Trigonospila brevifacies

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Trigonospila brevifacies
Trigonospila brevifacies.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tachinidae
Subfamily: Exoristinae
Tribe: Blondeliini
Genus: Trigonospila
Species:
T. brevifacies
Binomial name
Trigonospila brevifacies
(Hardy, 1934) [1]
Synonyms
  • Zosteromyia brevifaciesHardy, 1934

Trigonospila brevifacies is a species of true fly in the family Tachinidae native to eastern Australia. [2] This species is also found in New Zealand. Like the vast majority of tachinid flies, T. brevifacies is a parasitoid of other insects, specifically late larval stages of a number of species of Lepidoptera. It is also known as the Australian Leaf-Roller Fly or Leafroller Fly.

Contents

Distribution

Trigonospila brevifacies is native to the eastern states of Australia and has been collected from Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, and southern Queensland. T. brevifacies is also present in New Zealand as it was introduced to control a number of agricultural pests. [3] [4]

Identification

Like all Trigonospila species, T. brevifacies can be recognised by its distinctive markings. They are primarily black with pearly whitish to golden transverse bars on the thorax and abdomen.

Trigonospila brevifacies is frequently confused with T. cingulata in locations where both species co-occur. T. cingulata appears to much more common than T. brevifacies, particularly in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. It is believed T. cingulata is a parasitoid of chrysomelid beetle larvae in the genus Paropsis, which are abundant herbivores in many Australian environments. [2] Only T. brevifacies is known to be present in New Zealand.

Trigonospila brevifacies can be easily distinguished from T. cingulata by colouration of the abdomen. The black and white abdominal markings of T. cingulata are continuous, crisp stripes from the dorsal to ventral sides of the abdomen, whereas the black markings of T. brevifacies typically are more or less triangular spots on the anterior margin of each the third, fourth, and fifth abdominal tergites which may or may not be quite diffused. [1] The sides of the abdomen in both sexes of T. brevifacies are yellow.

Biocontrol

Australian Leaf-Roller Fly on New Zealand jasmine Trigonospila brevifacies on Parsonsia heterophylla.jpg
Australian Leaf-Roller Fly on New Zealand jasmine

Trigonospila brevifacies is an economically important parasitoid of a number of larvae of Lepidoptera and has been deployed in New Zealand as a biocontrol agent of a number of pest species including the light brown apple moth Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera : Tortricidae) and the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae). T. brevifacies was initially introduced to New Zealand to control the light brown apple moth Epiphyas postvittana and released a number of times between 1967 and 1973 to control a number of other pests. However it competes with many native parasitoids, because it is polyphagous on Lepidoptera. [5] Of the 18 confirmed and published hosts (below), at least 10 are known pests in agriculture or forestry.

Host range

Trigonospila brevifacies is the only species of Trigonospila for which substantial host records exist. The species is polyphagous and known to parasitise at least 18 species of Lepidoptera in 8 families. Some of these are non target species and T. brevifacies is found to compete with many native parasitods [6]

Carposinidae

Gelechiidae

Geometridae

Tortricidae

Oecophoricae

Pterophoridae

Pyralidae

Stathmopodidae

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tachinidae</span> Family of insects

The Tachinidae are a large and variable family of true flies within the insect order Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. Over 1,300 species have been described in North America alone. Insects in this family commonly are called tachinid flies or simply tachinids. As far as is known, they all are protelean parasitoids, or occasionally parasites, of arthropods, usually other insects. The family is known from many habitats in all zoogeographical regions and is especially diverse in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tortricidae</span> Family of tortrix moths

The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus Heliocosma is sometimes placed within this superfamily. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym. The typical resting posture is with the wings folded back, producing a rather rounded profile.

<i>Trichogramma</i> Genus of parasitic insects

Trichogramma is a genus of minute polyphagous wasps that are endoparasitoids of insect eggs. Trichogramma is one of around 80 genera from the family Trichogrammatidae, with over 200 species worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light brown apple moth</span> Species of moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

The light brown apple moth is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae.

<i>Phthorimaea operculella</i> Species of moth

Phthorimaea operculella, also known as the potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is an oligophagous insect that feeds on the plant family Solanaceae and is especially known for being a major pest of potato crops. Currently farmers utilize insecticides, parasites, and sprinkler irrigation in order to prevent P. operculella from infesting their croplands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archipini</span> Tribe of moths

The Archipini are a tribe of tortrix moths. Since many genera of these are not yet assigned to tribes, the genus list presented here is provisional.

Calolydella is a genus of parasitoid flies in the family Tachinidae. This genus has been shown to primarily parasitize multiple species of caterpillars across a wide variety of families.

<i>Trigonospila</i> Genus of flies

Trigonospila is a small genus of parasitic flies in the family Tachinidae.

<i>Symmetrischema tangolias</i> Species of moth

The South American potato tuber moth, Andean potato tuber moth or tomato stemborer is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is native to South America, but has become a pest worldwide. Records include North America, Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Planotortrix octo</i> Species of moth

Planotortrix octo is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is found in both the North and South islands.

