Development of microsporidia-infected Muscidifurax raptor (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) at different temperatures

Muscididfurax raptor, a pupal parasitoid of house flies and other filth flies, is commonly infected with the microsporidium Nosema muscidifuracis. To determine the effects of infection on developmental time, uninfected and infected adult M. raptor were allowed to parasitize pupae of the house fly (Musca domestica) for 24 h. Exposed pupae of the two groups (infected and uninfected) were held at 15, 20, 25, 30, 32, and 34 °C with 75–80% relative humidity. Development of infected M. raptor was significantly longer at all temperatures than that of uninfected parasitoids, resulting in approximately 7% extensions of developmental times. Uninfected females completed development in 14.6, 19.6, and 30.4 days at 30, 25, and 20 °C, respectively, compared with 15.8, 20.7, and 32.3 days for infected females at these temperatures. The differences in developmental times provided narrow windows for isolating large proportions of uninfected M. raptor females for disease management programs. This window was greatest at 20 °C; 61% of the uninfected females emerged by day 30, at which time only 10% of the infected females had emerged.     

Competition between the filth fly parasitoids Muscidifurax raptor and M. raptorellus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Competition bioassays were conducted with the filth fly pupal parasitoids Muscidurax raptor (Girault & Sanders) and M. raptorellus (Kogan & Legner) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) using house fly Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) hosts at different host densities. Muscidifurax raptor had a significant impact on M. raptorellus when hosts were limiting in sequential parasitism tests. Fewer than six M. raptorellus adult progeny emerged from groups of 50 fly pupae that were parasitized by M. raptor at the same time or when M. raptor parasitism preceded M. raptorellus by 48 h, respectively, compared with 42–55 M. raptorellus progeny produced when this species was tested alone. Production of M. raptor was significantly lower when parasitism by this species was preceded by M. raptorellus (25) than when M. raptor was tested alone (43). When the two species parasitized hosts at the same time in different proportions at low host:parasitoid densities (5:1), M. raptorellus produced 13 progeny per parent female when it was the sole species present and fewer than two when M. raptor was present. No negative impact of M. raptorellus on M. raptor was observed. Neither species had a substantial effect on the success of the other at higher host:parasitoid densities.     

Pupal parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) of muscoid filth flies in Israel

Pupal parasitoids of muscoid flies were collected monthly on three farms in southern Israel in preparation for an IPM programme for the control of filth-breeding flies. 50% and 25.5% of viable puparia collected during 1985 and 1986/87, respectively, were parasitized. Three species of Spalangia Latreille and two species of Muscidifurax Girault & Saunders (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) accounted for 82.0% and 94.2% of parasitoids recovered in the two seasons. Variation in the seasonal abundance and distribution of the leading parasite species are discussed in connection with their conservation and possible use for augmentative releases within IPM projects.     

The Influence of Host Species on Some Biological and Behavioural Aspects of Dibrachys boarmiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Parasitoid of Kermania pistaciella (Lepidoptera: Tineidae)

Dibrachys boarmiae was recently found as a parasitoid of the pistachio twig borer moth, Kermania pistaciella, an important pistachio pest in Iran. Several biological and behavioural aspects of the wasp were studied under controlled conditions using three different lepidopterous host species, K. pistaciella, Sitotroga cerealella and Galleria mellonella. Development time from egg to adult decreases from 54 days at 15°C to 12.6 days at 32.5°C. The thermal constant was estimated 270°D, and the lower development threshold was at 9.9°C. Longevity of females that had the opportunity to oviposit and access to food (honey) was on average 23 days, and 134 offspring were produced during 13 days of oviposition. Ninety percent of ovipositions occur during the first 10 days of the parasitoid's life, although no pre-oviposition period was found. If females were deprived of food, longevity as well as fecundity, were drastically reduced to 8 days and only 79 offspring respectively. Females were able to mate immediately after emergence and the sex ratio of the progeny was strongly female biased on all examined hosts, especially on the largest host G. mellonella (0.08 male). When females were kept with a male throughout their life, the total number of progeny decreased to 92 wasps on average but the sex ratio was unaffected. The parasitoid significantly preferred to attack the pre-pupal stage, and this influenced the size of clutches allocated to different host stages. The parasitoid laid larger clutches on bigger hosts.     

