Author
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Smith, David |
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Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2004 Publication Date: 1/20/2005 Citation: Smith, D.R. 2005. Two new fern-feeding sawflies of the genus Aneugmenus Hartig (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from South America. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 107:273-278 Interpretive Summary: The caterpillar-like larvae of sawflies are exclusively plant feeders and cause extensive damage to agricultural crops, forests, and ornamentals. Some are potentially beneficial in biological control of invasive plants. The biology and ecology of a fern-feeding sawfly is being studied in Venezuela. Research on the identity of this species showed that it is undescribed. A description of this new species is provided as well as that for a related new species from Colombia. This will be useful to those investigating this insect in Venezuela and will be of interest to scientists interested in plant-feeding insects. Documentation of these species will alert APHIS for possible prevention of invasive species and will be potentially useful to biological control scientists for control of invasive ferns. Technical Abstract: Aneugmenus merida, n. sp., from Venezuela and Ecuador and A. colombia, n. sp., from Colombia are described. Aneugmenus merida was reared from larvae feeding on bracken fern, Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. in Venezuela. These are the only two species of this Holarctic genus known from South America. The species are illustrated and separated from other New World species of Aneugmenus. Aneugmenus leucopoda (Cameron 1883) is a new combination. |
