C. B. Margaría et al.: Parasitoid Wasp Inostemma striaticornu in Argentina

Abstract — Some species of the genus Inostemma have been recorded in pests associ-

ated with numerous botanical families, the current work records the presence of the men-

tioned parasitoid in an area of high plant diversity in La Plata, Argentina. The parasitoid wasp

Inostemma striaticornu Buhl (Platygastrinae) is mentioned for the first time in the country in

bell pepper crops.

Keywords: Platygastrid, La Plata, geographical distribution.

Resumen — Algunas especies del género Inostemma han sido registradas en plagas

asociadas a numerosas familias botánicas, aquí se registra la presencia del parasitoide en

un área con gran diversidad vegetal en La Plata, Argentina. Se cita por primera vez la avispa

parasitoide Inostemma striaticornu Buhl (Platygastrinae) en el país en cultivos de pimiento.

Palabras clave: Platigástridos, La Plata, distribución geográfica.

Avispa parasitoide Inostemma striaticornu Buhl (Hymenoptera:

Platygastridae) en cultivos de pimiento en Argentina

Cecilia B. Margaría

1,2

, Peter Neerup Buhl

, Daniel Alejandro Aquino

E. Mónica Ricci

Zoología Agrícola, Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Fo-

restales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 119, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

cmargaria@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar

Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque sin número, La Plata, Buenos

Aires, Argentina.

The Natural History Museum of Denmark, Zoological Museum, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Co-

penhagen, Denmark.

Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) (CONICET-UNLP). Boulevard 120 entre 60

y 64, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

ä Ref. bibliográfica: Margaría, C. B., Buhl, P. N., Aquino, D. A., Ricci, E. M. (2018). Parasitoid Wasp

Inostemma striaticornu Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) in Crops of Bell Pepper in Argentina. Acta

zoológica lilloana 62 (1): 42–46.

ä Recibido: 05/11/17 – Aceptado: 17/04/18

ä URL de la revista: http://actazoologica.lillo.org.ar

ä Algunos derechos reser vados. Esta obra está bajo una Licencia

Creative Commons Atribución – No Comercial – Sin Obra Derivada

4.0 Internacional.

D . O . I . : h t t p s : / / d o i . o r g / 1 0 . 3 0 5 5 0 / j . a z l / 2 0 1 8 . 6 2 . 1 / 5

Parasitoid Wasp Inostemma striaticornu Buhl (Hymenoptera:

Platygastridae) in Crops of Bell Pepper in Argentina

NOTA

Platygastroidea is the third largest super-

family in Hymenoptera, with approximately

5800 species grouped in 270 genera described

worldwide. In the Neotropical Region, about

420 species belonging to 90 genera have been

recorded (Arias Penna, 2002). In Argentina,

more than 80 species were recorded (Loiá-

cono, 1998; Loiácono et al.¸ 2002; Masner &

Huggert, 1989; Vlug, 1995). Platygastroidea

is represented by species in almost all regions

of the world with the exception of the polar

region. Phylogenetic analysis conducted by

Acta zoológica lilloana 62 (1): 42–46, 30 de junio 2018

Murphy et al. (2007) and Sharkey (2007) re-

sulted in the consideration of Scelionidae and

Platygastridae within the Platygastroidea fam-

ily, based on priority. This family contains five

subfamilies: Teleasinae, Telenominae, Sceli-

oninae, Sceliotrachelinae and Platygastrinae.

The first three subfamilies are exclusively egg

parasitoids, parasitizing eggs of Lepidoptera,

Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Embioptera, Cole-

optera, Odonata, Mantodea, Neuroptera and

spider eggs, mainly of the families Araneidae

and Theridiidae (Masner, 1976; Austin &

Field, 1997; Margaría, 2008; Margaría et al.,

2014). Platygastrinae are known to parasitize

eggs and early larval stages of Diptera (Ceci-

domyiidae), which are predominant in Chile

and New Zealand, while Sceliotrachelinae are

egg parasitoids of Coleoptera (Curculionidae

and Cerambycidae), Hemiptera (Flatidae)

and nymphs of whiteflies, aphids and scales

(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae, Pseudoccocidae,

Aphididae) (ICAR-NBAIR, 2016; Fernández

& Sharkey, 2006).

Within Platygastrinae, Inostemma Haliday

is cosmopolitan, with nine species recorded

in the Neotropical Region (Table 1). Samples

were collected on Asteraceae, Brassicaceae,

Caprifoliaceae, Ephedraceae, emerged from

galls of Brassicaceae, from larvae and pu-

pae of Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), and from

galls produced by Aphalaridae (Hemiptera)

and Cynipidae (Hymenoptera) (Johnson,

2004).

Since species of the genus Inostemma

have been reported in pests associated with

numerous botanical families, we aimed at

recording the presence of the parasitoid in

an area with high plant diversity in La Plata,

Argentina.

The site covers an area of 64 hectares with

a wide diversity of crops: extensive crops in-

cluding wheat (Triticum spp.), oat (Avena

spp.), corn (Zea mays L.), sorghum [Sorghum

bicolor (L.) Moench], and soybean [Glycine

max (L.) Merr.]; intensive protected crops,

namely, bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var.

