J. HYM. RES. Vol. 14(1), 2005, pp. 66-68 NOTE Leucospis dorsigera Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Leucospidae) as a Hyperparasitoid of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) through Xoridinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in Iran Shahram Hesami, Mohammad Ali Akrami, and Hannes Baur (SH) Department of Plant Protection, Shiraz Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran email: [email protected]; (MAA) Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Tehran University, Karaj, Iran email: [email protected]; (HB) Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland, email: [email protected] The genus Leucospis (Chalcidoidea: Leu- nae) and also five specimens of Leucospis cospidae) is distinct among the Chalcidoi- dorsigera (Fig. 1). At first, we assumed that dea both morphologically and biological- L. dorsigera emerged from a wasp or a bee in in ly. The species are usually robust, pat- nesting holes the wood, but we could terned vespid-like with yellow or red not find any of its known hosts. For this stripes on a black ground color. The hind species, there are records from Apidae femora are swollen and toothed beneath (Hymenoptera) and Bostrychidae (Cole- as in the Chalcididae but the fore wings optera) (Noyes 2004), but the latter host are folded longitudinally and the ovipo- records were considered doubtful by Baur sitor is turned up over the abdomen (Bou- and Amiet (2000). To discover the possible cek 1974, Grissell and Schauff 1997). host of L. dorsigera some infested branches Determination of host associations for were opened by the senior authors. Final- parasitic wasps is fraught with difficulties. ly, five Xorides cocoons (Fig. 2) contained They are particularly problematic when it remnants of a X. corcyrensis larva together comes to concealed hosts, especially those with a single ectoparasitoid larva which living in deep or potentially complex sit- pupated after a few days and yielded L. uations where more than one species may dorsigera. be involved (Noyes 1994). In this paper, This is the first recorded instance of a we report a new host relationship for Leu- species of Leucospis developing as a hy- cospis dorsigera Fabricius, 1775 in Iran. perparasitoid. Host records have been re- During the study of the natural enemies ported only for 33 (Grissell and Schauff of the Rosaceae branch borer, Ospiiranteria 1997) of the 121 known species, all of them coerulescens Redtenbacher, 1850 (Coleo- develop as primary parasitoids of aculeate ptera: Cerambycidae) on apricot trees in Hymenoptera. Their hosts are mainly sol- Abarkouh region of Yazd province, Iran, itary bees, less frequently solitary wasps, branches infested with borer larvae were e.g. Vespidae and Sphecidae nesting in a hatched in plastic cages. Several parasitoid similar way as the bees. Except for one species emerged from the samples: Eury- gregarious species (Grissell and Cameron toiun sp. (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), 2002), all Leucospis develop—as far as is Xorides corcyrensis (Kriechbaumer, 1894) known—as solitarv parasitoids. Occasion- (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Xoridi- ally parasitic bees have also been recorded Volume 14, Number 1, 2005 67 1 Fig. 1. Female of Leucospis dorsigera, emerged from larvae of Xorides corcyrensis (scale 0.5 cm) as hosts for certain Palearctic species (Bou- the base of the gaster. The ratio of ovipo- cek 1974), but such records were consid- sitor sheath to hind femur length is only ered doubtful by Baur and Amiet (2000). 1.5, which lies slightly outside the range L. dorsigera is a rather variable and of 1.53-1.92 given by Baur and Amiet widely distributed species that occurs (2000) for European specimens. In all oth- from Eastern Russia through Western Eu- er characters, especially the shape of the rope to North Africa (Boucek 1974, Noyes clypeus and the first gastral tergite (com- 2004). The five specimens obtained from pare Baur and Amiet 2000: 367, figures 5a the Xorides cocoons show rather extensive and 5b), the specimens fit very nicely the yellow markings (Fig. 1). Furthermore, the diagnosis of L. dorsigera provided by Bou- gaster of the female is relatively short and cek (1974) and Baur and Amiet (2000). Ac- in lateral view broadly rounded at the cording to Boucek (1974), pale coloration apex. Its ovipositor sheaths just reach to and a relatively short gaster were also ob- ** •mmH a of L. with frass and the Fig. 2. Opened cocoon of Xorides corcyrensis containing pupae dorsigera together remnants of the Xorides larva (scale 1 cm). 68 Journal of Hymenoptera Research served in other specimens collected in nem Bestimmungsschliissel und Daten zu den Arten. Revue Suisse de 107: southern parts of the distribution area of europaischen Zoologie 359-388. this species. Boucek, Z. 1974. A revision of the Leucospidae (Hy- Specimens of L. dorsigcra are deposited menoptera: Chalcidoidea) of the world. Bulletin in the Natural Museum, Bern, History of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomol- Switzerland and in the of (1 female) Dept. ogy, Supplement 23: 1-241. Plant Protection, Shiraz Islamic Azad Uni- Grissell, E. E. and S. A. Cameron 2002. A new Leu- Fabricius versity, Shiraz, Iran (1 female, 3 males); cospis (Hymenoptera: Leucospidae), the first specimens of X. corcyrensis (3 females, 2 reported gregarious species, journal of Hy- menoptera Research 11: 273-277. males; 3 cocoons) and of O. coerulescens (6 E. E. Grissell, and M. E. Schauff. 1997. A Handbook of specimens) are deposited in the Dept. of the Families of Nearetie Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, (Ssecond edition, revised). Entomological Society Tehran Iran. University, Karaj, of Washington. 87 pp. are to Elsa Natural S. We grateful Obrecht, Noyes, J. 2004. Universal Chalcidoidea Database. History Museum Bern and two anony- World Wide Web electronic publication. mous reviewers, for critical reading of the www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/chalcidoids/ index.html [accessed manuscript and many useful suggestions. 05-May-2004]. Noyes, J. S. 1994. The of host- LITERATURE CITED reliability published parasitoid records: A taxonomist's view. Norwe- H. and F. Baur, Amiet, 2000. Die Leucospidae (Hy- gian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Supplement menoptera: Chalcidoidea) der Schweiz, mit ei- 16: 59-69..