Standardised arthropod (Arthropoda) inventory across natural and anthropogenic impacted habitats in the Azores archipelago

In this paper, we present an extensive checklist of selected arthropods and their distribution in five Islands of the Azores (Santa Maria. São Miguel, Terceira, Flores and Pico). Habitat surveys included five herbaceous and four arboreal habitat types, scaling up from native to anthropogenic managed habitats. We aimed to contribute to the ongoing effort to document the terrestrial biodiversity of the world, in particular the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, as islands harbour a significant portion of unique terrestrial biodiversity. Selection of Arthropoda groups for the current checklist was based on their known richness and abundance (Arachnida, Collembola, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera), in almost all terrestrial ecosystems, as well as their importance in current Integrated Pest Management and alternative Biocontrol protocols at large (i.e. hymenopteran parasitoids and beneficial Coleoptera). In addition, we include the list of Dermaptera, Orthoptera, Psocoptera and Thysanoptera species. These assembled groups represent part of the monitoring programme EDEN Azores (2008-2014), where all Arthropod fauna, at all strata, within nine representative habitats of the abovementioned five Islands of the Azores was recorded. In this study, a total of 116,523 specimens, belonging to 483 species and subspecies of selected groups of arthropods, are reported by order, family and, when possible, genus and species. Hymenopteran, mostly parasitoids, accounted for the most represented taxa across all the monitoring and sampling phase of EDEN Azores (193 species and mophospecies), followed by Coleoptera (95 species); Collembola (89 species); and Araneae (72 species). A total of 37 non-native species are reported for the first time in the Azores. Coleoptera: Asaphidion flavipes (Linnaeus, 1761) (Carabidae); Tachyporus dispar (Paykull, 1789) (Staphylinidae). Hemiptera: Acrosternum heegeri Fieber, 1861 (Pentatomidae). Collembola: Entomobrya regularis Stach, 1963 (Entomobryidae); Lepidocyrtus lusitanicus piezoensis (Simón-Benito, 2007) (Entomobryidae); Jordanathrix articulata (Ellis, 1974) (Sminthuridae); Sminthurinus quadrimaculatus (Ryder, 1879) (Katiannidae); Himalanura sp. (Entomobryidae); Protophorura sp. (Onychiuridae). Hymenoptera, parasitoids: Aphidius colemani Viereck, 1912 (Braconidae); Aphidius ervi Haliday, 1834 (Braconidae); Aphidius matricariae Viereck, 1912 (Braconidae); Aphidius rhopalosiphi Stefani-Perez, 1902 (Braconidae); Aphidius rosae (Haliday, 1834) (Braconidae); Aphidius urticae Haliday, 1834 (Braconidae); Centistidea ectoedemiae Rohwer, 1914 (Braconidae); Meteorus unicolor (Wesmael, 1835) (Braconidae); Meteorus collaris (Spin.) Hal. – Ruschka, Fulmek, 1915 (Braconidae); Orthostigma cratospilum (Thomson, 1895) (Braconidae); Orthostigma latriventris Ratzeburg, 1844 (Braconidae); two other species of Orthostigma sp.; Pseudopezomachus bituberculatus (Marshall, 1905) (Braconidae); Tanycarpa punctata (van Achterberg, 1976) (Braconidae); Gonatopus clavipes (Thunberg, 1827) (Dryinidae). New genera not previously recorded for the Azores include: Pycnetron sp. (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae); four species of Aspilota sp. (Braconidae: Alysiinae); four species of Chorebus sp. (Braconidae: Aphidiinae: Alysiinae); Microgaster sp. (Braconidae: Microgastrinae); Homolobus sp. (Braconidae: Homolobinae); Lodbrokia sp. (Braconidae: Alysiinae). These 37 taxa were found in several Islands and five are new species for Flores Island, 10 species are new for Pico Island, 12 species are new for Terceira Island, 19 species are new for S. Miguel Island and five species are new for S. Maria Island. Additional species records for the Islands included: Flores (5 Collembola, 9 Araneae; 2 Hemiptera; 8 Coleoptera, 8 Hymenoptera), Pico (4 Collembola; 7 Araneae; 4 Hemiptera; 11 Coleoptera; 9 Hymenoptera), Terceira (4 Collembola; 1 Araneae; 3 Hymenoptera), S. Miguel (1 Araneae; 2 Coleoptera; 3 Hymenoptera), S. Maria (5 Collembola; 3 Araneae; 2 Hemiptera; 2 Hymenoptera).

