Article
Entomology
Thanusha Suresh, Lucas E. E. Roscoe, N. Kirk Hillier
Summary: This study investigated the chemical ecology and behavioral responses of the spruce budworm to pheromones and host plant volatiles. Using single sensillum recordings (SSR), the researchers identified the responses of olfactory receptor neurons in the antennal sensilla to these stimuli. The study found that male and female budworms showed higher sensitivity to specific chemicals. Overall, these findings contribute to the improvement of integrated pest management strategies for the spruce budworm.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jovana M. Jasso-Martinez, Bernardo F. Santos, Alejandro Zaldivar-Riveron, Jose L. Fernandez-Triana, Barbara J. Sharanowski, Robin Richter, Jeremy R. Dettman, Bonnie B. Blaimer, Sean G. Brady, Robert R. Kula
Summary: The parasitoid lifestyle is considered as a key factor in the evolutionary success and species richness of Hymenoptera. This study used genomic data and comprehensive taxon sampling to estimate the evolutionary relationships of Braconidae, the second largest family of Hymenoptera. The study confirmed subfamilial placements and proposed taxonomic changes, and also tested the correlation between parasitoid life history and biological traits in a phylogenetic context. The study suggests that the ancestor of the braconoid complex was a koinobiont endoparasitoid and provides evidence for transitions and reversals in parasitism strategies within the cyclostome lineage.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Christopher J. Greyson-Gaito, Sarah J. Dolson, Glen Forbes, Rosanna Lamb, Wayne E. MacKinnon, Kevin S. McCann, M. Alex Smith, Eldon S. Eveleigh
Summary: Eastern spruce budworm is a major pest of eastern North American forests, with outbreaks occurring every 30-40 years. Research has shown that higher hardwood content in forests can reduce defoliation and mortality of spruces during spruce budworm outbreaks. In this study, the use of phylogenetic community structure and stable isotope analysis revealed differences in the parasitoid community associated with spruce budworm in forest stands with different hardwood content. The study also found that the trophic relationships between parasitoids and caterpillars on balsam fir or hardwood trees changed within and between years.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Jose L. Fernandez-Triana, Eduardo M. Shimbori, James B. Whitfield, Angelica M. Penteado-Dias, Scott R. Shaw, Caroline Boudreault, Jayme Sones, Kate Perez, Allison Brown, Ramya Manjunath, John M. Burns, P. D. N. Hebert, M. Alex Smith, Winnifred Hallwachs, Daniel H. Janzen
Summary: The genus Alphomelon, a parasitoid wasp, is revised in this study using a combination of basic morphology, DNA barcoding, biology, and distribution data. A total of 49 species are considered, predominantly found in the Neotropical region. The wasp parasitizes caterpillars of the Hesperiinae subfamily, primarily targeting monocot plants from different families. Each wasp species typically parasitizes one to a few host species within hesperiine genera, although some can target multiple hosts from different genera. The cocoons of these wasps can be either solitary or gregarious, and are surrounded by distinctive silk. Integration of all available evidence provides a foundation for future studies on these wasp species, especially in South America. Additionally, 30 new species are described in this study.
Article
Entomology
Filippo Di Giovanni, Renato Ricciardi, Augusto Loni, Pier Luigi Scaramozzino, Giovanni Benelli, Andrea Lucchi
Summary: Investigating the parasitoids associated with the European grapevine moth revealed a heterogeneous and complex community in a natural context, with predominant species, satellite species, and occasional parasitoids. Understanding the dynamics of parasitic wasps like Campoplex capitator and Trichogramma spp. in the wild could improve biological control strategies for managing EGVM populations in vineyards. Overall, this research sheds light on the parasitoid community and dynamics of an important vineyard pest in a grapevine-free natural ecosystem.
Article
Entomology
Luis Felipe Ventura de Almeida, Angelica Maria Penteado-Dias
Summary: A new parasitoid wasp belonging to the genus Meteorus, which parasitizes the Neotropical Tortricidae moth C. aporema feeding on soybean in Brazil, is described and illustrated. A checklist of previously recorded parasitoids for C. aporema is provided.
