Abril, 1997 An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 26(1) 177 cyamophylax, n. sp. (: Scelionidae) Attacking Eggs of the Velvetbean Caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Andrew Polaszek1 and Luis A. Foerster2

1Intemational Institute of Entomology (an Institute of CAB Intemational), 56, Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5JR, U.K. 2Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa postal 19.020, 81.531-990, Curitiba, PR.

An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 26(1):177-181 (1997)

Telenomus cyamophylax, sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) Parasitando Ovos da Lagarta da Soja Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

RESUMO - Telenomus cyamophylax Polaszek, sp.n. é descrita a partir de adultos emergidos de ovos de Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). A nova espécie pertence ao grupo californicus sensu Johnson, 1984. Dados biológicos, incluindo um hospedeiro alternativo, são apresentados.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Insecta, controle biológico, parasitóide de ovos, soja.

ABSTRACT - Telenomus cyamophylax Polaszek, n. sp. is described from the eggs of the soybean pest velvetbean Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner) (Lepi- doptera: Noctuidae) caterpillar. This new species belongs to the californicus- group sensu Johnson, 1984. Biological data, including one alternative host, are given.

KEY WORDS: Insecta, biological control, egg parasitoid, soybean.

The family Scelionidae is entirely com- cases (e. g., Venezuela, Hemandez et al. 1989). posed of egg parasitoids, and includes many Various other species of Telenomus are re- species of economic importance as parasitoids ported attacking eggs of other lepidopterous of agricultural pests (Bin & Johnson families, for example T. dalmanni (Ratz.) in 1982, Orr 1988). basalis (Wollaston) Lymantriidae (De Santis & Vidal-Sarmiento and Ashmead are the most 1979), T. alceio (J.C. Crawford) and other mem- important scelionid egg parasitoids of stink bers of the T. californicus Ashmead group in bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Brazil Pyraloidea (Lima-Filho et al. 1979, Pimentel et (Corrêa-Ferreira 1986, Foerster & Queiroz al. 1991), T. dilophonotae Cameron and T. 1990). Nixon has been in- connectans Ashmead in Sphingidae (Abreu troduced against Spodoptera spp. in many et al. 1989, Johnson 1990), as well as uniden- tropical countries, particularly in South and tified species of Telenomus in Lasiocampidae Central America and the Caribbean islands, (Fischer & Patel 1993) and Saturniidae (Winder and successes have been claimed in several 1976). 178 Polaszek & Foerster

Soybean pest management programmes United States National Museum, Washington have been in progress in Brazil since 1975 (USNM) and in the Entomological Collection (Kogan et al. 1977) and stink bug populations ”Jesus S. Moure” (DZUP), Curitiba, PR, Brazil. have been successfully reduced by large scale releases of T. basalis (Corrêa-Ferreira 1993). . The genus Telenomus has been The control of lepidopterous larvae, however little studied at species-level. The western is largely dependent on chemicals and little Palaearctic species have been keyed and diag- effort has been dedicated to the detection of nosed by Kozlov & Kononova (1983), based potential natural enemies, such as egg parasi- on female morphology. Unfortunately, the most toids. The main defoliator of soybeans is the useful character for species recognition in Te- velvetbean caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis lenomus, at least in several species-groups, Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and only is the form of the male genitalia (Johnson 1984, Trichogramrna pretiosum Riley (Hyme- Polaszek & Kimani 1990). Johnson (1984) has noptera: Trichogrammatidae) was previously made considerable progress towards our un- known to parasitize eggs of A. gemmatalis in derstanding of species groups, and of several Brazil (Hohmann et al. 1989). Field surveys Nearctic species within some of those groups, carried out during the soybean growing sea- and has also produced an invaluable catalo- sons of 1994/95 and 1995/96 in Southern Pa- gue of world species (Johnson 1992). Howe- raná State revealed the occurrence of two other ver, the Neotropical species still remain largely species of egg parasitoids of A. gemmatalis: unstudied. Johnson (1992) lists 69 species Trichogramma rojasi Nagaraja & Nagarkatti from the Neotropics, of which several are pro- and an undescribed species of Telenomus, bably synonyms, and probably many times which is the object of the present study. that number are still undescribed. For the pur- The existence of a complex of species poses of this description it was not conside- parasitizing eggs of A gemmatalis indicates red worthwhile either tracking down each avai- that management programmes can be imple- lable type specimen for comparison, or consul- mented for the velvetbean caterpillar through ting all 69 original descriptions (in many cases preservation and augmentation of these spe- largely useless anyway) in order to ascertain cies. In this paper, the description of this spe- cies is given, together with preliminary biolo- beyond doubt that the species described here gical data obtained in the laboratory. is new to science. We can at least usefully cha- racterize this species here, and make the name Materials and Methods available for studies to develop I PM of soy- bean which includes A. gemmatalis. If a future Telenomus were reared from eggs of A. revision reveals T. cyamophylax to be a junior gemmatalis collected in a soybean crop in synonym of some other species, this would the locality of Lapa, Paraná State, southern be unfortunate, but by no means disastrous. Brazil. Specimens were prepared for taxonomic study following the method described in de- Telenomus cyamophylax Polaszek, tail by Polaszek & Kimani (1990) requiring new species card-mounting, followed by slide-mounting male genitalia in Canada Balsam. Morpholo- Male. General coloration dark brown to black, gical terminology follows Johnson (1984). The the fore tibiae and all tarsi paler brown. Geni- holotype and several paratypes are deposited talia (Fig. 1): Aedeagal lobe about one third in the collections of the Department of Ento- the total length of the aedeago volsellar shaft, mology, The Natural History Museum, Lon- truncate. Digiti large, about half the maximum don (BMNH). Remaining paratypes are de- length of the aedeagal lobe, with three (occa- posited in the Department of Entomology, sionally four) digital teeth per digitus, teeth Abril, 1997 An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 26(1) 179

