Diachasmimorpha longicaudata ( Ashmead, 1905 )

Marinho, Cláudia F., Costa, Valmir A. & Zucchi, Roberto A., 2018, Annotated checklist and illustrated key to braconid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of economically important fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 4527 (1), pp. 21-36 : 23

Diachasmimorpha longicaudata ( Ashmead, 1905)

( Figure 1C )

Diagnosis. Occipital carina well-developed laterally, notauli deeply impressed and smooth, propodeum varying from extensively rugose to smooth with only trace of weak carinae, second metasomal tergum striate medially, fore wing m-cu arising from a shortened 2 nd submarginal cell 5-sided, hind wing m-cu present.

Comments. This parasitoid can be separated from other species discussed here by the fore wing m-cu arising from a shortened 2 nd submarginal cell 5-sided. It is originally from the Indo-Australian Region. Diachasmimorpha longicaudata has been used in several biological control programs in Latin America ( Ovruski et al. 2000), because it adapts readily to several pest fruit flies. In Brazil, it was introduced in 1994 by “Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura” ( Carvalho et al. 1995) and is present in 10 states. Some studies on D. longicaudata , such as the olfactory response ( Silva et al. 2007), field dispersal, rates of parasitism and field survival when reared in two hosts ( Camargos et al., 2016, 2018), and learning behavior of the female related to two essential oils ( Zadra et al. 2018) have been conducted in Brazil. D. longicaudata has recently been certified as a biological insecticide in Brazil, as it was published in the Federal Register, on September 3, 2018, edition 170, section 1, p. 127, based on Joint Normative Instruction nr. 2 on August 8, 2018.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Fruit fly braconid parasitoids. Asobara anastrephae (A); Microcrasis lonchaeae (B); Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (C); Doryctobracon adaimei (D); D. areolatus (E); D. brasiliensis (F) (figures are not on the same scale).