliprole was harmless to the parasitoid wasp species tested according to IOBC classification criteria (<30% effects) and may be a useful tool in IPM programmes.

Behavioral Responses of Female Microplitis tuberculifer to Volatiles from Cotton Plants induced by Herbivores (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Chemical defense responses are evoked in plants upon herbivore damage and the volatile compounds induced attract parasitic wasps. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), an entomopathogenic bacterium, is a useful control agent for many herbivores. In this study, the behavioral responses of females of the parasitic wasp species, Microplitis tuberculifer (Wesmael 1837) to damage of Bt and non-Bt cotton were compared. M tuberculifer preferred the volatiles induced by Spodoptera exigua (Hubner 1808)-damaged Bt cotton to those induced by similarly damaged non-Bt cotton. However, M tuberculifer was not obviously attracted to either type of intact or artificially damaged cotton, or to cotton damaged by Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner 1803). The parasitoid was more intensely attracted to the volatiles induced by both non-Bt and Bt cotton damaged by S exigua, than to intact cotton. However, the volatiles induced by H armigera-damaged non-Bt and Bt cotton were not attractive to M tuberculifer.

CREB expression in the brains of two closely related parasitic wasp species that differ in long-term memory formation

The cAMP/PKA signalling pathway and transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) play key roles in long-term memory (LTM) formation. We used two closely related parasitic wasp species, Cotesia glomerata and Cotesia rubecula, which were previously shown to be different in LTM formation, and sequenced at least nine different CREB transcripts in both wasp species. The splicing patterns, functional domains and amino acid sequences were similar to those found in the CREB genes of other organisms. The predicted amino acid sequences of the CREB isoforms were identical in both wasp species. Using real-time quantitative PCR we found that two low abundant CREB transcripts are differentially expressed in the two wasps, whereas the expression levels of high abundant transcripts are similar.

The missing link

Viruses exceed the potential of all other organisms to adapt and evolve rapidly. Philip Hunter explores the evidence that these oft‐maligned pathogens might have also contributed some of their adaptability to human evolution.

Polydnavirus hidden face: The genes producing virus particles of parasitic wasps

Very few obligatory relationships involve viruses to the remarkable exception of polydnaviruses (PDVs) associated with tens of thousands species of parasitic wasps that develop within the body of lepidopteran larvae. PDV particles, injected along with parasite eggs into the host body, act by manipulating host immune defences, development and physiology, thereby enabling wasp larvae to survive in a potentially harmful environment. Particle production does not occur in infected tissues of parasitized caterpillars, but is restricted to specialized cells of the wasp ovaries. Moreover, the genome enclosed in the particles encodes almost no viral structural protein, but mostly factors used to manipulate the physiology of the parasitized host. We recently unravelled the viral nature of PDVs associated with braconid wasps by characterizing a large set of nudivirus genes residing permanently in the wasp chromosome(s). Many of these genes encode structural components of the bracovirus particles and their expression pattern correlates with particle production. They constitute a viral machinery comprising a large number of core genes shared by nudiviruses and baculoviruses. Thus bracoviruses do not appear to be nudiviruses remnants, but instead complex nudiviral devices carrying DNA for the delivery of virulence genes into lepidopteran hosts. This highlights the fact that viruses should no longer be exclusively considered obligatory parasites, and that in certain cases they are obligatory symbionts.

Hitch-hiking parasitic wasp learns to exploit butterfly antiaphrodisiac

Many insects possess a sexual communication system that is vulnerable to chemical espionage by parasitic wasps. We recently discovered that a hitch-hiking (H) egg parasitoid exploits the antiaphrodisiac pheromone benzyl cyanide (BC) of the Large Cabbage White butterfly Pieris brassicae. This pheromone is passed from male butterflies to females during mating to render them less attractive to conspecific males. When the tiny parasitic wasp Trichogramma brassicae detects the antiaphrodisiac, it rides on a mated female butterfly to a host plant and then parasitizes her freshly laid eggs. The present study demonstrates that a closely related generalist wasp, Trichogramma evanescens, exploits BC in a similar way, but only after learning. Interestingly, the wasp learns to associate an H response to the odors of a mated female P. brassicae butterfly with reinforcement by parasitizing freshly laid butterfly eggs. Behavioral assays, before which we specifically inhibited long-term memory (LTM) formation with a translation inhibitor, reveal that the wasp has formed protein synthesis-dependent LTM at 24 h after learning. To our knowledge, the combination of associatively learning to exploit the sexual communication system of a host and the formation of protein synthesis-dependent LTM after a single learning event has not been documented before. We expect it to be widespread in nature, because it is highly adaptive in many species of egg parasitoids. Our finding of the exploitation of an antiaphrodisiac by multiple species of parasitic wasps suggests its use by Pieris butterflies to be under strong selective pressure.

