A study on the abundance and species diversity of cynipid wasps (Hym.: Cynipidae) in West Azerbaijan province, Iran

The induced galls by oak gall wasps were collected from various oak forests of Iranian province of West Azerbaijan in the regions of Ghabre-Hossein, Mir-Abad, Vavan, Shalmash, Rabat and Dar-Ghabr during from April to November 2009. The optimum number of samples was found to be 40 oak trees. In each tree, as a sampling unit, all of the existing galls were counted. The species richness of oak gall wasps in the West Azerbaijan province was measured and the parameters such as Simpsonâs, Shannonâs H', and Sorensen similarity indexes were calculated. In this study, 35 species of oak gall wasps on the oak tree species of Quercus infectoria, Q. brantii and Q. libani were identified. Most galls were observed on Q. infectoria. All of the collected oak gall wasp species belonged to the genera Andricus Hartig, Cynips L., Neuroterus Hartig, Biorhiza Westwood, Pseudoneuroterus Kinsey, Chilaspis Mayr and Aphelonyx Mayre. The genus Andricus included 23 species of oak gall wasps. The highest Simpson and Shannon indexes were recorded for the spring galls of Mir-Abad and for the fall galls of Ghabre-Hossein and Dar-Ghabr regions. The Sorensen similarity index reached its peak for the spring galls (sexual generation of oak gall wasps) of Ghabre-Hossein and Mir-Abad and for the fall galls (asexual generation of oak gall wasps) of Ghabre-Hossein and Dar-Ghabr. The distribution of oak species and subspecies, and geographical and climatic aspects are believed to be among the key factors for the species diversity of oak gall wasps

Evolution of a genus of gall wasp kleptoparasites

Kleptoparasites do not directly parasitize their hosts but instead steal food and resources, reducing host fitness. Like direct parasites, kleptoparasites can be highly dependent on their hosts such that their evolutionary histories may be linked. Here, we study the evolution of a kleptoparasitic wasp genus, Synergus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), in relation to their hosts, oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Ovipositing oak gall wasps induce the formation of galls on oaks (Fagaceae) that provide food and shelter to one or more developing gall wasps. Galls induced by different gall wasp species are diverse in size, shape, color, and location on the host tree, and tend to be specific to just one or a few oak tree species. Synergus, and other kleptoparasites, exploit galls by ovipositing into the developing gall and inducing the development of a secondary gall chamber. Synergus larva feed on the gall tissue, sometimes reducing food available to the oak gall wasp larva to the extent that the host dies. We ask how the ecology of gall wasps has affected the diversification of Synergus. We compare the topologies of Synergus and gall wasp phylogenetic trees and detect a significant signal of cophylogeny that appears limited to only a few interactions. We use traits of oak galls to describe the ecological niche for each Synergus species and reconstruct ecological traits of ancestral nodes. We find that ecological changes have been common across the evolutionary history of Synergus, with many transitions among different gall morphologies, gall site, and tree host

FINDINGS OF THE SPECIES AULACIDEA TRAGOPOGONIS (THOMSON) AND TIMASPIS CICHORII (KIEFFER) (HYMENOPTERA, CYNIPIDAE) IN SERBIA

In research on the fauna of insect parasitoids of cynipid gall wasps in Serbia, galls of the cynipid gall wasp species Aulacidea tragopogonis (Thomson, 1877) were found on Tragopogon dubius Scop. (Asteraceae), while galls of the species Timaspis cichorii (Kieffer, 1909) were found on Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae). As these are the only findings of the indicated cynipid gall wasps in Serbia to date, they are published in the present paper. Parasitoids obtained from the collected galls of these cynipid gall wasps are also published here

CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAUNA OF CYNIPID GALL WASPS (HYMENOPTERA: CYNIPIDAE) OF MT. JASTREBAC (SERBIA)

Thirty-four species in all were recorded in investigation of the fauna of cynipid gall wasps on Mt. Jastrebac. That number includes 30 species from seven genera (Andricus, 20 species; Cynips, four; Neuroterus, two; Aphelonyx, one; Biorhiza, one; Dryocosmus, one; and Pseudoneuroterus, one) of the tribe Cynipini; and four species from one genus (Diplolepis) of the tribe Diplolepidini. The species Andricus conificus (Hartwig 1843) and Cynips cornifex Hartwig 1843 are here reported for the first time for the fauna of cynipid gall wasps of Serbia. For the recorded species of cynipid gall wasps, the localities, dates, and host plants at Mt. Jastrebac are given in the paper

Biological control of the chestnut gall wasp with \emph{T. sinensis}: a mathematical model

