Author
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SMITH, D. - Retired ARS Employee |
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Submitted to: Transactions of the American Entomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2012 Publication Date: 10/8/2012 Citation: Smith, D.R. 2012. The Nearctic oak-feeding sawflies of Periclista subgenus Neocharactus (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 137:225-250. Interpretive Summary: The caterpillar-like larvae of sawflies are an important part of the plant-feeding complex of insects and can cause extensive damage each year to agricultural crops, forests, and ornamentals. A number of species feed on the foliage of various oaks. One oak-feeding group of eleven species is covered in this paper. This group includes six species distributed throughout the eastern United States and five species that occur only in California. Seven of the species are new to science. All species are described and illustrated, and an identification key is given. This will be of use to scientists and others interested in plant-feeding insects and will be a source of identification for all who need to identify these oak-feeders. Technical Abstract: Eleven species of Periclista subg. Neocharactus MacGillivray are recognized in North America. Six species occur in eastern North America: P. (N.) absens, n. sp., P. (N.) asper, n. sp., P. (N.) inaequidens (Norton), P. (N.) major, n. sp., P. (N.) subtruncata Dyar, and P. (N.) varia, n. sp. Five species are found only in California: P. (N.) bakeri Rohwer, P. (N.) curva, n. sp., P. (N.) pallipes (Provancher), P. (N.) parva, n. sp., and P. (N.) schiffi, n. sp. Known host plants are various species of oaks, Quercus spp. A key to species is provided, as well as descriptions and illustrations of each species. |
