Parasitic hymenoptera reared from the insects on Heracleum platytaenium Boiss. (Apiaceae) with new faunistic and biological records

Abstract

Some parasitic hymenopterans were reared from their host insects found on the stems and branches of Heracleum platytaenium Boiss., which contains furanocoumarins that are insect repellents and suppress growth in some species. Plant materials with insects were collected from the vicinity of Ki{dotless}zi{dotless}lcahamam in Ankara Province in July-September 2008. The parasitoids (Hymenoptera) and their hosts were Didyctium brunnea (Belizin) (Eucolidae) from puparia of Lasiambia albidipennis (Strobl) (Diptera: Chloropidae), Pronotalia carlinarum (Szelenyi & Erdos) (Eulophidae) and Homoporus febriculosus (Girault) (Pteromalidae) from puparia of Melanagromyza heracleana Zlobin (Diptera: Agromyzidae), and Baryscapus crassicornis (Erdos) (Eulophidae) from larvae, pupae, and adults of Lixus nordmanni Hochhuth (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The hole(s) or cutting types done by the parasitoids while leaving their hosts were described. Development time from egg to adult (12 days and 19-20 days) and parasitization duration (60 min and 20-30 min) were also determined for P. carlinarum and B. crassicornis, respectively, and average parasitization rates in nature and the mating behaviors of these 2 parasitoids were defined. To our knowledge, the insects are new hosts for all parasitoids and the first parasitoid records for the flies. Chloropidae is a new record host family for D. brunnea aft er Phoridae. In addition, D. brunnea and H. febriculosus were recorded from Turkey for the first time. © TÜBİTAK.