Distribution, prevalence and host associations of Hymenoptera parasitic on Calliphoridae occurring in flystrike in New Zealand

Abstract

Between 1920 and 1930, four species of parasitoid Hymenoptera (Tachinaephagus zealandicus, Alysia manducator, Nasonia vitripennis and Brachymeria ucalegon) were imported to New Zealand as an aid in the control of the blowflies causing myiasis in sheep (flystrike). Their long-term effects have never been investigated and the extent to which they were successful in establishing and enlarging their ranges has been given scant regard over the last 60 years. A long-term epidemiological study of flystrike in New Zealand between 1984 and 1996 obtained 4061 samples of blowfly larvae from flystruck sheep and carrion and overall 1.1% of these larval samples (most from the North Island) were found to be parasitized. Tachinaephagus zealandicus and A.manducator were present in field strikes, together with the endemic Aphaereta aotea recently found to be a parasite of calliphorids. The endemic species Phaenocarpa antipoda was found in association with carrion but not flystrike. Neither N.vitripennnis nor B.ucalegon were isolated from larvae in field strikes, the former because it parasitizes only pupae and the latter may be extinct as it has not been sighted since its introduction in 1919. It is concluded that if parasitoid wasps are able to locate and parasitize blowfly larvae on struck sheep, then their parasitism rate on more accessible larvae on carcases may be correspondingly greater. For this reason their scope for use in integrated management of flystrike could be increased by culturing and field release.

Primeiro relato de Brachymeria podagrica (fabricius, 1789) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) parasitando Squamatoides trivittatus Curran, 1927 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) no Brasil

“…Juntamente com a fauna de moscas, podem ser encontradas várias espécies de himenópteros parasitói-des, dentre eles citam-se aquelas pertencentes ao gênero Brachymeria Westood, 1829, que são importantes parasitóides primários de dípteros muscóides, como aqueles pertencentes às famílias Sarcophagidae (BURKS, 1960;GRISSEL & SCHAUFF, 1990;MARCHIORI, 2001) e Calliphoridae (BISHOP et al, 1996). Algumas espécies desse gênero apresentam importância econô-mica, pois atacam insetos-pragas (GAULD & BOLTON, 1988).…”

Parasitic Hyrnenoptera reared from dung-breeding Diptera in New Zealand.

“…While P. antipoda appears to be concentrated around maggot-infested carrion, Aph. aotea has only recently been identified as having the potential to act as a biocontrol agent (Heath & Bishop 1986;Bishop et al 1996). Flystruck stock provide an abundance of potential hosts in spring and summer , but survival in other seasons may require hosts from a different source and it is here that dung-breeding diptera may play an important role.…”

“…Two species, Alysia manducator Panzer (Braconidae) and Tachinaephagus zealandicus Ashmead (Encyrtidae) , were specifically introduced in an effort to control flystrike (Miller 1927a,b). Since their introduction there has been minimal study of the geographic distribution and seasonality of these wasps, or of the fly species utilised as hosts in the field (see Heath & Bishop (1986); Bishop et al (1996)). The introduced species are complemented by two endemic braconids, Phaenocarpa antipodaAshmead and Aphaereta aotea Hughes & Woolcock.…”

“…aotea and ? : zealnndicu~ to act as biocontrol agents against flies causing flystrike in New Zealand, has been gained partially from a long term AgResearch flystrike survey (Bishop et al 1996), but their impact is not fully understood. Additional information on the distribution of these species and their host range was obtained in a series of surveys undertaken between November 1991 and April 1997.…”

Revision of the Australian Alysiini (Hymenoptera : Braconidae)

“…Additional information on Alysia may be found in Wharton (1986Wharton ( , 1988a and on A. manducator in New Zealand in Bishop et al (1996) and Bishop (1998). Asobara persimilis (Papp), Aspilota magnareata (Fischer), comb.…”