Agricultural and Forest Entomology (2021) 23, 146-153
Caitlin R. Gevers, Gudrun Dittrich-Schröder, Bernard Slippers and Brett P. Hurley (2021)
Interactions between hymenopteran species associated with gall-forming wasps: the Leptocybe invasa community as a case study
Agricultural and Forest Entomology 23 (2), 146-153
Abstract: 1. Leptocybe invasa is native to Australia and induces galls on various species of Eucalyptus. Two genetically distinct lineages of this wasp have been detected outside its native range, namely, Leptocybe Lineage A and Leptocybe Lineage B.
2. The parasitoid Selitrichodes neseri was released in South Africa as a biological control agent against L. invasa. Another parasitoid of L. invasa, Quadrastichus mendeli, as well as Megastigmus zebrinus (parasitoid) and Megastigmus pretorianensis (role unknown), have also been recorded emerging from L. invasa galls. The objective of this study was to investigate the interactions between the different hymenopterans associated with L. invasa galls in South Africa.
3. L. invasa galls were dissected and species-specific primers and restriction enzymes were used to identify the larvae where interactions were noted.
4. S. neseri, Q. mendeli and M. zebrinus were confirmed to parasitize Leptocybe Lineage A, and S. neseri was confirmed to parasitize Leptocybe Lineage B. Furthermore, there were direct interactions between these parasitoids, where parasitoids were found parasitising each other. The gall forming experiment confirmed that M. pretorianensis is not a gall former, but other potential roles remain uncertain.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Bernard Slippers, Brett P. Hurley
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
surveys/distribution/isolation
