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Title: New records of Pipunculidae attacking proconiine sharpshooter (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Proconiini)

Author
item SKEVINGTON, JEFFREY - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item Goolsby, John

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Society of Ontario
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/2009
Publication Date: 8/26/2009
Citation: Skevington, J.H., Goolsby, J. 2009. New records of Pipunculidae attacking proconiine sharpshooter (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Proconiini). Journal of Entomological Society of Ontario. 140:19-26.

Interpretive Summary: Exploration was conducted in the Texas part of the native range of the invasive glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homolaodisa vitripennis, for biological control agents of the immature stages of this pest insect. The most promising prospects are fly parasitoids in the family Pipunculidae. Little is known about the pipunculid parasitoids of sharpshooters. A new parasitoid, Eudorylas alternatus, was discovered in Texas attacking the sharpshooter, Oncometopia orbona, which is closely related to the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Future exploration is proposed in the Southeastern U.S. where pipuculids are more common and where parasitoids of the glassywinged sharpshooter may occur. These flies could be used as biological control agents of glassy-winged sharpshooter in California where it is invasive and a vector of the Pierce’s disease pathogen of grapes.

Technical Abstract: Five records of Pipunculidae (Diptera) attacking proconiine sharpshooters (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) are documented here for the first time. Eudorylas alternatus (Cresson) is documented as a parasitoid of Cuerna obtusa Oman and Beamer, and Oncometopia orbona (Fabricius) is recorded as being attacked by an apparently undescribed species of Eudorylas (Pipunculidae). Records of unidentified Pipunculidae larvae are also recorded from Cuerna kaloostiani Nielson, Cuerna curvata Oman & Beamer, and Cuerna sp. near striata (Walker) – septentrionalis (Walker). We describe these observations, summarize the data for them, and explore the potential of Pipunculidae as biological control agents for pest proconiines such as glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar)). We also reveal the utility of DNA barcoding for identifying pipunculid larvae.