Amy Carmichael Thesis (PDF 17MB)
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Taxonomy and Diagnostics of Fruit Fly infesting Opiine Braconids in Australia and the South Pacific Amy Elizabeth Carmichael BSc., BFA (Hons) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Applied Science School of Natural Resource Sciences Queensland University of Technology September, 2009 1 Frontis piece: An insect cabinet drawer of opine braconids i ii Abstract Opiine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Opiinae) are parasitoids of dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae), the primary horticultural pests of Australia and the South Pacific. Effective use of opiines for biological control of fruit flies is limited by poor taxonomy and identification difficulties. To overcome these problems, this thesis had two aims: (i) to carry out traditional taxonomic research on the fruit fly infesting opine braconids of Australia and the South Pacific; and (ii) to transfer the results of the taxonomic research into user friendly diagnostic tools. Curated wasp material was borrowed from all major Australian museum collections holding specimens. This was supplemented by a large body of material gathered as part of a major fruit fly project in Papua New Guinea: nearly 4000 specimens were examined and identified. Each wasp species was illustrated using traditional scientific drawings, full colour photomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. An electronic identification key was developed using Lucid software and diagnostic images were loaded on the web-based Pest and Diseases Image Library (PaDIL). A taxonomic synopsis and distribution and host records for each of the 15 species of dacine-parasitising opiine braconids found in the South Pacific is presented. Biosteres illusorius Fischer (1971) was formally transferred to the genus Fopius and a new species, Fopius ferrari Carmichael and Wharton (2005), was described. Other species dealt with were Diachasmimorpha hageni (Fullaway, 1952), D. kraussii (Fullaway, 1951), D. longicaudata (Ashmead, 1905), D. tryoni (Cameron, 1911), Fopius arisanus (Sonan, 1932), F. deeralensis (Fullaway, 1950), F. schlingeri Wharton (1999), Opius froggatti Fullaway (195), Psyttalia fijiensis (Fullaway, 1936), P. muesebecki (Fischer, 1963), P. novaguineensis (Szépliget, 1900i) and Utetes perkinsi (Fullaway, 1950). This taxonomic component of the thesis has been formally published in the scientific literature. An interactive diagnostics package (“OpiineID”) was developed, the centre of which is a Lucid based multi-access key. Because the diagnostics package is computer based, without the space limitations of the journal publication, there is no pictorial limit in OpiineID and so it is comprehensively illustrated with SEM photographs, full colour photographs, line drawings and fully rendered illustrations. The identification key is only one small component of OpiineID and the key is supported by fact sheets with morphological descriptions, host associations, geographical information and images. Each species contained within the OpiineID package has also been uploaded onto the PaDIL website (www.padil.gov.au). Because the identification of fruit fly parasitoids is largely of concern to fruit fly workers, rather than braconid specialists, this thesis deals directly with an area of growing importance to many areas of pure and applied iii biology; the nexus between taxonomy and diagnostics. The Discussion chapter focuses on this area, particularly the opportunities offered by new communication and information tools as new ways delivering the outputs of taxonomic science. Keywords Opiinae, Braconidae, Parasitoids, Taxonomy, Identification, Diagnostics. iv Table of Contents Abstract ...............................................................................................................iii Keywords.............................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................ v List of Figures .....................................................................................................vii List of Tables .......................................................................................................ix Statement of original authorship..........................................................................xi Acknowledgments .............................................................................................xiii Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 General Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 Introduction to the Family Braconidae, Sub-Family Opiinae................................ 2 Taxonomic History of the Opiinae ....................................................................... 3 Opiinae as biological control agents of Fruit flies ................................................ 7 Background to current project ............................................................................. 8 Aims and Objectives of Thesis .......................................................................... 10 Chapter 2 Materials and Methods............................................................................. 12 Geographic scope of project.............................................................................. 12 Material examined ............................................................................................. 12 Identification Methodology................................................................................. 13 Terminology....................................................................................................... 15 Illustration techniques........................................................................................ 16 Scanning Electron Microscopy .......................................................................... 19 Lucid 3 Key Builder............................................................................................ 19 Chapter 3 Taxonomy ................................................................................................ 21 Introduction........................................................................................................ 21 Key to the Opiinae parasitising Tephritidae of the South Pacific region............ 25 Diachasmimorpha hageni (Fullaway, 1952) ...................................................... 29 Diachasmimorpha kraussii (Fullaway, 1951)..................................................... 32 Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead, 1905)............................................ 40 Diachasmimorpha tryoni (Cameron, 1911)........................................................ 46 Fopius arisanus (Sonan, 1932) ......................................................................... 50 Fopius deeralensis (Fullaway, 1950)................................................................. 62 Fopius ferrari Carmichael & Wharton ................................................................ 66 Fopius illusorius (Fischer, 1971)........................................................................ 69 Fopius schlingeri Wharton, 1999 ....................................................................... 76 v Fopius cf. vandenboschi.................................................................................... 80 Opius froggatti (Fullaway, 1950)........................................................................ 83 Psyttalia fijiensis (Fullaway, 1936)..................................................................... 86 Psyttalia muesebecki (Fischer, 1963)................................................................ 90 Psyttalia novaguineensis (Szépligeti, 1900)...................................................... 91 Utetes cf. albimanus.......................................................................................... 97 Utetes perkinsi (Fullaway, 1950) ....................................................................... 99 Chapter 4 Identification and Diagnostics ................................................................ 102 Introduction...................................................................................................... 102 Materials and Methods .................................................................................... 107 Results............................................................................................................. 112 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 124 Chapter 5 Taxonomy, Identification and Diagnostics ............................................. 127 Introduction & thesis summary ........................................................................ 127 Taxonomy, identification and diagnostics........................................................ 127 Changes in Taxonomy..................................................................................... 128 Progression of Identification ............................................................................ 130 Diagnostics in a digital age.............................................................................. 131 Communication and Collaboration .................................................................. 132 Chapter 6 Appendices............................................................................................ 134 Appendix