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
John B. Heppner, Yang-Seop Bae
Summary: A new pest of cinnamon called Polylopha vietnama sp. nov. is described from northern Vietnam. The related species Lopharcha ditissima from Indonesia has been transferred to the genus Polylopha as P. ditissima (Diakonoff) comb. nov., resulting in a total of nine species for the genus.
Article
Zoology
Sergey A. Belokobylskij, Deokseo Ku
Summary: Five new species of parasitic wasps, including Aivalykus kseniae sp. nov., Dendrosotinus gajwadongus sp. nov., Doryctes (Plyctes) jinjuensis sp. nov., Neoheterospilus (Neoheterospilus) geochangus sp. nov., and Spathius fumipennis sp. nov., have been discovered in South Korea. This is the first record of these five doryctine genera, as well as fifteen new species, in the fauna of the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, two genera from the subfamily Rhyssalinae, Proacrisis Tobias and Histeromerus Wesmael, and two species, Proacrisis orientalis Tobias, 1983 and Histeromerus orientalis Chou & Chou, 1991, have been recorded in the fauna of Korea for the first time.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yun Liang, Xinyuan Fang, Lingzhi Zheng, Hongmin Wu, Zewei He, Zhongwu Xiong, Jianfeng Hong, Xunru Ai, Guanghong Liang
Summary: Choristoneura metasequoiacola is an important caterpillar species that infests the leaves and branches of Metasequoia glyptostroboides in Lichuan, Hubei, China. The researchers determined the complete mitochondria genome of C. metasequoiacola and compared it with other sibling species.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Binglin Xing, Lei Yang, Ahamaijiang Gulinuer, Fen Li, Shaoying Wu
Summary: The study focused on the biological parameters of Microplitis manilae, a dominant larval parasitoid of Spodoptera frugiperda, and found that pupal cold storage significantly affected the emergence rate, parasitism rate, and longevity of wasp adults. The optimal storage condition was middle-aged pupae stored at 10 degrees C for 5-10 days. These results provide insights into mass-rearing of M. manilae for biological control against S. frugiperda.
Article
Entomology
Wee L. Yee, Andrew A. Forbes, Jeffrey L. Feder
Summary: Parasitoids of tephritid fruit flies in the Pacific Northwest, such as Utetes tabellariae and Diachasma muliebre, have evolved to have eclosion times that closely follow their host fly species and are influenced by the duration of winter. This suggests a complex interplay between host life stage, environmental conditions, and parasitoid diapause timing in temperate regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Wee L. Yee, Robert B. Goughnour, Andrew A. Forbes, Joshua M. Milnes, Jeffrey L. Feder
Summary: This study investigates the effect of temperature on the eclosion timing of fruit flies and their parasitic wasps. The results show that fruit flies are more sensitive to changes in chill duration, while wasps are more adaptable to no-chill conditions. Climate change could potentially cause mismatches in eclosion times between fruit flies and wasps, leading to significant evolutionary consequences.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sergey A. Belokobylskij, Cornelis Van Achterberg
Summary: A review of the braconid parasitoid subfamily Doryctinae of United Arab Emirates and Yemen is provided, with the discovery of sixteen new species and one new subspecies recorded for the first time in the southern Arabian Peninsula.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Cristina Carlos, Fatima Goncalves, Claire Villemant, Daniel Paredes, Juliana Salvacao, Laura Torres
Summary: The study found that a higher proportion of ecological infrastructures near vineyards and ground cover plants can significantly increase parasitism of Lobesia botrana, suggesting potential for conservation biological control.
BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zubair Ahmad, Hamed A. Ghramh, Khalid Ali Khan, Farhat Khan, Farmanur Rahman Khan, Rehab Omer Elnour Elgezouly, Kavita Pandey
Summary: This article describes three new species of parasitoids observed in the rearing of lepidopteran leafminers from various host plants in northern India, along with their habitat, brief diagnoses, and host records.
FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN
(2022)