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Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/2003 Publication Date: 6/29/2004 Citation: Vandenberg, N.J. 2004. Contributions to the knowledge of olla casey (coleoptera: coccinellidae: coccinellini): new species from the galapagos islands, updates on the distribution of of o.v-nigrum (mulsant). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 106: 619-626 Interpretive Summary: Lady beetles are important predators of crop and garden pests. A New World genus consists of arboreal species which feed on a variety of soft bodied insects such as aphids, psyllids, whiteflies, and thrips. As such, these species are considered a major component of natural pest control in commercial fruit and nut plantings, and they have been released for biological control of pest species on a number of island and continental masses in the Pacific, European, Asian, Australian and Ethiopian regions of the World. In order to utilize the full predatory potential of these beneficial species, we need to know the proper species names and classification so that pertinent literature can be accessed on their diverse feeding habits, distributions, and seasonality. The present contribution adds a new species to the genus and provides characters for differentiating it from closely related species. It also updates what is known of their distribution due to recent releases associated with biological control of Leucaena psyllid (a key pest of the economically important Leucaena tree). This work will aid agriculturalists, biological control practitioners, and ecologists in identifying and better understanding the species they encounter. Technical Abstract: A new species of Olla Casey is described from Isabela Island of the Galapagos Archepelago. Earlier, the single known example of this species was mistaken for Olla hageni Vandenberg, a closely related species which occurs on the neighboring island of Santa Cruz. A diagnosis, habitus drawing, and key details of the anatomy and morphology of the new species are provided and compared to related members of the genus. The habits and distribution of the genus are reviewed and updated distributional data provided for O. v-nigrum Mulsant, a widespread species of temperate and tropical America which has been released in a number of countries for biological control purposes. |