1

Figures 1-4. Telenomus cyamophylux sp. n. 1. male genitalia; 2. male antenna; 3. female antenna; 4. fore wing.

long and robust. Central projection absent. the stigmal vein. Tl of metasoma with two Head with frons entirely smooth and shining, pairs of lateral setae, a single pair of sublateral some large reticulation at vertex and around setae. Basal costae on T2 short. General ha- lateral ocelli. Vertex sharply angled, but not bitus somewhat ‘humpbacked’ because of the carinate. Antennae as in Fig. 2, a prominent strongly convex mesosoma and the relatively sensillum on A5. Eyes hairy. Mesoscutum wi- low attachment of the transverse head. thout notauli, dorselium approximately rectan- gular, finely sculptured. Fore wing (Fig. 4) Female. Head with antenna 11-segmented, with some infuscation at the base and behind clava 5-segmented with A6-10 transverse (Fig. 180 Polaszek & Foerster

3); mesosoma and metasoma without any Acknowledgements easily observed distinctive characters. Space and facilities during part of this Remarks. T. cyamophylax belongs to the study were kindly provided to the first author californicus-group sensu Johnson (1984). by the Department of Entomology, The Natu- T. remus Superfícially it strongly resembles ral History Museum, London. Prof . Norman F. Nixon, in particular by the ‘humpbacked’ ap- Johnson, Ohio State University, is thanked pearance due to the fact that the transverse head is carried relatively low on the convex for his advice. mesosoma. No doubt there are several other Neotropical Telenomus species, unknown to Literature Cited the authors, that share this character. T. remus Abreu, J.M. de, R.B. Sgrillo,W.R.Thompson is also a noctuid parasitoid, attacking eggs of & A. J. Nicholson. 1989. Parasitismo de Spodoptera spp. ovos de Erinnyis ello (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) por Telenomus dilopho- Material Examined. Holotype: male, BRAZIL: notae e T. connectans (Hymenoptera: Paraná State, Lapa., February, 1996 ex A. gem- Scelionidae) em seringais da Bahia, Brasil. matalis on soybean (L.A, Foerster) (BMNH, Agrotropica l: 137-143. genitalia, one antenna and fore wing on slide TC 1). Paratypes 12 males, 12 females, same Bin, F. & N.F. Johnson. 1982. Potential of data as holotype (BMNH, USNM, DZÜP). in biocontrol with egg pa- Hosts. Noctuidae Anticarsia gemmatalis rasitoids (Hym., Scelionidae). Colloques Hübner, Pseudaletia sequax Franclemont. del’INRA 9: 275287

