Research Project: Systematics of Parasitic and Herbivorous Wasps of Agricultural Importance

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

2017 Annual Report

Objectives
The long-term goal of this project is to study the systematics and natural history of parasitoid and phytophagous wasps to facilitate their identification, understand and predict their impact on agricultural commodities and products, and disseminate biosystematic information on them to an international clientele. Most species of Hymenoptera are beneficial natural enemies or pollinators, but some are plant pests or bio-control antagonists. This project will focus on chalcidoid, ichneumonoid, cynipoid, and platygastroid wasps, which are taxa of high priority to agriculture and for which the project investigators have expertise. Those groups are important to agriculture because they are useful for bio-control of pest insects and plants and also include species that cause damage to agricultural commodities and products or disrupt bio-control. In addition to conducting research on those groups, the investigators will develop expert systems to provide a broad community of customers increased access to information pertinent to beneficial natural enemies and pests. This project also includes an identification service function for regulatory and research organizations, as well as a curatorial service function for building and maintaining portions of the National Insect Collection (NIC) for use in specimen diagnostics and research. We will focus on the following objectives over the next five years: Objective 1: Generate revised classifications, phylogenies, species concepts, natural history data and identification tools for wasps in the Cynipoidea, Chalcidoidea, Ichneumonoidea, and Platygastroidea lineages (the latter including Trissolcus wasps, which are important natural enemies of invasive stink bugs). Objective 2: Compile, organize, and post on the web, searchable electronic databases of hymenopteran families in the U.S. National Insect and Mite Collection, tools, and images of parasitic and plant-feeding Hymenoptera. (non-hypothesis driven) Objective 3: Provide accurate and efficient identifications of Hymenoptera for APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine and other federal and state regulatory agencies, ARS researchers, and stakeholders across the United States. (non-hypothesis driven)

Approach
Morphological and molecular characters (DNA sequences) will be generated to test species concepts and hypotheses of relationship among agriculturally important flies and parasitoid wasps that attack them. These data will be used to develop new diagnostic tools (descriptions, illustrations, keys). Databases containing scientific names, distributions, taxonomic literature, and host plant and specimen data pertaining to fruit flies will be expanded and disseminated to the user community. These and other taxonomic tools will be made accessible to the public via publications, the internet, and other electronic media. Timely and accurate identifications of flies will be provided, including those intercepted at ports-of-entry by APHIS-PPQ or submitted by a wide range of scientists and regulatory agencies, and portions of the National Collection in the National Museum of Natural History, a vital tool for research and identification, will be maintained and expanded.

Progress Report
Data is ready for submission on the competition between species of parasitic wasp that attack a variety of Drosophila species along the eastern seaboard of North America. Flies species include spotted-wing Drosophila. The paper will elucidate how these species interactions influence the parasitism rate of the wasps that attack fly larvae. Progress was made on the identification and distribution of parasitoid species that attack spotted-wing Drosophila throughout North America, Mexico, southeast Asia, and Western Europe. To date, three species in two genera have been recorded, and data capture for this project is still ongoing. Data is ready for submission on the identification of species of parasitic wasp that attack various species of leaf mining fly (including pestiferous species) throughout the New World. The paper will update new host records, provide synonymies, update nomenclature, describe new species, and provide an identification key. Research at the NMNH for the investigation of parasitoid phylogenetics using ultra-concerved elements (UCE’s) of the hymenopteran genome is underway. This proven technique provides ample sequence data from over 1000 genes per species, and can generate quality sequence data from very old specimens, thereby increasing the sampling rate for phylogenetic work. All three current SEL SY’s as well as post-docs and an emeritus scientist, are cooperating on this joint project that spans the diversity of the order Hymenoptera. Progress was made toward discerning the efficacy of adding pan traps to malaise traps for increased sampling efficiency in threatened coastal strand habitat. 288 samples were collected and sorted resulting in acquisition of thousands of specimens. Three replicate plots are currently being sampled, and year one of the study is sorted to family; year three is currently underway. The SEL Hymenoptera Unit completed 419 ‘urgent’ identifications and 573 ‘routine’ identifications for APHIS and other ARS cooperators and stakeholders. At the museum level, the SEL Hymenoptera Unit completed a total of 68 transactions through the NMNH, with nearly 22000 specimens coming in and going out on exchange; these transactions were with a total of 14 countries worldwide, as well as numerous institutions in the United States. An estimated 2000 images were captured for three superfamilies of wasps, and these images are publically available on the web; a further 500 species names were checked and verified in the National Insect Collection. Finally, the entire gall collection was re-organized and updated for more effective research.

