Author
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Smith, David |
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BARROWS, EDWARD - ENT.LAB.,GEORGETOWN UNIV. |
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Submitted to: Entomological News
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 5/26/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Larvae of most sawfly species feed on plant foliage, but several are known to feed on inflorescences, thus causing a reduction in plant fecundity. One such species was discovered feeding on inflorescences of Zigadenus in the mountains of West Virginia. Adults emerge in mid-July when the plants are beginning to bloom, and larvae feed in late July through mid-August. It represents a new species of the sawfly genus Rhadinoceraea, and the species is described and notes on its biology are given. It is one of the few insects to feed on this group of plants which possess compounds toxic to many other insects as well as livestock. The information presented will aid in herbivore identity and be of use to those working with host plant and herbivore relationships. Technical Abstract: Rhadinoceraea sodsensis, n. sp., is described from West Virginia. Its larvae feed on inflorescences of Zigadenus leimanthoides (Liliaceae). This species is separated from the closely related R. zigadenusae Smith from coastal Mississippi by reproductive isolation, phenology, and wing morphology. In this univoltine species, adults fly in mid-July and larvae feed in late July through early August |
