Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #367017
Research Project: Systematics of Parasitic and Herbivorous Wasps of Agricultural Importance

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Molecular phylogeny of Trissolcus wasps (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), natural enemies of stink bugs

Author
item BON, MARIE-CLAUDE - University Of Montpellier
item TALAMAS, E. - Entomological Services
item Hoelmer, Kim
item Buffington, Matthew

Submitted to: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2019
Publication Date: 11/18/2019
Citation: Bon, M., Talamas, E., Hoelmer, K.A., Buffington, M.L. 2019. Molecular phylogeny of Trissolcus wasps (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), natural enemies of stink bugs. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 73:201-217.

Interpretive Summary: Samurai wasps are used for the biological control of the destructive brown marmorated stink bug. The research presented here summarizes the evolutionary relationshiops among all species of wasp related to the samurai wasp. The goal of this research is to better understand the species that are close relatives of the samurai wasp, and perhaps including them in future biological control of pest stink bugs. Biological control workers and extension agents will find this data critical for their work.

Technical Abstract: As the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has spread across the Northern Hemisphere, research on the parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus (samurai wasp), a lethal natural enemy of BMSB, has increased rapidly. Missing from the taxonomic and biological research on the samurai wasp is an updated phylogeny of Trissolcus. Presented here is a five gene molecular phylogeny of Trissolcus, with all species associated with BMSB included. We have discovered that while the basalis-group of species is consistently found monophyletic, the flavipes-group was never recovered monophyletic, with the most effective species against BMSB being found in one of the two flavipes-group clades. While preliminary, the phylogeny reveals that some species group designations may need revision.