Goniozus

Santhosh, Shreevihar & Ranjith, Avinjikkattu Parambil, 2015, Descriptions of two new Species of Goniozus Förster, 1856 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) associated with insect induced plant galls from India, Zootaxa 4039 (1), pp. 192-200 : 198-199

Association of Goniozus with insect induced plant galls

Generally Goniozus species are relatively generalists in host-parasitoid association. Many of them are gregarious parasitoids of larval Lepidoptera . However, there are a few anomalous or questionable host records of Goniozus . Nagy (1976) reported Goniozus gallicolla (Kieffer) and G. plugarui Nagy attacking pupae of their lepidopteran hosts, but the ‘pupal parasite’ might be the parasitoids reared from larvae after it had spun the cocoon and not yet pupated ( Polaszek & Krombein 1994). Apart from the lepidopteran hosts, the species Goniozus exhibit an extended host association as they were reared from Coleoptera . Richards (1956) reported a tentatively identified G. g e s t ro i (Keiffer) reared from larvae of an anobiid beetle, Lasioderma sp. This is similar to most of the lepidopteran host associations of Goniozus , where the hosts share a moderate degree of concealment. The present study supports this.

The new species G. inauditus sp. nov. was reared from Crotonothrips sp. induced leaf galls of Memecylon umbellatum and this new species is found to be associated with Carpelimus sp. as gall inhabitants. Goniozus inauditus sp. nov. might have a parasitic association with the staphylinid as there is one authentic record of a coleopteran host ( Anobiidae ) for Goniozus by Richards (1956). Goniozus kuriani sp. nov. was emerged from the leaf galls induced by Trioza jambolanae Crawford ( Hemiptera : Triozidae ). Gordh & Móczár (1990) listed six species of Goniozus associated with plant galls and its inhabitants, many of them were reared from cynipid galls. Dohanian (1942) reported that an undetermined Goniozus sp. reared from the leaf galls induced by Cynips maculipennis (Gillette) ( Hymenoptera : Cynipidae ) on Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook (Fagaceae) . This host association needs to be verified as the galls were infested by filbert worm, Cydia (= Melissopus ) latiferreanus (Wlsm.) ( Lepidoptera : Totricidae) very shortly after the primary gall development.

The host-parasitoid interaction of G. microstigmi ( Melo & Evans 1993) could be the association of Goniozus with thrips as Microstigmus spp. act as a predator of the thysanopterans ( Polaszek & Krombein 1994). Association between G. inauditus sp. nov. and Carpelimus sp. strongly supports the chances for a parasitc relationship between the bethylid and the staphylinid as the species of Carpelimus exhibit a predatory behaviour with other organisms. There are association of Goniozus spp. with the gall community, which demands critical verification like that of Kurian’s (1952) report of G. morindae Kurian associated with Asphondylia morindae Mani ( Diptera : Cecidomyiidae ), induces flower galls on Morinda tinctoria (Rubiaceae) . There is a strong possibility for Goniozus spp. to attack the hosts living in a concealed habitat like plant galls, leaf fold and tree barks etc. apart from Lepidoptera and Coleoptera . This study concludes that the association of bethylids, particularly Goniozus spp. with the other members of the gall community, can modify the results of the selective pressure exhibited by the parasitoids on gall inhabitants.