The Asian chestnut gall wasp \emph{Dryocosmus kuriphilus}, native of China, has become a pest when it appeared in Japan, Korea, and the United States. In Europe it was first found in Italy, in 2002. In 1982 the host-specific parasitoid \emph{Torymus sinensis} was introduced in Japan, in an attempt to achieve a biological control of the pest. After an apparent initial success, the two species seem to have locked in predator-prey cycles of decadal length. We have developed a spatially explicit mathematical model that describes the seasonal time evolution of the adult insect populations, and the competition for finding egg deposition sites. In a spatially homogeneous situation the model reduces to an iterated map for the egg density of the two species. While the map would suggest, for realistic parameters, that both species should become locally extinct (somewhat corroborating the hypothesis of biological control), the full model, for the same parameters, shows that the introduction of \emph{T. sinensis} sparks a traveling wave of the parasitoid population that destroys the pest on its passage. Depending on the value of the diffusion coefficients of the two species, the pest can later be able to re-colonize the empty area left behind the wave. When this occurs the two populations do not seem to attain a state of spatial homogeneity, but produce an ever-changing pattern of traveling waves

THE PRESENT PEST STATUS OF EUCALYPTUS SAP-SUCKERS AND GALL WASPS IN CAMPANIA (ITALY)

Sap-suckers and gall wasps may be a severe phytosanitary problem for several Eucalyptus species, particularly for the red gum E. camaldulensis, the most widely cultivated Australian native tree species worldwide. This paper reviewed the harmfulness of some of these invasive pests established in Campania, and provides new information about their pest status

Some records of parasitoid wasps associated with gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Istanbul, Turkey

Pamukkale University Scientific Research Project Unit, 2012FBE04

Wolbachia Infection in Gall Associated Insect Communities in Illinois and Indiana

Wolbachia is a maternally inherited, gram-negative bacterium and has been found to be associated with up to 60% of all insects, frequently resulting in male-killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility in the hosts. Gall wasps and other gall-forming insects induce on various host plants abnormal tissue growths, or plant galls, with distinct morphology. They are considered as obligatory parasites to their host plant. The presence of Wolbachia infection in gall wasp populations in North America has not been extensively documented. Given the strong influence on host reproduction, not knowing Wolbachia infection in insect populations prevents the understanding of how populations are being affected in their dynamics and evolution. In this study, I collected from nine locations, within Illinois and Indiana, galls made by several gall wasp and other gall-making insect species. DNA extracted from the gall makers was amplified with a Wolbachia specific gene (wsp) to detect Wolbachia infection. This allowed me to assess the frequencies and patterns of Wolbachia infection in site and species of gall wasps and other gall-making insects in Illinois and Indiana. Of the 101 individuals sampled 31 (30.39%) tested positive for Wolbachia infection. Ten of 13 sampled species tested positive for Wolbachia infection with populations varying in infection rate with some populations having no presence of Wolbachia. These findings were among the first survey of Wolbachia infection in these species and locations providing a basis for further studies to monitor the impacts of Wolbachia infection on the populations dynamics and reproductive evolution

Optimization of Protocols for Wolbachia Detection Using PCR Methods

Wolbachia is a genus of intracellular bacterium that is known to infect a wide range of arthropods. Species within this clade have the ability to modify the reproductive success of their hosts to promote their own distribution throughout host populations. Wolbachia cannot be cultured outside of the host and characterizing infection of gonadal cells might be time consuming. Thus, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are a common method of Wolbachia DNA amplification from arthropods. I assessed the utility of 3 DNA sequence markers (16S, ITS, and 28S) paired with the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene in various PCR protocols. The developed protocol was used on four species within the Cynipini tribe of gall wasps from central Illinois to detect Wolbachia infection. A PCR protocol was optimized using wsp gene and 28S primers to confirm DNA extraction, as well as the presence of Wolbachia strains in the homed oak gall wasp, Callirhytis cornigera. My results provided evidence for the potential of the combined use of 28S nuclear DNA gene and the wsp gene of Wolbachia for detection of Wolbachia infection in cynipid wasps, but further trials are needed to fine tune PCR protocol to yield consistent results, which is necessary for Wolbachia detection in oak gall wasp communities

On the biological cycle of the gall wasp <i>Plagiotrochus suberi</i> Weld 1926 (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Cynipidae) in the circum-Mediterranean region

Oak gall wasps (Cynipidae: Cynipini: Plagiotrochus) that induce galls on Quercus reproduce by alternate sexual and parthenogenetic generations (Pujade Villar et al., 2001). However, a few species are obligatory parthenogenetic (Abe, 1998) or show the facultative alternation of generations (Folliot, 1964). (Párrafo extraído del texto a modo de resumen)Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse