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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386148
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: Description of Kavayva gen. n. (Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) and two new species associated with Guarea (Meliaceae), and a review of eurytomids associated with seeds

Author
item ZHANG, YUANMENG - University Of Central Florida
item Gates, Michael
item SILVESTRE, ROGERIO - Federal University Of Big Dourados (UFGD)
item SCARPA, MANOELA - Federal University Of Big Dourados (UFGD)

Submitted to: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/3/2021
Publication Date: 10/29/2021
Citation: Zhang, Y.M., Gates, M.W., Silvestre, R., Scarpa, M. 2021. Description of Kavayva gen. n. (Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) and two new species associated with Guarea (Meliaceae), and a review of eurytomids associated with seeds. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 86:110-121. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.86.71309.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.86.71309

Interpretive Summary: Seed-feeding insects of cultivated plants or their relatives are considered as pest insects, which can be accidentally transported to new regions given their cryptic lifestyle. These insects cause millions of dollars in losses via direct damage and cost of control. We report here on a new genus containing two new species attacking seeds of a tropical fruit tree. This information will be useful to entomologists, ecologists, foresters, and those studying tropical ecosystems.

Technical Abstract: A new genus Kavayva Zhang, Silvestre & Gates and two species are described from the Neotropics, Kavayva bodoquenensis, and Kavayva davidsmithi, n. spp. Specimens of the new species were collected independently during separate research efforts in Peru and Brazil, reared from the seeds of Guarea F. Allam ex L. (Meliaceae), which represents a new host plant family for Eurytomidae. A differential diagnosis of the Neotropical seed-feeding eurytomids is also provided.