Rapidly evolving mitochondrial genome and directional selection in mitochondrial genes in the parasitic wasp nasonia (hymenoptera: pteromalidae).

We sequenced the nearly complete mtDNA of 3 species of parasitic wasps, Nasonia vitripennis (2 strains), Nasonia giraulti, and Nasonia longicornis, including all 13 protein-coding genes and the 2 rRNAs, and found unusual patterns of mitochondrial evolution. The Nasonia mtDNA has a unique gene order compared with other insect mtDNAs due to multiple rearrangements. The mtDNAs of these wasps also show nucleotide substitution rates over 30 times faster than nuclear protein-coding genes, indicating among the highest substitution rates found in animal mitochondria (normally <10 times faster). A McDonald and Kreitman test shows that the between-species frequency of fixed replacement sites relative to silent sites is significantly higher compared with within-species polymorphisms in 2 mitochondrial genes of Nasonia, atp6 and atp8, indicating directional selection. Consistent with this interpretation, the Ka/Ks (nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution rates) ratios are higher between species than within species. In contrast, cox1 shows a signature of purifying selection for amino acid sequence conservation, although rates of amino acid substitutions are still higher than for comparable insects. The mitochondrial-encoded polypeptides atp6 and atp8 both occur in F0F1ATP synthase of the electron transport chain. Because malfunction in this fundamental protein severely affects fitness, we suggest that the accelerated accumulation of replacements is due to beneficial mutations necessary to compensate mild-deleterious mutations fixed by random genetic drift or Wolbachia sweeps in the fast evolving mitochondria of Nasonia. We further propose that relatively high rates of amino acid substitution in some mitochondrial genes can be driven by a "Compensation-Draft Feedback"; increased fixation of mildly deleterious mutations results in selection for compensatory mutations, which lead to fixation of additional deleterious mutations in nonrecombining mitochondrial genomes, thus accelerating the process of amino acid substitutions.

Chromosomes of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera): New results and conclusions

New data were obtained on the karyotypes of 12 parasitic wasp species of the family Ichneumonidae: Scambus detritus (2n = 28), S. vesicarius (2n = 28), Pimpla contemplator (2n = 36), Theronia atalantae (2n = 24), Stenomacrus sp. 2 (n = 18, 2n = 36), Phygadeuon sp. 3 (2n = 32), Ichneumon memorator (2n = 24), I. vorax (2n = 22), Lymantrichneumon disparis (2n = 26), Orthopelma mediator (n = 15, 2n = 30), Lissonota buccator (2n = 22), and Trichionotus flexorius (2n = 16). Chromosomes of Anomaloninae were studied for the first time. The data on the karyotype structure of the subfamily Orthopelmatinae were revised. Various aspects of chromosome variability in Ichneumonidae are discussed.

Identification of seven species of hymenopteran parasitoids of Spodoptera frugiperda, using polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction enzyme digestion

Abstract1 The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is a voracious pest of numerous crops of economic importance throughout the New World. In its native Mexico, larvae can be attacked by several species of parasitic wasps, which are candidate biological control agents against this and other lepidopteran pests.2 We attempted to survey the parasitoid fauna on S. frugiperda in maize and sorghum fields throughout Mexico. However, our efforts have been hampered by the incomplete development of parasitoid larvae emerging from collected Spodoptera caterpillars.3 This problem was solved by developing a method to identify seven species of parasitic wasps using polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction enzyme digestion. This enables the precise determination of the species of those parasitoid larvae that are usually not morphologically identifiable.

