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Title: Food plants and life histories of sawflies of the Family Argidae (Hymenoptera) in Costa Rica, with descriptions of two new species

Author
item Smith, David
item JANZEN, DANIEL - UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANI

Submitted to: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/12/2002
Publication Date: 4/2/2003
Citation: Smith, D.R., Janzen, D. 2003. Food plants and life histories of sawflies of the Family Argidae (Hymenoptera) in Costa Rica, with descriptions of two new species. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 12:193-208.

Interpretive Summary: Sawfly larvae are caterpillar-like, plant-feeding insects, many of which cause considerable economic damage to agricultural crops, forests, and ornamental plantings. Others are beneficial and have been used for biological control of invasive plants. Very little is known about the food plants and habits of those that occur in Central and South America; consequently, little can be said about species intercepted in quarantine or about their potential to become invasive species. Twelve species of one family have been reared in Costa Rica, and information on food plants and life histories of these species, along with illustrations of the larvae, are presented. Two of the species are new to science and are described. This information will be of value to scientists involved with studying plant-feeding insects and will be useful to APHIS personnel dealing with sawfly species intercepted in quarantine situations.

Technical Abstract: Food plants and biological information are given for 12 species of the family Argidae in Costa Rica: Atomacera raza Smith on Malvaviscus sp. (Malvaceae); Eriglenum crudum Konow on Machaerium acuminatum (Fabaceae); Serococeros gibbus (Klug) on Coccoloba guanacastensis (Polygonaceae); Sericoceros mexicanus (Kirby) on Coccoloba venosa and C. uvifera (Polygonaceae); Sericoceros vumirus Smith on Lonchocarpus minimiflorus (Fabaceae); Themos mayi Smith, n. sp., on Meliosma idiopoda (Sabiaceae); Ptilia versicolor (Klug) and Trochophora lobata (Erichson) on Rourea glabra (Connaraceae); Didymia jonesi Smith, n. sp., on Connarus sp. (Connaraceae); Sphacophilus janzeni Smith on Hymenaea courbaril (Fabaceae); Sphacophilus edus Smith on Heteropterys laurifolia (Malpighiaceae); and Durgoa mattogrossensis Malaise on Bauhinia ungulata (Fabaceae). The male of Durgoa mattogrossensis is described for the first time. All species were reared in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica.