Abstract
In rearing of Gangara thyrsis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from Karnataka and Goa, India, six species of parasitoids were observed. One new species of parasitic wasp is described and illustrated: Agiommatus thyrsisae n. sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a solitary parasitoid reared from the egg of G. thyrsis on the natural host plant Dypsis lutescens (H. Wendl.) Beentje & J. Dransf. Three additional species of parasitic wasps were also reared: Anastatus ramakrishnai (Mani, 1935) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), a solitary hyperparasitoid of A. thyrsisae n. sp.; Sympiesis thyrsisae Gupta, Gawas & Bhambure (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a gregarious parasitoid reared from the caterpillar of G. thyrsis on the host plant Cocos nucifera L., and Brachymeria lasus (Walker) reared from pupa of G. thyrsis on the host plant D. lutescens. Additionally, two species of tachinid flies were also reared from the pupae of G. thyrsis: Exorista sorbillans (Wiedemann, 1830) and an innominate species close to Blepharella spp. Gangara thyrsis is a new host record for the genus Agiommatus and for A. ramakrishnai and B. lasus. The mean percent parasitism in G. thyrsis eggs was 26.58% with an incubation period of 6−7 days. Amongst the egg parasitoids, 57.14–73.08% were females and 23.08% were males. Hyperparasitism ranged from 3.85 to 42.86%. Dypsis lutescens, a member of Arecaceae, is a new host plant record for G. thyrsis.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Dr. Abraham Verghese (Director, ICAR-NBAIR) for research encouragement and for providing necessary facilities. Taxonomic studies were undertaken under the Network project on Insect Biosystematics funded by ICAR. We are grateful to Dr. Nigel Wyatt, NHM, London for prompt identification of the tachinid species. Expert comments from Dr P. M. Sureshan, Director in Charge, ZSI Calicut are kindly acknowledged. Thanks to Professor N. Parthasarathy, Pondicherry University for host plant identity.
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Gupta, A., Gawas, S.M. Parasitoids of Gangara thyrsis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) with description of a new species of Agiommatus Crawford, 1911 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) from India with notes on biology. Syst Parasitol 93, 613–621 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-016-9648-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-016-9648-6