Release of phylogenetic constraints through low resource heterogeneity: the case of gall-inducing sawflies

Abstract. 1. A group of six unusual sawfly species, which do not conform to the phylogenetic constraints hypothesis as it has been applied to sawflies, was examined in natural populations. All species were in the genus Pontania (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), which induce galls on leaves of willow species (Salicaceae). An understanding of these non‐conformist species was important as a test of the validity of the general hypothesis. 2. The six species of sawfly, Pontania mandshurica, P. cf. arcticornis, P. aestiva, P. arcticornis, P. pacifica, and P. nr. pacifica, showed no oviposition preference for long, vigorous shoots, in contrast to 37 documented tenthredinid species that have demonstrated such a preference. Rather, the non‐conformist species attacked the shortest shoot length classes more frequently and larval establishment in galls was successful. 3. The evident escape from the phylogenetic constraint, which commonly limits sawfly attack to the most vigorous shoots in a willow population, resulted from low apparent heterogeneity of the resources exploited by these Pontania species. At the time of female oviposition, shoots and leaves were too uniform to allow discrimination by females among shoot length classes, resulting in random, or near random attack of shoots. 4. The unusual relative uniformity of resources to which sawflies were exposed resulted from several characteristics. (1) Females emerged early relative to shoot growth phenology, making discrimination among shoot length and vigour difficult or impossible. (2) Low heterogeneity in leaf length resulted in resource similarity independent of shoot length. (3) Abscission of leaves occurred after emergence of larvae from leaf galls so that differential abscission of leaves in relation to shoot length became irrelevant. (4) In some cases, low variance in shoot lengths was evident in old ramets lacking long, vigorous shoots. Probably as a result of low resource heterogeneity, larvae survived well across all shoot length classes, revealing no ovipositional preference and larval performance linkage related to the exploitation of the longest shoot length classes in a population of willows, as in the conformist species. Therefore, larval survival did not provide positive feedback on female preferential behaviour for long shoots, as in the conformist species studied.     

华东叶蜂科两新属（膜翅目：叶蜂科）

本文记述采自福建和浙江的叶蜂科蔺叶蜂亚科两个新属新种：奇鞘叶蜂Songyuna thaumata gen.et sp.nov.和淡足猜唇叶蜂Yuccatia albipes gen.et sp.nov.     

Species of the genus Mastrus Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of China with descriptions of two new species parasitizing sawflies (Hymenoptera)

Four species of Mastrus Förster, 1869 are reported from China. Two, Mastrus nigrus Sheng & Zeng, sp. n. reared from Arge pullata (Zaddach) and Mastrus rugotergalis Sheng & Zeng, sp. n. reared from Diprion jingyuanensis Xiao & Zhang, are new to science. One, Mastrus deminuens (Hartig, 1838), is a parasitoid of Pachynematus itoi Okutani. A key to species of Mastrus Förster known in China is provided.     

中国斑栉叶蜂属研究及二新种(膜翅目,叶蜂科)

记述中国叶蜂科、蔺叶蜂亚科、斑栉叶蜂属2新种,白股斑栉叶蜂Brykella albofemorata sp.nov.和大斑栉叶蜂B.magna sp.nov.。提供了栉爪叶蜂族Anisoarthrini分属检索表,描述了斑栉叶蜂属属征,编制了斑栉叶蜂属分种检索表。     

Influence of phenolglucosides and trichome density on the distribution of insects herbivores on willows

The effects of both trichome density and phenolglucoside content of leaves of 76 willow hybrids (Salix alba x fragilis) were measured to estimate their influence on the distribution of Phratora vitellinae (L.), Plagiodera versicolora Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Pontania proxima (Lepeletier 1823) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in a nursery at Gramont, Belgium.The willows showed differences in their phenolglucoside content and pilosity of leaves and are classified on these basis into four groups by a clustering method. Correlations and multiple regressions showed that these chemical and physical characteristics are good predictors of the abundance of insects. First, the abundance of larvae of Ph. vitellinae, adults of Pl. versicolora and galls of P. proxima is correlated positively with a high phenolglucoside content and a low pilosity of the leaves. Secondly, the distribution of adults of Ph. vitellinae and of larvae of Pl. versicolora is influenced by neither the chemical nor the physical leaves characteristics studied.     

