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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #316844
Title: Assessing phenological synchrony between the Chinese sawfly, Cephus fumipennis, its egg-larval parasitoid, Collyria catoptron, and the North American sawfly, Cephus cinctus: Implications for biological control

Author
item Rand, Tatyana
item MORRILL, WENDELL - Montana State University
item RUNYON, JUSTIN - Montana State University
item Hoelmer, Kim
item Shanower, Thomas
item LITTLEFIELD, JEFFREY - Montana State University
item WEAVER, DAVID - Montana State University

Submitted to: The Canadian Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/2015
Publication Date: 12/7/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62790
Citation: Rand, T.A., Morrill, W.L., Runyon, J.B., Hoelmer, K.A., Shanower, T.G., Littlefield, J.L., Weaver, D.K. 2015. Assessing phenological synchrony between the Chinese sawfly, Cephus fumipennis, its egg-larval parasitoid, Collyria catoptron, and the North American sawfly, Cephus cinctus: Implications for biological control. The Canadian Entomologist. 148(4):482-492. doi:10.4039/tce.2015.64.

Interpretive Summary: Many pest and beneficial insects overwinter as immature stages, and resume developing in the spring. In these cases, the time it takes for parasitoids which attack pests to emerge as an adult after development begins again as temperatures warm must match the vulnerable life stages of their hosts. Mismatches in timing of emergence between introduced parasitoids and their targeted host species have limited the success of some biological control efforts. We assessed the potential overlap in emergence timing between Collyria catoptron Wahl (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a parasitoid of the Chinese wheat stem sawfly, Cephus fumipennis (Eversmann), which is being considered as a biological control against a novel host species, the North American wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus (Norton). We compared the development timing and emergence patterns of both the native and foreign species of sawflies with that of the parasitoid. Our results showed that the average number of days to emergence in the spring for C. cinctus from North America, C. fumipennis and its parasitoid C. catoptron from China, varied by less than one day. The pattern (beginning, peak and termination) of emergence was also very similar among species. The rate of development of this newly described egg-larval parasitoid from China was within the range necessary to attack C. cinctus eggs. Furthermore, the development of C. cinctus from western Montana most closely matched that of the parasitoid, suggesting western Montana as a possible release area.

Technical Abstract: Many pest and beneficial insects overwinter as larvae in a state of diapause, with development resuming in the spring. In these cases, rates of post-diapause development of parasitoids must be synchronized with the vulnerable life stages of their hosts. Phenological asynchrony between introduced parasitoids and their targeted hosts has limited the success of some biological control efforts. Here, we assessed the potential synchrony between Collyria catoptron Wahl (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a parasitoid of the Chinese wheat stem sawfly, Cephus fumipennis Eversmann (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), which is being considered as a biological control against a novel host species, Cephus cinctus Norton, in North America. We compared development timing and emergence patterns of both the native and exotic species of sawflies with that of the parasitoid. Our results showed that the mean number of days between termination of larval diapause and adult eclosion varied by less than one day across species, and patterns of emergence were also similar. The rate of development of this egg-larval parasitoid was within the range necessary to attack C. cinctus eggs. Furthermore, the development of C. cinctus from western Montana most closely matched that of the parasitoid, suggesting western Montana as a possible release area.