Accomplishments
1. Researching taxonomic and bionomic data on wasps helps protect U.S. agricultural interests. Parasitic wasps attack pest insects that cause billions of dollars of damage to crops and natural resources annually. They also attack beneficial natural enemies and are pests when they disrupt biocontrol. ARS researchers at Beltsville, Maryland, focused on some 200 various species of parasitic wasps associated with: aphids that attack cereals; stink bugs that eat major food crops in the US and infest homes; flies that eat strawberry and blackberry; beetles that bore into trees and kill them; fire ants that disturb livestock, and caterpillers released for the biocontrol of invasive pest plants. Along with clarifying identification, the biological attributes and host records are updated for the first time in these groups. Correct identification of biological control agents, as well as an understanding of their biological role in mitigating pestiferous species populations, is essential for making rearing and quarantine decisions in the protection of the US agricultural interests worldwide.

Review Publications
Liu, H., Mottern, J.L. 2017. An old remedy for a new problem? Identification of Ooencyrtus kuvanae (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) as egg parasitoids of spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) in North America. Journal of Insect Science. 17(1):1-6.
Burks, R., Mottern, J.L., Dominguez, C., Heacox, S., Hersty, J.M. 2017. Biting the bullet: revisionary notes on the Oraseminae of the Old World (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eucharitidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 55:139-188.
Kula, R.R., Gates, M.W., Buffington, M.L., Harms, N.E. 2017. Parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) associated with Sagittaria latifolia Willd. and Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J. G. Sm. (Alismatales: Alismataceae) in the Nearctic Region. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 119(2):215-227.
Kula, R.R., Johnson, P.J., Heidel-Baker, T.T., Boe, A. 2017. A new species and key for Acanthocaudus Smith (Braconidae: Aphidiinae), with new host and distribution records for aphidiines associated with Silphium perfoliatum L. (Asterales: Asteraceae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 4235(3):543-552.
Lue, C., Mottern, J.L., Walsh, G., Buffington, M.L. 2017. New record for the invasive Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Anillaco, Argentina. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 119:146-150.
Milnes, J.M., Wiman, N., Talamas, E.J., Brunner, J.F., Hoelmer, K.A., Buffington, M.L., Beers, E.H. 2016. Discovery of an exotic egg parasitoid of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) in the Pacific Northwest. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 118:466-470.
Branstetter, M., Danforth, B., Pitts, J., Faircloth, B., Ward, P., Buffington, M.L., Gates, M.W., Kula, R.R., Brady, S. 2017. Phylogenomic analysis of ants, bees and stinging wasps: Improved taxon sampling enhances understanding of hymenopteran evolution. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 27:1019-1025.
Nomano, F., Kasuya, N., Matsuura, A., Suwito, A., Mitsui, H., Buffington, M.L., Kimura, M. 2017. Genetic differentiation of Ganaspis brasiliensis (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) from East and Southeast Asia. Applied Entomology and Zoology. DOI 10.1007/s13355-017-0493-0.
Talamas, E.J., Miko, I., Johnston-Jordan, D. 2017. Convergence in the ovipositor system of platygastroid wasps (Hymenoptera). Journal of Pest Science. 56:263-276.
Kolesik, P., Gagne, R.J. 2016. A revision of the early taxa of Australian gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Zootaxa. 4205:301–338.
Zhang, J., Zhang, F., Gariepy, T., Mason, P., Gillespie, D., Talamas, E.J., Haye, T. 2017. Seasonal parasitism and host specificity of Trissolcus japonicus in northern China. Journal of Pest Science. 1:1-15.