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Research Project: Biological Control of Invasive Arthropod Pests from the Eastern Hemisphere

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Title: Discovery of Spathius ibarakius Belokobylskij et Maeto (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a larval ectoparasitoid of citrus longhorned beetle in Korea

Author
item KIM, MOO-SUNG - Suncheon National University
item LEE, HYE-LIN - The Science Museum Of Natural Enemies
item KU, DOEK-SEO - The Science Museum Of Natural Enemies
item HERARD, FRANCK - European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL)
item GOULD, JULI - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item WILLIAMS, DAVID - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item KIM, IL-KWON - Korea National Arboretum
item HONG, KI-JEONG - Suncheon National University

Submitted to: Korean Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2016
Publication Date: 6/30/2016
Citation: Kim, M., Lee, H., Ku, D., Herard, F., Gould, J.R., Williams, D.W., Kim, I., Hong, K. 2016. Discovery of Spathius ibarakius Belokobylskij et Maeto (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a larval ectoparasitoid of citrus longhorned beetle in Korea. Korean J. Appl. Entomol. 55(3): 285-291 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5656/KSAE.2016.05.0.020.

Interpretive Summary: The Asian longhorned beetle is an important invasive species originating from Asia that is attacking and killing many deciduous species of trees in the northeastern USA. Despite sustained efforts to eradicate the pest it is now established in five states. Foreign exploration was conducted during 2013 and 2014 to find prospective biological control agents in South Korea where this insect is native. Logs infested with Asian longhorned beetle and citrus longhorned beetle were exposed at a field site and then held to rear out parasites attacking the beetle larvae. Adult parasitoids identified as Spathius ibarakius were reared from citrus longhorned beetles, but not from Asian longhorned beetles, suggesting that this parasite is specific to the latter host. We made scanning electron photographs and wrote a detailed morphological description of this species. We also summarized the geographic distribution and host species of 12 species in the genus Spathius. Further exploration needs to be done to find prospective biological control agents of Asian longhorned beetle.

Technical Abstract: Spathius ibarakius Belokobylskij et Maeto, which belongs to the Spathius exarator species group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) was found as an ectoparasitoid of the first- and second-instar larvae of the citrus longhorned beetle, Anoplophora chinensis (Förster), from Gwangneung, Pocheon, Korea. The discovery of this braconid wasp was made during the survey for parasitoids of the Asian and citrus longhorned beetles by using the sentinel log method. We herein describe diagnostic characters of S. ibarakius, including those of the male, and also provide illustrations. In addition, we present a host list of Korean species belong to genus Spathius.