Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii „AL. I. CUZA” Iaşi, s. Biologie animală, Tom LII, 2006

PTEROMALIDS (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA, PTEROMALIDAE) PARASITISING TEPHRITID (DIPTERA: ) IN FLOWER HEADS OF CIRSIUM ARVENSE (L.) SCOP. IN

MIRCEA-DAN MITROIU1, IONEL ANDRIESCU1 and VINTILĂ SLONOVSCHI2 1 “Al. I. Cuza” University Iaşi, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I 20A, 700505 Iaşi, Romania; e-mail: [email protected] 2 Agricultural Research Station Podu Iloaiei, Iaşi County, Romania

Abstract. Four species of pteromalids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae) were recorded from several species of tephritids (Diptera: Tephritidae) developing in flower heads of Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (): Pteromalus albipennis (Walker) [new species to Romania] from Tephritis cometa (Loew) and Urophora stylata (Fabricius) [new host records]; P. elevatus (Walker) from Chaetostomella cylindrica (Robineau-Desvoidy) [new host record]; P. intermedius (Walker) from T. cometa [new host record]; P. vibulenus (Walker) [new species to Romania] from C. cylindrica [new host record]. P. vibulenus was also recorded from an unidentified species of Larinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). All the above mentioned species of pteromalids are primary parasitoids.

Keywords: Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae, Diptera, Tephritidae, Cirsium arvense, new species to Romania, new host records

Rezumat. Pteromalide (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae) care parazitează muşte tefritide (Diptera: Tephritidae) în capitule de Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. în România. Patru specii de pteromalide au fost obţinute din capitule de Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae) atacate de specii de tefritide (Diptera: Tephritidae): Pteromalus albipennis (Walker) [specie nouă pentru România] din Tephritis cometa (Loew) şi Urophora stylata (Fabricius) [relaţii trofice noi]; P. elevatus (Walker) din Chaetostomella cylindrica (Robineau- Desvoidy) [relaţie trofică nouă]; P. intermedius (Walker) din T. cometa [relaţie trofică nouă]; P. vibulenus (Walker) [specie nouă pentru România] din C. cylindrica [relaţie trofică nouă]. P. vibulenus a fost obţinut şi dintr-o specie neidentificată de Larinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Toate speciile menţionate anterior sunt parazitoizi primari.

Cuvinte cheie: Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae, Diptera, Tephritidae, Cirsium arvense, specii noi pentru România, noi semnalări de gazde

Introduction The Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) is a common invasive plant native to , which was accidentally introduced in many other areas (e.g. U.S.A.), causing important economical damages (Pimentel et al., 2000). Many species of are known to be associated with the creeping thistle in Europe, Middle East (Campobasso et al., 1999) and Romania (Slonovschi & Chiriţă, 1998). However, only a few data concerning the parasitoid species attacking these phytophagous insects in Romania are available, these referring mainly to Ichneumonidae and Braconidae (Slonovschi & Chiriţă, 1998). Understanding the trophic relations between the phytophagous insects and their parasitoids, as well as updating the species list for each region, is crucial for potential bio control programs against this plant species. This preliminary study is the first one investigating the chalcidoid species attacking tephritid flies in flower heads of Cirsium arvense in Romania. The examined material, as well as the general geographical distribution and the previously known hosts of the species, is presented. For more information regarding the distribution of the species, see Noyes (2003).

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Material and Methods The material was collected between 1991 and 2002, mainly around the Agricultural Research Station Podu Iloaiei (Iaşi County), but also from other locations. Flower heads of C. arvense were collected and placed in glass tubes. The emerged flies and parasitoids were identified and counted. Part of the material was dissected in order to establish the host-parasitoid relations. The pteromalids were identified using the works of Graham (1969) and Janzon (1984).

Results and Discussion Four species of tephritid flies were reared from C. arvense: Chaetostomella cylindrica (Robineau-Desvoidy), Tephritis cometa (Loew), ruficauda (Fabricius) and Urophora stylata (Fabricius). In addition, an unidentified species of Larinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was also obtained. All the tephritid species were hosts for one or two pteromalid species, excepting T. ruficauda. All the pteromalid species were primary parasitoids. The pteromalid species obtained from flower heads of C. arvense:

Pteromalus albipennis (Walker) – new species to Romania

Pteromalus albipennis Walker, 1835. Monographia Chalciditum. Entomological Magazine 3: 198.

