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)

Authors: Kula, Robert; JOHNSON, PAUL - South Dakota State University; HEIDEL-BAKER, THELMA - The Xerces Society; BOE, ARVID - South Dakota State University

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2017
Publication Date: 2/24/2017
Citation: 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.

Interpretive Summary: Parasitic wasps attack herbivorous insects that cause billions of dollars of damage to crops and forests annually. The parasitic wasps treated in this paper attack aphids that feed on plants in the composite family, including a species under assessment as a potential biomass crop. Increased knowledge of these wasps can help determine their impact on aphid populations that feed on these plants. This paper provides information on the identification, distribution, and natural history of six wasp species in North America. One species new to science is described, one new species synonymy is proposed, five species are reported as associated with the potential biomass crop species for the first time, and new distribution records are reported for four species. An identification key and diagnoses are provided for differentiating three wasp species. This paper will be useful to scientists conducting research on these wasp and plant species, as well as personnel that manage aphids.

Technical Abstract: A new species, Acanthocaudus bicolor Kula (Braconidae: Aphidiinae), from the Nearctic Region is described and differ- entiated from all other species of Acanthocaudus Smith. Acanthocaudus schlingeri Muesebeck, 1958 is synonymized with Acanthocaudus tissoti (Smith, 1944). A key to the species of Acanthocaudus is provided. The following aphidiines are reported as parasitoids of aphids on Silphium perfoliatum L. (cup plant) for the first time: Aphidius (Aphidius) ohioensis ex Uroleucon (Uroleucon) cf. rudbeckiae (Fitch), Aphidius (Aphidius) polygonaphis (Fitch) ex Uroleucon sp., Praon pe- quodorum Viereck ex undetermined aphids, and Praon simulans (Provancher) ex undetermined aphids. Aphidius (A.) ohioensis and P. simulans are reported from Indiana and South Dakota for the first time. Acanthocaudus tissoti and P. pe- quodorum are reported from Indiana for the first time.