Hyperparasitism in a Generalist Ectoparasitic Pupal Parasitoid,Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), on Its Own Conspecifics: When the Lack of Resource Lead to Cannibalism

Hyperparasitism is a normal behavior of parasitoids, which often happens among species. Conspecific hyperparasitism, such as some kinds of heteronomous hyperparasitic behaviors, has been only reported in some species belonging to Aphelinidae. In this article, the conspecific hyperparasitism of Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Pteromalidae) is reported, with Drosophila puparia as hosts. Hosts were exposed to P. vindemmiae females twice to parasitism with nine, twelve, and fifteen day intervals between the two exposures. None of the infested hosts emerged more than one offspring, and emergence of parasitoid offspring occurred in two obvious events, synchronously with the exposure time intervals, which suggested that offspring emerging during the first and second events would come from the primary and secondary parasitoids, respectively, and the inference with the developmental duration of offspring also indicated this. With two P. vindemmiae strains that could be identified by a simple sequence repeat marker, the above speculation of the origin of those offspring emerging during the two events was confirmed. Dissection of hosts exposed twice revealed a cannibalism behavior of larvae from the secondary foundresses on the primary conspecific pupae. Our results suggested a conspecific hyperparasitism behavior of the secondary parasitoids on the primary conspecifics. Measures showed a reduced body size for the adults from the conspecific hyperparasitism. Foundresses from the conspecific hyperparasitism had less fitness variables than those from primary parasitism, with shorter longevity, less life time fecundity, lower values of infestation degree, and lower success rate of parasitism. However, when the parasitoids from the conspecific hyperparasitism met healthy Drosophila puparia, their offspring would recover to normal size. Frequency of the conspecific hyperparasitism behavior enhanced with the decreasing of proportion of healthy hosts in the oviposition patch. The conspecific hyperparasitism of P. vindemmiae on the primary conspecifics would be helpful to last the population when healthy hosts are absent in the oviposition patch.     

Early season dispersal of Muscidifurax zaraptor (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) utilizing freeze-killed housefly pupae as hosts

The pteromalid wasp, Muscidifurax zaraptor Kogan and Legner, was released at three locations at a dairy in May before housefly and stable fly breeding had begun. Freeze-killed housefly pupae were placed adjacent to the emerging parasites at biweekly intervals for a 6-week period. Hosts placed out weeks 0 and 2 were heavily parasitized. Decreased parasitism in hosts placed out at week 4 suggested that many of the M. zaraptor had dispersed or died. High parasitism of hosts placed in the field at week 6 was the result of second generation parasites emerging from pupae placed out at week 0. Parasitism of freeze-killed housefly pupae placed 6 m and in the four cardinal directions from the release points was similar but lower than for hosts placed adjacent to the emerging parasites. The study demonstrated that emerging M. zaraptor readily utilized nearby freeze-killed housefly pupae but the availability of these hosts did not deter the parasites from searching for additional hosts.     

Microsporidia of the Genus Trachipleistophora—Causative Agents of Human Microsporidiosis: Description of Trachipleistophora anthropophthera N. Sp. (Protozoa: Microsporidia)

Trachipleistophora anthropophthera n. sp., was found at autopsy in the brain of one and in the brain, kidneys, pancreas, thyroid, parathyroid, heart, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow of a second patient with AIDS. The parasite is similar to the recently described T. hominis Hollister, Canning, Weidner, Field. Kench and Marriott, 1996, in having isolated nuclei, meronts with a thick layer of electron dense material on the outer face of their plasmalemma and sporogony during which spores are formed inside a thick-walled sporophorous vesicle. In contrast to T. hominis , this species is dimorphic as it forms two kinds of sporophorous vesicles and spores: Type I-round to oval polysporous sporophorous vesicle. 7-10 μm in size, usually with eight spores (3.7 × 2.0 μm), thick endospores, subterminal anchoring disc and anisofilar polar filaments forming seven thicker and two thinner terminal coils. This type of sporophorous vesicle is associated with 25-30 nm filaments extending into the host cell cytoplasm. Type II—smaller, bisporous sporophorous vesicle (4-5 times 2.2-2.5 μm) with two, nearly round, thin-walled spores, 2.2-2.5 × 1.8-2.0 μm in size, having 4-5 isofilar coils. No outside filamentous elements are associated with the bisporous sporophorous vesicle. Both types of sporophorous vesicles were common in the infected brain tissue and could be found within the same cell. The newly described species, together with T. hominis and previously reported Pleistophora -like parasites from human muscle, likely represent a group of closely related human microsporidia.     

