Parasitism of the "Fullers´s rose weevil" Naupactus cervinus by Microctonus sp. in Argentina

MARCELA RODRIGUERO; AQUINO DANIEL; MARTA LOIACONO; AGUSTIN ELIAS COSTA; VIVIANA CONFALONIERI; ANALÍA A. LANTERI

BIOCONTROL (DORDRECHT)

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2014 vol. 59 p. 547 - 556

1386-6141

In the present work we report the occurence of an unidentified species of Microctonus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitoidizing the pest weevil native to South America Naupactus cervinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Superparasitism was observed at a low level, as well as some teratocytes. This wasp is closely realted to Microctonus species native to the southern hemisphere. Its morphology is slightly different from its sister species M. hyperodae. Microctonus sp. is infected with the reproductive parasite Wolbachia pipientis, the same as its host. However, the Wolbachia strain is shared with some parthenogenetic Naupactini others than N. cervinus. The finding of this multipartite association (weevil parasited by both Wolbachia and Microctonus, and Microctonus parasited by Wolbachia) opens challenging perpectives for future research on biological interactions and on biological control.