Native parasitoids and their potential to control the invasive leafminer,Cameraria ohridellaDESCH. &amp; DIM. (Lep.: Gracillariidae)

In spite of the fact that since the end of the eighties, the horse chestnut leafminer, Cameraria ohridella, has established itself throughout Europe, native predators such as ants and birds are not attuned to this neozoic species. In contrast, several parasitic wasp species already started to exploit the invasive horse chestnut leafminer, but until now parasitation rates are quite low, mainly because of asynchrony in the lifecycles of parasitoids and host. Only the removal of leaf litter, in which pupae hibernate, is at the moment a strategy to reduce the infestation level in the next year. Unfortunately, not only hibernating horse chestnut leafminers but also parasitoids are removed, and important resources for biocontrol are unused. In the current study, we investigated the potential efficiency of the horse chestnut leafminer parasitoid complex extracted from leaf litter in defined environments. Parasitoids were released at different densities to investigate density dependence in parasitation rates. Although seven different species were released in our experiments, only Pnigalio agraules turned out to be responsible for biocontrol of C. ohridella. We recorded parasitation rates of up to 35%. Overall, parasitation rates were independent of the leafminer density but increased fourfold if ten times more parasitoid individuals were released. Unfortunately, none of the parasitoid species could be established in the experimental units in the long run. Results are compared to other parasitoid-leafminer systems, and promotion of horse chestnut leafminer parasitoids to support natural selection and biological control of the horse chestnut leafminer is discussed.

Taxonomy, Life History, and Population Sex Ratios of North American &lt;I&gt;Dasineura&lt;/I&gt; (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Goldenrods (Asteraceae)

The four species of Dasineura Rondani previously reported from goldenrods in North America were revisited, resulting in the synonymy of two species and the redescription of diagnostic characters of adults and galls. Dasineura folliculi Felt is reported from Solidago rugosa Miller and S. gigantea Aiton, and D. carbonaria Felt is reported from Euthamia graminifolia (L.) Nuttall. Both species induce simple leaf-cluster galls on shoot tips of their relative hosts. Dasineura folliculi completes for to five generations, and D. carbonaria completes at least two generations between May and October. Emergence rates were relatively low; they ranged from 36 to 51%, suggesting a large proportion of the larval population does not pupate and instead enters diapause in the ground. D. folliculi galls were attacked by five species of parasitic wasps and by inquilinous and predatory gall midges and caterpillars. Levels of attack by parasitoids increased, whereas levels of attack by inquilines decreased, as the season progressed. Field data and greenhouse experiments indicated that both Dasineura species exhibit monogeny, whereby females produce unisexual broods. Galls resulting from a single oviposition event exclusively yielded single-sex adults, whereas 7–33% of field-collected galls yielded adults of both sexes, suggesting they contained the progeny of more than one female. Gall sex ratios differed between generations of D. folliculi on S. rugosa but not on S. gigantea.

Bidirectional incompatibility among divergent Wolbachia and incompatibility level differences among closely related Wolbachia in Nasonia

Most insect groups harbor obligate bacterial symbionts from the alpha-proteobacterial genus Wolbachia. These bacteria alter insect reproduction in ways that enhance their cytoplasmic transmission. One of the most common alterations is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) - a post-fertilization modification of the paternal genome that renders embryos inviable or unable to complete diploid development in crosses between infected males and uninfected females or infected females harboring a different strain. The parasitic wasp species complex Nasonia (N. vitripennis, N. longicornis and N. giraulti) harbor at least six different Wolbachia that cause CI. Each species have double infections with a representative from both the A and B Wolbachia subgroups. CI relationships of the A and B Wolbachia of N. longicornis with those of N. giraulti and N. vitripennis are investigated here. We demonstrate that all pairwise crosses between the divergent A strains are bidirectionally incompatible. We were unable to characterize incompatibility between the B Wolbachia, but we establish that the B strain of N. longicornis induces no or very weak CI in comparison to the closely related B strain in N. giraulti that expresses complete CI. Taken together with previous studies, we show that independent acquisition of divergent A Wolbachia has resulted in three mutually incompatible strains, whereas codivergence of B Wolbachia in N. longicornis and N. giraulti is associated with differences in CI level. Understanding the diversity and evolution of new incompatibility strains will contribute to a fuller understanding of Wolbachia invasion dynamics and Wolbachia-assisted speciation in certain groups of insects.