<i>Trigonospila cingulata</i> Species of fly

Trigonospila cingulata is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae.

Zosteromeigenia mima is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae and the sole representative of the genus Zosteromeigenia. Like the vast majority of tachinid flies, Z. mima is expected to be a parasitoid of other arthropods, likely the larvae of Lepidoptera, however few or no host records exist.

<i>Hierodoris atychioides</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Hierodoris atychioides is a moth of the family Oecophoridae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877. The female holotype specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London. This species is endemic to New Zealand, and can be found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. The larvae form webs of silk attached to frass and leaves on their hosts in which they shelter, often in the company of other larvae in their species. Their feeding habits have not been observed in detail but Hoare hypothesises the larvae may feed on dead or dying leaves. The larvae feed on a wide range of trees and shrubs, including Dacrydium cupressinum, Prumnopitys taxifolia, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, Libocedrus bidwillii, Cupressus macrocarpa, Leptospermum scoparium, Kunzea ericoides, Ozothamnus leptophyllus, Abies, Picea, Pinus and Thuja species. Although they are regarded as a pest of exotic forests in New Zealand, the economic damage the larvae cause is minimal and they tend to be controlled only by their natural enemies. Larval enemies include the parasitic flies Trigonospila brevifacies and Pales funesta as well as parasitic wasps including Xanthopimpla rhopaloceros. The adult moths are day flying and are most common during the months of December and January. This species is variable in appearance as larvae, pupa and as adults, and it has been hypothesised that it is in the process of speciation.

Planotortrix puffini is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. Specimens have been collected from Lee Bay in Stewart Island.

<i>Planotortrix notophaea</i> Species of moth

Planotortrix notophaea, the blacklegged leafroller, is a species of moth in the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It was also present near Sydney in Australia, but this population is thought to be extinct.

Sturmiopsis inferens is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae. It is native to Asia and is a parasitoid of various moth species whose larvae feed inside the stems of sugarcane, rice and other large grasses, including the Gurdaspur borer and the sugarcane shoot borer.

<i>Cuspicona simplex</i> Species of true bug

Cuspicona simplex, commonly known as the green potato bug, is a herbivorous species of stink bug native to Australia and introduced to New Zealand. It feeds on nightshades. It is primarily known as a pest of potatoes, tomatoes, and other crops in the nightshade family.

<i>Netelia producta</i> Species of wasp

Netelia producta is a species of ichneumonid wasp in the subfamily Tryphoninae found in Australia.

<i>Copidosoma koehleri</i> Species of insect

Copidosoma koehleri belongs to the family Encyrtidae and genus Copidosoma within the order Hymenoptera. It is a parasitoid and its hosts are mainly potato tuber moth but it also infest Andean potato tuber moth, Guatemalan potato tuber moth and Tomato leafminer. Super-parasitism is associated with C. koehleri.

References

  1. 1 2 Hardy, G.M. (1934). "Notes on Australian Muscoidea (Calyptrata)". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. 45. The Royal Society of Queensland: 30–37. doi: 10.5962/p.272112 .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Crosskey, R.W. (1973). "A conspectus of the Tachinidae (Diptera) of Australia, including keys to the supraspecific taxa and taxonomic and host catalogues". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology Series. Supplement 21. London: British Museum (Natural History): 1–221.
  3. 1 2 3 Green OR (1984) New Zealand host and locality records for an introduced tortricid parasite, Trigonospila brevifacies (Diptera: Tachinidae). New Zealand Entomologist 8: 69-71.
  4. 1 2 Shaw PW, Lo P, and Wall DR (2001) Recent introduction and establishment of the leafroller parasitoid Trigonospila brevifacies (Hardy) (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Nelson. New Zealand Plant Protection 54: 33-36.
  5. "Trigonospila". Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  6. Munroe VMW, and Henderson IM (2002) Nontarget Effect of Entomophagous Biocontrol: Shared Parasitism Between Native Lepidopteran Parasitoids and the Biocontrol Agent Trigonospila brevifacies (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Forest Habitats. Environmental Entomology 31(2): 388-396.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wearing C H, WP Thomas, JS Dugdale, & W Danthanarayana (1991) Tortricid pests of pome and stone fruits, Australian and New Zealand species. L.P.S. van der Geest H. H Evenhuis Tortricid pests, their biology, natural enemies and control. 453-472. Elsevier Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  8. Withers TM (2001) Colonization of eucalypts in New Zealand by Australian insects. Austral Ecology 26: 467-476.
  9. Munro MW (1997) Eutorna phaulocosma Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae), a new host for the introduced Australian parasitoid Trigonospila brevifacies Hardy (Diptera: Tachinidae). New Zealand Entomologist 20: 71-72.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Berry JA (1990) Two parasitoid complexes: Heirodoris atychioides (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) and Icerya purchasi Maskell (Homoptera: Margarodidae). New Zealand Entomologist 13: 60-62.
  11. Cantrell BK (1986) An updated hots catalogue for the Australian Tachinidae (Diptera). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 25: 255-265.