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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #321427
Title: Redescription of Ganaspis brasiliensis (Ihering, 1905), new combination, (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) a natural enemy of the invasive Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Author
item Buffington, Matthew
item FORSHAGE, M. - University Of Stockholm

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2016
Publication Date: 4/15/2016
Citation: Buffington, M.L., Forshage, M. 2016. Redescription of Ganaspis brasiliensis (Ihering, 1905), new combination, (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) a natural enemy of the invasive Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 118(1):1-13.doi: 10.4289/0013-8797.118.1.1.

Interpretive Summary: The highly invasive and destructive spotted-wing drosophila is a major pest of soft fruits worldwide. As solutions are sought for the control of this species, natural enemy wasps are being investigated, and the species treated here has great potential to kill these flies as larvae. The species here is carefully described and illustrated, so other researchers will be able to identify this wasp from other species they may be investigating. This product will be useful to biological control practitioners, extension agents, and research entomologists investigating the control of pest flies.

Technical Abstract: The new combination of Ganaspis brasiliensis (Ihering, 1905) is proposed, and the species is redescribed from historical specimens taken in the Neotropical Region as well as more recent specimens reared from Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, 1931 in South Korea. Drosophila suzukii, otherwise known as the spotted-wing Drosophila, is a major pest of soft fruits the world over, and the search for effective natural enemies of this fly are ongoing. As part of this research we also propose the following: Dieucoila brasiliensis (Kieffer, 1909), new combination, and Dieucoila brasiliana (Weld, 1952), new combination. After summarizing all known species of Eucoilinae with the specific epithet ‘brasiliensis’, we encourage future researchers to avoid this name in order prevent nomenclatural confusion.