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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #385439
Research Project: Systematics of Beetles, Flies, Moths and Wasps with an Emphasis on Agricultural Pests, Invasive Species, Biological Control Agents, and Food Security

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: A new species of Opius (Bellopius) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared from Hexachaeta (Diptera: Tephritidae) flies in Colombia, with a key to New World species of Opius parasitic on fruit-infesting Tephritidae

Author
item Kula, Robert
item AGUIRRE, HELMUTH - COLOMBIAN AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE (ICA)
item RODRIGUES-CLAVIJO, PEDRO - COLOMBIAN AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE (ICA)

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/24/2022
Publication Date: 9/13/2022
Citation: Kula, R.R., Aguirre, H., Rodrigues-Clavijo, P.A. 2022. A new species of Opius (Bellopius) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared from Hexachaeta (Diptera: Tephritidae) flies in Colombia, with a key to New World species of Opius parasitic on fruit-infesting Tephritidae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 124(1):75-84. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.124.1.75.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.124.1.75

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 flies that feed on seeds in fruit of entireleaf spiritweed, a medicinal plant endemic to the New World tropics. Increased knowledge of these wasps can help determine their impact on fly populations that feed on this plant. One braconid wasp species new to science is described; it is the first record of a braconid attacking a species in this fruit fly genus. A key for identifying all braconids congeneric with the new species and parasitic on fruit-infesting tephritid flies is provided. The paper will be useful to scientists conducting research on braconids and fruit flies, as well as those responsible for managing and regulating fruit flies.

Technical Abstract: A new species of fruit fly parasitoid, Opius (Bellopius) hexachaeta Kula and Aguirre (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), is described. The parasitoid was reared from larvae of the genus Hexachaeta (Diptera: Tephritidae) feeding on seeds in entireleaf spiritweed, Aegiphila integrifolia (Jacq.) B.D. Jacks (Lamiales: Lamiaceae). The morphology and taxonomic placement of the new species is discussed.