Journal of Hymenoptera Research (2020) 78, 1-17
Paul K. Abram, Audrey E. McPherson, Robert Kula, Tracy Hueppelsheuser, Jason Thiessen, Steve J. Perlman, Caitlin I. Curtis, Jessica L. Fraser, Jordan Tam, Juli Carrillo, Michael Gates, Sonja Scheffer, Matthew Lewis and Matthew Buffington (2020)
New records of Leptopilina, Ganaspis, and Asobara species associated with Drosophila suzukii in North America, including detections of L. japonica and G. brasiliensis
Journal of Hymenoptera Research 78, 1-17
Abstract: We report the presence of two Asian species of larval parasitoids of spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), in northwestern North America. Leptopilina japonica Novkovic and Kimura and Ganaspis brasiliensis (Ihering) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) were found foraging near and emerging from fruits infested by D. suzukii at several locations across coastal British Columbia, Canada in the summer and fall of 2019. While G. brasiliensis was found in British Columbia for the first time in 2019, re-inspection of previously collected specimens suggests that L. japonica has been present since at least 2016. Additionally, we found a species of Asobara associated with D. suzukii in British Columbia that is possibly Asobara rufescens (Förster) (known only from the Palearctic Region) based on COI DNA barcode data. These findings add to the list of cases documenting adventive establishment of candidate classical biological control agents outside of their native ranges. The findings also illustrate the need for revisiting species concepts within Asobara, as well as host and geographic distribution data due to cryptic and/or misidentified species.
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Database assignments for author(s): Paul K. Abram, Matthew L. Buffington
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation
