Megastigmus transvaalensis

Megastigmus transvaalensis
A female Megastigmus transvaalensis ovipositing in the fruit of Searsia dentata in South Africa
Megastigmus transvaalensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Megastigmidae
Genus:	Megastigmus
Species:	M. transvaalensis
Binomial name
Megastigmus transvaalensis (Hussey 1956)

Megastigmus transvaalensis is a species of small wasp belonging to the family Megastigmidae. It is native to South Africa but has since spread as an invasive species in Mexico, Brazil and Chile. ^[1] The adults have a yellowish-brown color. The males of the species grow to a length of 2.3-2.9 mm and females grow from 3.1-3.4 mm in length. The ovipositor reaches about half the length of the body. ^[2]

Ecology

In Africa, it parasitizes drupes of the genus Rhus with examples of affected species being Rhus angustifolia and Rhus laevigata . In South America, it parasitizes members of the genus Schinus , specifically Schinus terebinthifolius, Schinus molle and Schinus polygamus . In Chile, their host is the genus Cabrera. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

It has been proposed that M. transvaalensis can be used as a biological control agent for invasive populations of Schinus molle. However this species does have the potential to spread throughout Brazil and pose a threat to the natural regeneration of Schinus terebinthifolius. This was first seen in 2012 in the Sorocaba municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil and the species was identified as M. transvaalensis by Dr. Paul Hanson. ^[2]

References

1. "https://bioone.org/journals/southwestern-entomologist/volume-50/issue-2/059.050.0212/New-Distribution-Data-of-Megastigmus-transvaalensis1-in-Mexico-and-Data/10.3958/059.050.0212.short". doi:10.3958/059.050.0212.short.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); External link in |title= (help)
2. Ferreira-Filho, Pedro J.; Piña-Rodrigues, Fátima C. M.; Silva, José M. S.; Guerreiro, Julio C.; Ghiotto, Thaís C.; Piotrowski, Ivonir; Dias, Luiz P.; Wilcken, Carlos F.; Zanuncio, José C. (2015). "The exotic wasp Megastigmus transvaalensis (Hymenoptera: Torymidae): first record and damage on the Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius drupes, in São Paulo, Brazil". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 87: 2091–2095. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201520140478. ISSN   0001-3765.
3. University of Florida: Entomology Dept.
4. Ghiotto, Thaís Carneiro; do Nascimento Prado, Marcelle Cristine; Giuliani, Graziella Kurpjuweit Fischer; de Souza Tavares, Wagner; Masson, Marcus Vinicius; Guerreiro, Julio César; Prado, Evandro Pereira; Carvalho, Amélia Guimarães; Wilcken, Carlos Frederico; Zanuncio, José Cola; Ferreira-Filho, Pedro José (2019-02-21). "Megastigmus seed wasp damage on native Schinus terebinthifolia drupes in ecological restoration area in Brazil". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 2438. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39129-x. ISSN   2045-2322.