A survey of aphid parasitoids and hyperparasitoids (Hymenoptera) on six crops in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

In this study, we surveyed aphids and associated parasitoid wasps from six important crop species (wheat, sweet pepper, eggplant, broad bean, watermelon and sorghum), collected at 12 locations in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. A total of eight species of aphids were recorded which were parasitised by eleven species of primary parasitoids belonging to the families Braconidae and Aphelinidae. In addition, four species of hyperparasitoids (in families Encyrtidae, Figitidae, Pteromalidae and Signiphoridae) were recorded. Aphelinus albipodus (Hayat & Fatima, 1992), A. flaviventris (Kurdjumov, 1913), A. varipes (Förster, 1841) (Aphelinidae), Aphidius rhopalosiphi (De Stefani, 1902), A. uzbekistanicus (Luzhetzki, 1960), (Braconidae) and Alloxysta arcuata (Kieffer, 1902) (Figitidae) were recorded in Iraq for the first time. The results represent the first survey of these interactions in this region and form the basis for understanding crop-aphid-parasitoid-hyperparasitoid networks and for future biological control actions.

First First record of Phaenoglyphis villosa (Hartig, 1841) in Brazil (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae)

Phaenoglyphis villosa (Hartig, 1841) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Charipinae) is a secondary endoparasitoid of Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a subfamily which are important primary parasitoids of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). It is here registered for the first time in Brazil, collected from primary parasitoids in field-exposed aphids. Phaenoglyphis villosa was recorded during wheat crop season (winter and spring), emerging from Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus, 1758) mummies (n = 35♀). It was also recorded from Sitobion avenae (Fabricius, 1775) mummies, in wheat crop season (late winter) (n = 13♀) and black oat crop season (late autumn) (n = 1♀). We suggest three possible primary braconid parasitoids as hosts to this hyperparasitoid: Aphidius platensis Brèthes, 1913, Aphidius rhopalosiphi de Stefani-Perez, 1902, and Aphidius uzbekistanicus Luzhetzki, 1960.

Hymenopteran parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) of cereal aphids (Sternorrhyncha: Aphidoidea) in winter wheat crops in Slovakia

During 1997–1999, occurrence of hymenopteran parasitoids of cereal aphids was observed in different localities in Slovakia. Altogether, seven species of aphid parasitoids were recorded. The total numbers of particular species over the last three years were as follows: Aphidius uzbekistanicus (160 individuals – 42.4%), Aphidius ervi (83 individuals – 22.0%), Aphidius rhopalosiphi (66 individuals – 17.5%), Ephedrus plagiator (40 individuals – 10.6%), Praon volucre (26 individuals – 6.9%), P. gallicum (1 individual – 0.3%), and Aphidius picipes (1 individual – 0.2%). The abundance of the parasitoids in each year was: 185 individuals (49.1%) in 1999, 122 individuals (32.4%) in 1998, and 70 individuals (18.6%) in 1997.  

Flying with a ‘death sentence’ on board: electrophoretic detection of braconid parasitoid larvae in migrating winged grain aphids, Sitobion avenae (F.)

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of enzymes (carboxylesterases) was used for the first time to monitor rates of parasitism in airborne alate (winged) grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) population samples collected by suction trapping in Hertfordshire, UK. Using previously described electrophoretic ‘keys’, the species of hymenopterous parasitoids present in individual aphids were identified and found to be Aphidius ervi (Haliday) and/or Aphidius rhopalosiphi (De Stephani Perez) (Braconidae). Entomophthoralean fungal infection was also detected using this approach. Aphidiid wasp parasitism was detected from early June to mid-August and fungal infection from late June to late July. The results are discussed in relation to parasitoid population structure and dynamics, especially (i) the fact that winged aphids passively transport the early stages of their braconid parasitoids and fungal pathogens, potentially to newly-founded colonies, which may directly impact on the dual aphid-parasitoid populations genetics; and (ii) the approach used to collect and assay parasitised and fungal infected aphids involving both suction trapping and electrophoretic testing may have potential in assessing the level and efficacy of these biological control agents in integrated pest management (IPM) schemes to combat cereal aphid outbreaks.