小腹茧蜂亚科一新种记述及一新组合(膜翅目:茧蜂科)

记述小腹茧蜂亚科Microgastrinae湿小腹茧蜂属Hygroplitis Thomson 1新种：黔湿小腹茧蜂Hygroplitis nigrita Luo et You,sp．nov．,并提山沟腹茧蜂属Diolcogaster Ashmead 1新组合：赵氏沟腹茧蜂Diolcogaster chaoi(Luo et You)。模式标本保存住贵州师范大学地理与生物科学学院。     

阔柄跳小蜂属一新种及二中国新记录种记述（膜翅目：跳小蜂科）

记述采自中国东北地区的阔柄跳小蜂属1新种及2中国新记录种。新种长索阔柄跳小蜂Metaphycus longifuniculus,sp.nov.育自辽宁省普兰店槲栎Quercus alien上的栎绛蚧Kermes sp.;纯黄阔柄跳小蜂Metaphycusalbopleuralis(Ashmead)育自黑龙江省哈尔滨市糖戚盔蚧Parthenolecaniumcorni(Bouche)、槐花球蚧Eulecanium kuwanai(Kanda)和吉林省长春市榆树上的1种蚧虫;软蚧阔柄跳小蜂Metaphycus insidiosus(Mercet)育自黑龙江省尚志市刺五加上的1种软蚧。模式标本保存于东北林业大学昆虫标本室。     

Host Age Response in the Parasitoid Wasp Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Female Spalangia cameroni produced more offspring from younger house fly pupae, both when given a choice of host ages and when not given a choice. Host age did not affect offspring survivorship. Offspring were larger when they had developed on younger hosts and the effect was independent of offspring sex. Having previously parasitized old hosts versus young hosts did not reduce a female's production of offspring in subsequent hosts. Females distinguished between young and old hosts both in the light and in the dark. Females did not distinguish between host ages prior to physical contact with the host but could distinguish by the time they first began exploring a host by tapping it with their antennae; thus, they could distinguish before drilling into a host.     

Olfactory Associative Learning of the Pupal Parasitoid Pimpla luctuosa Smith (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the role of learning in olfactory host searching by the ichneumonid pupal parasitoid, Pimpla luctuosa Smith. Females learned to associate novel odors such as vanilla and strawberry with hosts when they oviposited in at least several hosts with the odors. Repeated experiences of hosts with an odor increased the response of the experienced odor, and females that had experienced host odor seven times responded to the experienced odors 90% of the time. Although the response by females to a learned odor gradually decreased with increasing host-deprivation time, 60% of the females that had experienced host odor 7 days earlier still responded to the experienced odor. Females also learned two separate odors associated with hosts at a time and responded to both odors without a preference for one odor over the other. When trained two separate odors with hosts, females learned the second odor more quickly than the first odor. After females experienced several stings in simulated hosts with the previously learned odor, they ceased to respond to the learned odor, suggesting that repeated unrewarding experiences cause females to cease to respond to the learned odors.     

抑虱跳小蜂属一新种记述(膜翅目:跳小蜂科)

记述了采自福建的抑虱跳小蜂属AcerophagusSmith1新种——二环抑虱跳小蜂AcerophagusbiannulatusXu,sp.nov.。对我国现有二种抑虱跳小蜂,即棒节抑虱跳小蜂AcerophagusclavatusXu和松粉蚧抑虱跳小蜂AcerophaguscoccoisSmith比较了区别特征。模式标本保存在浙江大学昆虫科学研究所。     

Description of Rhynchopus euleeides n. sp. (Diplonemea), a free-living marine euglenozoan