Material examined: Podu Iloaiei (Iaşi county), from Tephritis cometa (new host record): 3♀, 1996; 8♀ and 7♂, 15.VII.1997; 2♀, 1998; 5♀ and 9♂, 15.VII.1999; the same locality, from Urophora stylata (new host record): 1♀, 1998; the same locality, host unknown: 1♂, 9.VII.1991; 3♀, 5.VII.1995; 3♂, 11.VII.1996. Geographical distribution: from Europe to Central Asia. Known hosts: Chaetorellia jaceae (Robineau-Desvoidy), Chaetostomella cylindrica, Ch. onotrophes (Loew), Myopites inulaedyssentericae Blot, Terellia colon (Meigen), T. ruficauda, T. tussilaginis (Fabricius), T. winthemi (Meigen), Tephritis arnicae (Linnaeus), T. bardanae (Schrank), T. crepidis Hendel, T. formosa (Loew), Urophora cardui (Linnaeus) (Diptera, Tephritidae) (Noyes, 2003).

Pteromalus elevatus (Walker)

Eutelus elevatus Walker, 1834. Monographia Chalciditum. Entomological Magazine 2: 366.

Material examined: Podu Iloaiei (Iaşi county), from Chaetostomella cylindrica (new host record): 6♀ and 1♂; Tg. Neamţ (Neamţ county), host unknown: 1♂, 19.IV.2002; Popricani (Iaşi county), host unknown: 1♂ and 1♀, 10.VII.2002. Geographical distribution: from Europe to Central Asia; in Romania it was collected from Apahida (Cluj-Napoca county), Rodnei Mountains (Maramureş county) (Erdös, 1948) and Danube’s Delta (Tulcea county) (Andriescu, 1996). Known hosts: Chaetorellia loricata (Rondani), Tephritis conura (Loew), Terellia ceratocera (Hendel), T. ruficauda, Urophora cardui, U. cuspidata (Meigen), U. jaceana (Hering), U. stylata, U. tenuis Becker, U. xanthippe (Munro) (Diptera, Tephritidae); Isocolus chartolepii (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae); Eurytoma compressa (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) (Noyes 2003).

Pteromalus intermedius (Walker)

Eutelus intermedius Walker, 1834. Monographia Chalciditum. Entomological Magazine 2: 366.

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Material examined: Podu Iloaiei (Iaşi county), from Tephritis cometa (new host record): 1♀, 15.VII.1997. Geographical distribution: from Europe to Central Asia; in Romania it was collected from Cluj-Napoca (Laszló, 2002). Known hosts: Oxyna nebulosa (Wiedemann), O. parietina (Linnaeus), Tephritis conura (Diptera, Tephritidae); Coleophora ceratoidis (Falkovitsh) (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae) (Noyes 2003).

Pteromalus vibulenus (Walker) – new species to Romania

Ormocerus vibulenus Walker, 1839. Monographia Chalciditum 1: 205 London.

Material examined: Podu Iloaiei (Iaşi county), from Chaetostomella cylindrica (new host record): 1♀ and 1♂, 15.VII.1997; the same locality and date, from Larinus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): 8♀; the same locality, host unknown: 8♀ and 1♂, 9.VII.1991; 1♀ and 3♂, 11.VII.1991; 2♀, 5.VII.1995; 5♀ and 1♂, 15.VII.1997. Geographical distribution: West-Palearctic. Known hosts: Coleoptera: Oulema gallaeciana (Heyden) (Chrysomelidae), Larinus sturnus (Schaller) (Curculionidae); Hymenoptera: Isocolus scabiosae (Giraud), Phanacis hypochoeridis (Kieffer) (Cynipidae), Cotesia glomerata (Linnaeus) (Braconidae); Lepidoptera: Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) (Pieridae), Pempelia obductella Zeller (Pyralidae), Euxanthis sp. (Tortricidae), Zygaena filipendulae (Linnaeus) (Zygaenidae) (Noyes 2003).

Conclusions Four species of pteromalids were obtained in laboratory from flower heads of C. arvense: Pteromalus albipennis (Walker), P. elevatus (Walker), P. intermedius (Walker) and P. vibulenus (Walker). P. albipennis and P. vibulenus are new to Romania. New hosts were recorded for all the identified pteromalid species: Tephritis cometa and Urophora stylata for P. albipennis, Chaetostomella cylindrica for P. elevatus, T. cometa for P. intermedius and C. cylindrica for P. vibulenus. P. vibulenus was also reared from an unidentified species of Larinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). All the pteromalid species were found to be primary parasitoids.

Acknowledgements We thank Dr. Bernhard Merz, Institut für Pflantzenwissenschaften, for identifying the tephritid species.

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