Distribution. Known so far from Brazil only. Corrêa-Ferreira, B. S. 1986. Ocorrência na- Given that A gemmatalis is widespread in the tural do complexo de parasitóides de ovos Americas, from U. S.A. to Chile, T. cyamo- de percevejos da soja no Paraná. An. phylax is almost certainly more widely distri- Soc. Entomol. Brasil 15: 189-199. buted. Corrêa-Ferreira, B.S. 1993. Utilização do parasitóide de ovos Trissolcus basalis Biological Data. This species has been suc- (Wollaston) no controle de percevejos cessfully reared in laboratory for over 20 gen- da soja. Londrina, EMBRAPA, Circ. Téc. erations using eggs of A. gemmatalis as hosts. ll,40p. Development from oviposition to adult emer- gence is inversely proportional to tempera- De Santis, L. & J.A. Vidal-Sarmiento. 1979. ture, and ranges from 14 days at 29°C to 40 Três espécies interesantes de escelioni- days at 17°C. Adult longevity was also influ- dos de la Republica Argentina y de Chile enced by the temperature, and survival ranged (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea). Idesia from 13 days at 29°C to 40 days at 17°C. Apart 5: 147-150. from A gemmatalis, T. cyamophylax also de- Fischer, H.Z. & RN. Patel. 1993. Fluctuacion veloped and reproduced in eggs of the army- poblacional y comportamiento de mari- worm Pseudaletia sequax Franclemont (Lepi- posas (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) y de doptera: Noctuidae), but was unable to para- sus parasitóides (Hymenoptera and Dip- sitize eggs of Spodoptera latifascia Walker tera) en aguacate (Persea americana). in laboratory. Rev. Biol. Trop. 41: 515-519. Abril, 1997 An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 26(1) 181

Foerster, LA. & J.M. Queiroz. 1990. Inci- Kozlov, M.A. & S.V. Kononova. 1983. Tele- dência natural de parasitismo em ovos de nominy fauny SSSR (Hymenoptera, Sce- pentatomídeos da soja no Centro-Sul do lionidae, Telenominae). Opredeliteli po Paraná. An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 19:221- Faune SSSR 136: 1-335 232. Lima Filho, M., G.M. Riscado & J.T. Barbosa. 1979. Comportamento da broca da cana- Hernandez, D., Ferrer, F. & Linares, B. 1989. de-açucar, Diatraea spp. no estado do Introduccion de Telenomus remus Nixon Rio de Janeiro no triênio 1975-77. An. (Hym.: Scelionidae) para controlar Spodo- Soc. Entomol. Brasil 8: 257-280. ptera frugiperda (Lep.: Noctuidae) enYa- ritagua Venezuela. Agron. Trop., Maracay Orr, D. B. 1988. Scelionid wasps as biological 39:4 6 control agents: A review. Fla. Entomol. 71: 501-506. Hohmann, C.L., S.M.T. Silva &W.J. Santos. 1989. Lista preliminar de Trichogramma- Pimentel, M. C. P., M. V. Macedo & R. F. tidae encontrados no Paraná. An. Soc. Monteiro. 1991. Notes on the biology Entomol. Brasil 18:203-206. and behaviour of Eupastranaia fenes- Johnson,N.F. 1984. Systematics of Nearctic trata Menetries (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Telenomus Classification and revisions of Midilinae). J. NewYork Entomol. Soc. 99: the podisi and phymatae groups. Buli. 699-700. OhioBiol.Surv.6(3),113p. Polaszek,A. & S.W. Kimani. 1990. Teleno- Johnson,N.F. 1990. Telenomus (Hymenopte- mus species (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) ra: Scelionidae) egg parasites of Erinnyis attacking eggs of pyralid pests (Lepidop- ello (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Proc. En- tera) in Africa: a review and guide to iden- tomol. Soc. Wash. 92: 306-309. tification. Bull. Entomol. Res. 80: 57-71.

Johnson, N.F. 1992. Catalog of worid Procto- Winder, J.A. 1976. Some observations on a trupoidea excluding . Mem. Hylesia species probably fulviventris Am. Entomol. Inst. 51:1 825 Berg (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) which attacks Lantana trifolia in Paraná State. Kogan, M., S.G.Tumipseed, M. Shepard, E.B. Dusenia9: 29-30. Oliveira & A. Borgo. 1977. Pilot insect pest management program for soybean in Southern Brazil. J. Econ. Entomol. 70: 659-663. Received 19/IX/96. Accepted 24/I1I/97.