We describe Rhynchopus euleeides n. sp., using light and electron microscopy. This free-living flagellate, which was isolated earlier from a marine habitat, can be grown axenically in a rich medium based on modified seawater. In the trophic stage, cells are predominantly elliptical and laterally flattened, but frequently change their shape (metaboly). Gliding is the predominant manner of locomotion. The two flagella, which are typically concealed in their pocket, are short stubs of unequal length, have conventional axonemes, but apparently lack a paraxonemal rod. Swarmer cells, which form only occasionally, are smaller in size and carry two conspicuous flagella of more than 2 times the body length. Cells are decorated with a prominent apical papillum. Both the flagellar pocket and the adjacent feeding apparatus seem to merge together into a single sub-apical opening. The mitochondrion, which is most likely single, is located peripherally. It is reticulated in shape and contains only a few lamellar cristae. Mitochondrial DNA is abundant and evenly distributed throughout the organelle. Morphological synapomorphies confirm the affiliation of the species with the genus Rhynchopus (Diplonemea, Euglenozoa). We discuss the characters that distinguish Rhynchopus from Diplonema corroborating the validity of the two genera.     

长尾小蜂属二新种(膜翅目:长尾小蜂科)

记述采自新疆皮山和甘肃文县的长尾小蜂属Torymus Dalman 2新种：宽翅长尾小蜂Torymus latialatus,sp．nov．和甘肃长尾小蜂Torymus gansuensis,sp．nov．。模式标本保存在浙江大学应用昆虫学研究所。     

四节金小蜂科在我国的首次发现并记述一新种(膜翅目:小蜂总科)

四节金小蜂科Tetracampidae是小蜂总科中的1个小科。1968年统计,全世界只有2亚科6属18种(Boucek and Askew,1968)。1971年,苏联的Sugonjaev根据在蒙古和苏联的哈萨克加盟共和国采到的标本描述了3新属1新亚科。Boucek于1988年又记述了澳大利亚的1个新属。这样,四节金小蜂科现在共包括3亚科10属31种(不含化石种)。我国迄今还未见有本科昆虫分布的报道。     

中国翠金小蜂属分类研究及一新种记述（膜翅目：金小蜂科）

对中国翠金小蜂属Tritneptis Girault,1908进行了分类研究,共记述3种,包括1新种:类乌齐翠金小蜂Tritneptis riwoqensis JiaoXiao sp.nov.。提供了形态描述、分布和形态特征图,以及该属中国纪录种的分种检索表。研究标本保存于中国科学院动物研究所动物标本馆。     

伊朗八种跳小蜂及一新种记述（膜翅目：小蜂总科）

报道由伊朗设拉子大学农学院采集饲出的与林木害虫有关的７属８种寄生蜂,它们均属膜翅目小蜂总科、跳小蜂科,扬与林木介壳虫有关的Ａｎａｇｙｒｕｓ ｐｓｅｕｄｏｃｏｃｃｉ,Ｃｈｅｉｌｏｎｅｒｒｕｓ ｃｅｒｏｐｌａｓｉｔｓ,Ｄｕｓｍｅｔｉａ ｆａｓｃｉｐｅｎｎｉｓ,Ｈｏｍａｌｏｔｙｌｕｓ ｅｐｈｉｐｐｉｕｍ,与草蛉有关的Ｉｓｏｄｒｏｍｕｓ ａｔｒｉｖｅｎｔｒｉｓ,Ｉｓｏｄｒｍｕｓ ｃｏｌｌｉｍａｃｕｌａｔｕ     

Taxonomic review of Afrotropical Watshamia Bouček (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), with description of a new species

Watshamia Bou?ek, 1974 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has three known world species described by Bou?ek: W. versicolor and W. turneri (Afrotropical), and W. malaica (Oriental). In this paper, Watshamia gero sp. nov. is described from Kenya. It is the only known species in which females have hyaline fore wings. Wing interference pattern (WIP) is used for the first time in the taxonomy of Pteromalidae as a differential feature. An illustrated key to females and males of Afrotropical Watshamia is given and the first indications of the biology of the Afrotropical species are presented. Watshamia versicolor is newly reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo.     

长尾小蜂属Torymus二新种记述(膜翅目:长尾小蜂科)

记述采自浙江、江苏、福建和贵州的长尾小蜂属Torymus Dalman 2新种：浙江长尾小蜂Torymus zhejiangensis,sp．nov．和斑翅长尾小蜂Torymus maculatus．sp．nov．。模式标本保存在浙江大学农业与生物技术学院应用昆虫研究所。