Neotropical Entomology ISSN: 1519-566X journal homepage: www.scielo.br/ne SCIENTIFIC NOTE First Report of Elasmus polisƟ s Burks (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) Recovered from Polistes versicolor (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Nests in Brazil C DÊÙ¥ù, A KÏ«½Ù Lab de Entomologia, Univ de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brasil Keywords Abstract Eulophinae, parasiƟ sm, PolisƟ nae The irst record of Elasmus polistis Burks in Polistes versicolor Correspondence (Olivier) nests in the Rio Grande do Sul state and in Brazil is provided. C°½® DÊÙ¥ù, Lab de Entomologia, Univ de A total of 173 specimens of P. versicolor and 790 specimens of E. Santa Cruz do Sul, Av. Independência, 2293, polistis were collected from two nests from Gramado and Santa Cruz sala 1509, 96815-900, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, do Sul, RS, Brazil. Brasil; [email protected] Edited by Fernando B Noll – UNESP Received 26 August 2010 and accepted 05 December 2010 A recent reclassiication of Eulophidae based on molecular coloration of their bodies, while other species of Elasmus data and phylogenetic analyses has demonstrated that are predominantly dark-colored, and by biological Elasmidae must now be considered a tribe of Eulophidae peculiarities such as the creation of a transversal (Gauthier et al 2000). In such way, the only normally partition in the host cell composed by light brown to recognized genus of Elasmidae, Elasmus, is now classiied black pellets around the inner sides of the cell. This as pertaining to Eulophinae, tribe Elasmini, representing partition seals off the parasite from the host remains about 200 described species (Noyes 1998). Elasmus is preventing contamination from Polistes meconia and cosmopolitan in distribution, although most abundant body remnants (Reed & Vinson 1979, Gumovsky et al in the Old World tropics, and species are characterized 2007). by their small size (hardly bigger than 1-3 mm), brown Elasmus sp. has been registered in several states or black to yellow body coloration, widened hind coxae, of Brazil, such as Mato Grosso, São Paulo and Ceará, and hind tibia with waved lines or patterns in diamond but records of species parasitizing hymenopterans shape. are available only for Elasmus languidus De Santis on Elasmus are in their majority parasitoids of Apanteles galleriae Wilkinson (Braconidae) in São Lepidoptera, although some Hymenoptera, particularly Paulo (De Santis 1980), Elasmus maculatus Howard on Braconidae and Ichneumonidae, are also recorded Apanteles americanus Lepeletier (De Santis 1979), A. as hosts (Gibson 1993). There is also a group of ϔlaviventris Cresson, A. leucostigmus Ashmead (Thompson species described as parasitoids of Polistes wasps 1954), Iphiaulax sp. (Braconidae) (Herting 1977) and (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), such as Elasmus schmitti Psychidosmicra sp. (Chalcididae) (De Santis 1979) in Ruschka and Elasmus biroi Erdös in Western Europe, Ceará hosts. Elasmus japonicus Ashmed in eastern Paleartic, and In here, we irst report the occurrence of Elasmus Elasmus polistis Burks in North America. These species polistis Burks in nests of Polistes versicolor (Olivier) in of Elasmus are characterized by the intense yellow Brazil and in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. This is also Neotrop Entomol 40(4): 515-516 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil 515 Elasmus polisƟ s ParasiƟ zing PolisƟ s versicolor Dorfey & Köhler the irst record of E. polistis on a Polistes species in South References America. Elasmus polistis is a gregarious prepupal or pupal parasitoid which builds a visible black partition De Santis L (1979) Catálogo de los himénopteros calcidoideos de in Polistes cells (Nelson 1976). Elasmus polistis is also América al sur de los Estados Unidos. Buenos Aires, Publicación reported as a parasitoid of several other Polistes species, Especial Comisión de Investigaciones Cientiicas Provincia de Polistes exclamans Viereck, P. annularis (L.) and P. fuscatus Buenos Aires, 304p. (F.), P. major (Beauvois), P. metricus Say (Reed & Vinson De Santis L (1980) Catalogo de los himenopteros brasilenos de la 1979) and P. dorsalis (F.) (Macom & Landolt 1995), all in serie Parasitica incluyendo Bethyloidea. Curitiba, Editora da North America. There were no records on the occurrence Universidade Federal do Paraná, 169p. of E. polistis associated with any Polistes species up until Gauthier N, LaSalle J, Quicke DLJ, Godfray HCJ (2000) Phylogeny of now in South America. Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with reclassiication Nests in pre and post emergence stage were collected of Eulophinae and the recognition that Elasmidae are derived from all over the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, as part eulophids. Syst Entomol 25: 521-539. of a state survey on the fauna of wasps and conditioned Gibson GAP (1993) Family Elasmidae, p.626. In Goulet H, Huber in a plastic recipient covered with nylon net on top for JT (eds) Hymenoptera of the World: an identiication guide adult emergence. Specimens of Elasmus were observed to families, Ottawa, Research Branch Agriculture Canada in two of the nests collected. The irst Polistes nest was Publication 1894/E, 668p. collected in the municipality of Gramado, RS, Brazil, on Gumovsky A, Rusina L, Firman L (2007) Bionomics and morphological March 18, 2006 in a masonry house in the east region of and molecular characterization of Elasmus schmitti and the city, yielding 164 specimens of P. versicolor and 509 Baryscapus elasmi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae), of E. polistis (440 females and 69 males). A second nest parasitoids associated with a paper wasp, Polistes dominulus was collected in Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil, on March (Vespoidea, Vespidae). Entomol Sci 10: 21-34. 24, 2007 also in a masonry in the central region of the city, yielding nine adults of P. versicolor and 281 specimens of Herting B (1977) Hymenoptera. A catalogue of parasites and predators of terrestrial arthropods. Section A. Host or prey/ E. polistis (239 females and 42 males). enemy. 4. Canada, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. The specimens of Elasmus collected were deposited in Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, 206p. the Entomological Collection of Unisc (CESC), and some were sent to Dr. Alex Gumovski, Schmalhausen Institute Macom TE, Landolt PJ (1995) Elasmus polistis (Hymenoptera: of Zoology, Ukraine, who identiied the specimens as Eulophidae) recovered from nests of Polistes dorsalis Elasmus polistis, and indicated the specimens collected (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Florida. Fla Entomol 78: 612-614. in South Brazil show little intraspeciic variation from Nelson JM (1976) Elasmus polistis Burks (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) specimens of E. polistis collected from North America reported in Oklahoma. Proc Okla Acad Sci 56: 55. and Hawaii. Noyes JS (1998) Catalogue of the Chalcidoidea of the World, Therefore, this is the irst record of E. polistis Biodiversity catalogue database and image library CDroom parasitizing P. versicolor in South America, Brazil and in series, ETI Biodiversity Center, Amsterdam. the Rio Grande do Sul State, adding information about Reed HC, Vinson SB (1979) Observations of the life history and the relationship between these two species. behavior of Elasmus polistis Burks (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae). J Kans Entomol Soc 52: 247-257. Acknowledgments Thompson WR (1954) A catalogue of the parasites and predators of insect pests, Section 2, Host parasite catalogue. Ottawa, The authors thank Dr. Alex Gumovski from the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Commonwealth Institute Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Ukraine, for assistance of Biological Control, 227p. in the identiication of specimens of Elasmus polistis. 516 Neotrop Entomol 40(4): 515-516 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.