The Anagyrus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitoids of the obscure mealybug Pseudococcus viburni (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Spain, with description of a new species

The presence of three species of the genus Anagyrus Howard (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitizing the obscure mealybug Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in agricultural ecosystems of citrus, persimmon and ornamental plants from Eastern Spain is recorded. Anagyrus aligarhensis Agarwal & Alam is recorded for the first time as parasitoid on this mealybug. Anagyrus fusciventris (Girault) is a new record for Spain. Anagyrus borrianensis sp. nov., reared as a specific primary parasitoid of this mealybug, is described and illustrated. The joint presence of Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault) and Anagyrus vladimiri Triapitsyn on citrus crops is confirmed. A key to species of Anagyrus parasitoids of Planococcus and Pseudococcus mealybugs in Eastern Spain is provided

A new species of Acerophagus Smith (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Vieques Island, Puerto Rico (USA), parasitoid of the mealybug Hypogeococcus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

A new species of the genus Acerophagus Smith (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), A. belenaguirreae sp. n., is described from Vieques Island, Puerto Rico (USA) as a primary parasitoid of the mealybug Hypogeococcus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on Achyranthesaspera var. aspera (Amaranthaceae) and Portulaca sp. (Portulacaceae). An identification key to females of Acerophagus species in the New World with dark cross bands on the gastral dorsum is provided. A lectotype is designated for Acerophagus californicus Rosen, which is illustrated.

Larvae of Megaselia Róndani, 1856 (Diptera: Phoridae) as parasitoid of Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) and its frugivory on avocado

The members of the family Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera), whose adults are commonly known as scuttle fly or humpbacked fly, differ widely as to their feeding habits in the larval and adult stages. Dipteran larvae of Megaselia Róndani, 1856 (Diptera: Phoridae) vary considerably in feeding habits. The results of this study confirm the parasitic and frugivorous habits of Megaselia larvae. Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866) behaved as primary parasitoid of Isognathus caricae (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) larvae in confinement using cage under laboratory conditions. It is also the first time the frugivorous habit of M. scalaris larvae is recorded in ripe fruits of the avocado tree (Persea americana, Lauraceae) under field conditions.

A molecular detection approach for a cotton aphid-parasitoid complex in northern China

Aphid-parasitoid interactions have been widely used as a model system in research studies on the structure and functions of arthropod food web. Research on aphid-parasitoid food webs is hindered by their micromorphological characteristics and the high amount of labor associated with their development. Species-specific primers for cotton aphids and their parasitoids were designed and integrated into two multiplex PCRs and six singleplex PCRs, and all PCRs were optimized to achieve high specificity and sensitivity (100–10,000 DNA copies). One cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) as well as three primary parasitoid and seven hyperparasitoid species or genera were detected using this molecular approach. This group comprises all the primary parasitoids and 97.2–99.6% of the hyperparasitoids reported in cotton fields in northern China. A tritrophic aphid-primary parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food web was then established. The described method constitutes an efficient tool for quantitatively describing the aphid-primary parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food webs and assessing the efficiency of the biological control of parasitoids in cotton fields in northern China.

Mesopolobus incultus auct. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) contains two distinct species: Mesopolobus incultus (Walker, 1834) and Mesopolobus amyntor (Walker, 1845)

Mesopolobus incultus auct. is hypothesized to consist of twodifferent species, M. amyntor (Walker) and M. incultus (Walker). This hypothesis is supported bymolecular(cytochromec oxidase subunit I, i.e. COI), morphological and biologicaldata.Mesopolobus amyntor is a primary parasitoid of Mecinus pascuorum (Gyllenhal) and M. labilis (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Plantago lanceolata. Mesopolobus incultus is a primary parasitoid of Protapion fulvipes (Geoffroy) (Coleoptera: Apionidae) on Trifolium repens and T. pratense, and hasalso been inferred to act as a secondary parasitoid (hyperparasitoid) of Spintherus dubius (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) or Bruchophagus gibbus (Boheman) (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae). The results of this study lead to following nomenclatural changes: M. amyntor is removed from synonymy under M. incultus, and Pteromalus urgo, P. belesis and P. berecynthos, all described by Walker, are synonymized under M. amyntor. The species are diagnosed with characters illustrated.

Retraction: Barczak T, Debek-Jankowska A, Bennewicz J. Primary parasitoid and hyperparasitoid guilds (Hymenoptera) of grain aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) in northern Poland. Arch Biol Sci. 2015;67(2):695-703, DOI:10.2298/ABS140915038B

Due to a printing error the same paper has been published in the Archives of Biological Sciences Volume 66, Issue 3, 2014, DOI: 10.2298/ABS1403141B. We apologize to the readers of the journal. <br><br><font color="red"><b> Link to the retracted article <u><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/ABS140915038B">10.2298/ABS140915038B</a></b></u>

Primary parasitoid and hyperparasitoid guilds (hymenoptera) of grain aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) in northern Poland

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the guilds of parasitic Hymenoptera associated with the grain aphid on rye and winter wheat in northern Poland. Of the seven species of primary parasitoids (Braconidae: Aphidiinae, Aphelinidae), parasitizing colonies of Sitobion avenae, the most numerous and most frequently occurring, included Praon volucre, Aphidius ervi and Aphidius uzbekistanicus. Primary parasitoids of grain aphids were largely eliminated by hyperparasitoids, mostly of the families Megaspilidae (Dendrocerus carpenteri), Figitidae-Alloxystini (Alloxysta spp. and Phaenoglyphis villosa) and Pteromalidae (Pachyneuron aphidis, Asaphes vulgaris, Coruna clavata), but D. carpenteri and Alloxysta spp. belonged to dominants and subdominants, respectively. <br><br><font color="red"><b> This article has been retracted. Link to the retraction <u><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/ABS150806086E">10.2298/ABS150806086E</a><u></b></font>