Table 1. Neotropical species of the genus Inostemma Haliday. Geographical and biogeographi-

cal distribution, hosts, and references.

Tabla 1. Especies Neotropicales del género Inostemma Haliday. Distribución geográfica y bio-

geográfica, hospedadores y referencias.

I. bermudianum Buhl

I. bicornutum Ashmead

I. mendozanum Brèthes

I. microcerum Kieffer

& Jörgensen

I. noyesi Buhl

I. porteri Brèthes

I. rex Buhl

I. simillimum Ashmead

I. striaticornu Buhl

Inostemma

species

Warwick (Bermuda)

Saint Vincent

Mendoza (Argentina)

Chacras de Coria, Luján de

Cuyo, Mendoza (Argentina)

Trinidad

Río Blanco, Valparaíso,

Chile

Nova Teutonia (Brazil)

Saint Vincent

Isla de Coiba (Panamá)

Geographic al

distribution

Biogeograp hical

distribution

(subregion/province)

(Morrone, 2001)

Host Reference

Caribbean

Caribbean/Bahamas

Andean/Paramo

Puna/Prepuna

Andean/Paramo

Puna/Prepuna

Caribbean/Trinidad &

Tobago

Andean/Central Chilean

Parana/Parana Forest

Caribbean/Bahamas

Caribbean/West

Panamanian Isthmus

Contarinia ¿juniperina?

(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Unknown

Baccharis juncea (Lehm)

Desf. (Asteraceae)

Unknown

Buhl, 2011

Ashmead, 1894

Brèthes, 1910

Kieffer & Jörgensen,

1910

Buhl, 2011

Brèthes, 1918

Buhl, 2011

Ashmead, 1894

Buhl, 2002

C. B. Margaría et al.: Parasitoid Wasp Inostemma striaticornu in Argentina

annuum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.),

eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), and cab-

bage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.); open-

air crops, such as bell pepper, pumpkin (Cu-

curbita pepo L.), and sweet corn; aromatics,

mainly oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and

peppermint (Mentha spp.); and fruit: peach

[Prunus persica (L.) Batsch], plum (Prunus

subgen. Prunus), apple (Malus x domestica

Borkh.), pear (Pyrus comunis L.), grapevine

(Vitis spp.), and olive tree (Olea europaea L.).

The area also presents forest plantations of

willow (Salix spp.), poplar (Populus spp.) and

eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), and spontane-

ous flora including Sorghum halepense (L.)

Pers. and Brassica rapa L.

In 2015, while monitoring the open-air

crops with entomological net at «Estación

Experimental Julio Hirschhörn» (School of

Agriculture and Forest Sciences, National

University of La Plata, Los Hornos local-

ity, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina —

34º59’05.84”S; 57º59’49.80”O—), we noted

the presence of Inostemma striaticornu Buhl

Figure 1. Inostemma striaticornu Buhl. a) lateral view, b) dorsal view. Scale: 0.1 mm.

Figura 1. Inostemma striaticornu Buhl. a) vista lateral, b) vista dorsal. Escala: 0,1 mm.

Acta zoológica lilloana 62 (1): 42–46, 30 de junio 2018

(Fig. 1 a-b) only in bell pepper crops (Cap-

sicum annuum L. var. annuum, Solanaceae).

This species is only known in Panama. This is

the first record of this parasitoid wasp in the

Province of La Pampa in the Chaco Biogeo-

graphical Region, Argentina. Platygastroid

sample measurements and photographs were

taken with a Leica DFC290 digital camera at-

tached to a Leica S8APO stereomicroscope.

Parasitoids were identified using taxonomic

keys to the species (Buhl, 2011) and original

species description (Buhl, 2002). Entomo-

logical materials (20

ÿÿ

, 22-iv-2015, Aquino

& Gallardo colls.) were housed in the collec-

tion of the Entomology Division, Museo de

La Plata (MLP, for its abbreviation in Span-

ish), Argentina.

Loiácono et al. (2002) emphasize the

need of performing further studies on the bi-

odiversity of platygastrids in the Neotropical

Region, particularly in Argentina, being the

third species of Inostemma recorded in the

country. This information will allow a better

taxonomic knowledge of native parasitoid

species and parasitoid-host associations.

ACKNO W LEDGEM E NTS

Thanks are due to Secretaría de Ciencia

y Técnica, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

(UNLP, for its abbreviation in Spanish) and

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científi-

cas y Técnicas (CONICET, for its acronym in

Spanish) for providing financial support.

FUNDI N G

Thanks are due to Secretaría de Ciencia

y Técnica, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

(UNLP, for its abbreviation in Spanish) and

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científi-

cas y Técnicas (CONICET, for its acronym in

Spanish) for providing financial support.

PARTI C IPATIO N

Cecilia Margaría: identification of sam-

ples of Platygastroidea, preparation of manu-

script. Peter Neerup Buhl: identification of

samples of Platygastroidea. Daniel Alejan-

dro Aquino: monitoring, identification and

photography of Platygastroidea samples. E.

Mónica Ricci: supervision, preparation of

manuscript, monitoring and species identi-

fication.

CONFL I CTS OF I NTERES T

To the best of our knowledge there are

not conflict of interest among the authors or

with third parties.

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