New parasitoids of Saperda populnea (L.) (Col. Cerambycidae) in Bulgaria

Abstract

The parasitoid complex of Saperda populnea (L.) (Col., Cerambycidae) was studied during the period 2002-2003 at different sites in Bulgaria. Galls containing cerambycid larvae were collected on branches of aspen (Populus tremula L.), goat willow (Salix caprea L.) and hybrid poplars and were studied under laboratory conditions. As a result, four new species for the parasitoid complex of S. populnea in Bulgaria were recorded: Dolichomitus tuberculatus (Geoffroy), Xylophrurus lancifer (Gravenhorst), Gelis ornatulus (Thomson) (Hym., Ichneumonidae) and Dendrocerus serricornis (Boheman) (Hym., Megaspilidae). D. serricornis and G. ornatulus are new species for Bulgarian fauna. D. tuberculatus and X. lancifer were found as primary parasitoids, and G. ornatulus and D. serricornis as hyperparasitoids. The primary parasitoids developed solitarily in the host larvae. D. serricornis was reared gregariously from a puparium of Billaea irrorata (Meig.) (Dipt., Tachinidae). The host of G. ornatulus was not identified, but the hyperparasitid could be connected with Iphiaulax impostor (Scop.) (Hym., Braconidae). The mortality of S. populnea caused by the parasitoids was 2.0-6.3%.