中国潜叶蜂族研究(膜翅目:叶蜂科)(英文)

本文记述了中国潜叶蜂族Fenusini 8属14种,其中新种8种:金眼榉潜叶蜂Profenusa chrysichloritasp. nov.、中华拟潜叶蜂Nefusa sinica sp.nov.、短距拟潜叶蜂Nefusa brevis sp.nov.、四川昧潜叶蜂Metallus sichuanensis sp.nov.、王氏昧潜叶蜂Metallus wangi sp.nov.、马氏昧潜叶蜂Metallus mai sp.nov.、大室缅潜叶蜂Birmella discoidalisa sp.nov.、北京舌潜叶蜂Okutanius pekingensis sp.nov.;中国新记录种3种:日本榉潜叶蜂Profenusa hirashima Togashi、榆潜叶蜂Fenusa pusilla(Lepel.)、金露梅小潜叶蜂Fenella monilicornis Thomson。本文所记述各属除缅潜叶蜂属Birmindia Malaise和丝潜叶蜂属Messa Leach以外均为中国新记录属。新种均附有形态特征图,并编制了潜叶蜂族中国已知属检索表和各属中国已知种类或世界种类检索表。模式标本均保存于中国科学院动物研究所昆虫标本馆。     

Are galling insects better protected against parasitoids than exposed feeders?: a test using tenthredinid sawflies

ABSTRACT.

• 1 Data mostly from the published literature were used to assess the effect of galling on the number of parasitoid species per host species in the phylogeny of nematine sawflies from free external feeders (colonial and solitary) to leaf gallers and shoot gallers.
• 2 The strongest effects of galling were the total elimination of the species-rich cocoon-attacking guild of parasitoids, and eonymphal parasitoids, from the parasitoid community on shoot gallers, all of which are in the genus Euura.
• 3 All tachinid larval parasitoids were also eliminated by the galling habit.
• 4 The cumulative effects of these exclusions resulted in a decline in mean number of parasitoid species per host species from almost sixteen species on external colonial feeders to 4.0 species on shoot gallers.
• 5 General patterns in per cent parasitism by non-tachinid and tachinid larval parasitoids, eonymphal and cocoon parasitoids, on exposed feeders to shoot gallers, showed declines in non-tachinid attack and elimination of tachinid, eonymphal and cocoon parasitoids. But leaf gallers tended to be attacked more than exposed feeders by non-tachinid larval parasitoids.
• 6 The galling habit had a long-term impact by reducing the number of parasitoid species attacking nematine sawfly gallers and per cent mortality inflicted, so that natural enemies may have been important as a selective factor in the evolution of galling nematine sawflies.

     

Prediction of flight of apple sawfly, Hoplocampa testudinea, using temperature sums

A method to predict the beginning of the flight of apple sawfly, Hoplocampa testudinea (Klug) (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae) is presented. Adults were monitored during 8 years at the experimental orchard De Schuilenburg, Kesteren, The Netherlands, with visual sticky traps. Temperature sums, accumulated until the day of the first capture of sawfly, were calculated for different starting dates of the summations. Beginning on 1 January, variation of the temperature sums, calculated in each of 8 years, decreased when later starting dates for temperature summation were chosen, reaching a minimum on 1 April for soil temperatures (–5 cm). The soil temperature sum, accumulated from 1 April until the first capture, was on average 134 day-degrees above a threshold of 4 °C. So this was the most suitable starting date to predict the beginning of sawfly flight activity. As use of the summation method based on air temperatures is in practice more appropriate for timing of trap installation by extension services and apple growers, trap deployment is recommended at an adapted value of 157 day-degrees from 15 March.