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First report that the wasp Gronotoma guamensis (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae) parasitizes the orchid‐feeding fly Japanagromyza tokunagai in Japan
Author(s) -
Suetsugu Kenji,
Mita Toshiharu
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
entomological science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1479-8298
pISSN - 1343-8786
DOI - 10.1111/ens.12355
Subject(s) - biology , agromyzidae , hymenoptera , parasitoid , pteromalidae , population , botany , ecology , zoology , larva , demography , sociology
Compared with mycorrhizal relationships, the relationships between mycoheterotrophic plants and insects have rarely been studied. Here we report a previously unknown tripartite interaction among an endangered mycoheterotrophic orchid, an orchid‐feeding fly, and a parasitoid wasp. The flowers and stems of Eulophia zollingeri were heavily attacked by Japanagromyza tokunagai (Sasakawa) (Diptera: Agromyzidae), and the parasitoid wasp Gronotoma guamensis (Yoshimoto) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) was reared from these J. tokunagai individuals. Considering the high infestation rate of J. tokunagai , G. guamensis could be important in suppressing the J. tokunagai population, and positively affect the reproductive success of E. zollingeri .