Species-specific acquisition and consolidation of long-term memory in parasitic wasps

Long-term memory (LTM) formation usually requires repeated, spaced learning events and is achieved by the synthesis of specific proteins. Other memory forms require a single learning experience and are independent of protein synthesis. We investigated in two closely related parasitic wasp species, Cotesia glomerata and Cotesia rubecula, whether natural differences in foraging behaviour are correlated with differences in LTM acquisition and formation. These parasitic wasp species lay their eggs in young caterpillars of pierid butterflies and can learn to associate plant odours with a successful egg laying experience on caterpillars on the odour-producing plant. We used a classical conditioning set-up, while interfering with LTM formation through translation or transcription inhibitors. We show here that C. rubecula formed LTM after three spaced learning trials, whereas C. glomerata required only a single trial for LTM formation. After three spaced learning trials, LTM formation was complete within 4 h in C. glomerata, whereas in C. rubecula, LTM formation took 3 days. Linking neurobiology with ecology, we argue that this species-specific difference in LTM acquisition and formation is adaptive given the extreme differences in both the number of foraging decisions of the two wasp species and in the spatial distributions of their respective hosts in nature.

Parasitic Hymenoptera Fauna on Agromyzidae (Diptera) Colonizing Weeds in Ecological Compensation Areas in Northern Italian Agroecosystems

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera) associated with agromyzid leafminers (Diptera: Agromyzidae) were studied in three rural farms located in northern Italy. The parasitoids were reared from mined foliage of weeds growing in field margins. We reared 998 Hymenoptera specimens, representing five families, 23 genera, and 53 species, from leafminers infesting weeds. Eulophidae was the most abundant family (67.64%), followed by Braconidae (28.86%), Eucoilinae (1.40%), Tetracampidae (1.40%), and Pteromalidae (0.7%). Braconids was the most species rich family, accounting for 28 species; eulophids were represented by 19 species, pteromalids by four species, and eucoilins and tetracampids by one species each. The dominant parasitoid was the eulophid Pediobius metallicus (Nees), representing 18.17% of the total, followed by Diglyphus isaea (Walker) (12.73%), and Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (10.82%). The most abundant braconid parasitoid was Dacnusa maculipes Thomson (9.62%). More than 80% of parasitoids were recovered from 10 plant species: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scopoli, Plantago lanceolata L., Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, Papaver rhoeas L., Picris echioides L., Lactuca serriola L., Myagrum perfoliatum L., Ranunculus velutinus Tenore, Arctium lappa L., and Medicago sativa L. The retention and the management of wild plants within field margins can be crucial tools to enhance the populations of biological control agents of agromyzids and to conserve rare parasitic wasp species.

Parasitic Hymenoptera Fauna on Agromyzidae (Diptera) Colonizing Weeds in Ecological Compensation Areas in Northern Italian Agroecosystems

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera) associated with agromyzid leafminers (Diptera: Agromyzidae) were studied in three rural farms located in northern Italy. The parasitoids were reared from mined foliage of weeds growing in field margins. We reared 998 Hymenoptera specimens, representing five families, 23 genera, and 53 species, from leafminers infesting weeds. Eulophidae was the most abundant family (67.64%), followed by Braconidae (28.86%), Eucoilinae (1.40%), Tetracampidae (1.40%), and Pteromalidae (0.7%). Braconids was the most species rich family, accounting for 28 species; eulophids were represented by 19 species, pteromalids by four species, and eucoilins and tetracampids by one species each. The dominant parasitoid was the eulophid Pediobius metallicus (Nees), representing 18.17% of the total, followed by Diglyphus isaea (Walker) (12.73%), and Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (10.82%). The most abundant braconid parasitoid was Dacnusa maculipes Thomson (9.62%). More than 80% of parasitoids were recovered from 10 plant species: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scopoli, Plantago lanceolata L., Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, Papaver rhoeas L., Picris echioides L., Lactuca serriola L., Myagrum perfoliatum L., Ranunculus velutinus Tenore, Arctium lappa L., and Medicago sativa L. The retention and the management of wild plants within field margins can be crucial tools to enhance the populations of biological control agents of agromyzids and to conserve rare parasitic wasp species.