Spalangia endius Walker, 1839

Shimbori, Eduardo Mitio, Costa, Valmir Antonio & Zucchi, Roberto Antonio, 2020, Annotated checklist and illustrated key to parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae Eulophidae and Pteromalidae) of fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 4858 (1), pp. 53-70 : 62-64

Spalangia endius Walker, 1839

( Figs 9, 12 )

Diagnosis. Head and pronotal collar with sparse and circular setiferous punctures, interstices smooth and shiny; gena with malar sulcus present; posterior half of mesoscutal median lobe punctate-rugose medially, with punctures varying in size and shape ( Bouček 1963; Gibson 2009).

Biology. Recorded from about 50 species in nine families of Diptera ( Noyes 2019) , developing as solitary ectoparasitoid idiobionts on pupae. Spalangia endius is also recorded as a hyperparasitoid on Lepidoptera , probably via Tachinidae (Diptera) ( Gibson 2009). Tephritid hosts in Brazil include A. alveatoides ( Nicácio et al. 2011) , A. fraterculus , A. obliqua ( Aguiar-Menezes & Menezes 2002; Uchôa et al. 2003) and A. sororcula ( Aguiar-Menezes et al. 2003) .

Taxonomy. The genus Spalangia was revised by Gibson (2009) and recognition of species using the illustrated identification key is simple and straightforward. The three species listed here, are discussed in Gibson’s revision (2009), which should be consulted for further information and identification of species of Spalangia .

Biological control. Species of Spalangia are the most commonly used biological control agents for filth flies ( Diptera : Muscidae ) on animal manure in several countries (e.g. Tormos et al. 2018 and references within), where companies mass-rear and sell parasitoids for augmentative biological control, with variable success ( Machtinger et al. 2015a; 2015b). These are polyphagous species, not restricted to one dipteran family, and the same species are known to use Tephritidae and Muscidae species as hosts ( Gibson 2009), with no observed preference for one family over the other ( Tormos et al. 2018). Use of Spalangia spp. in biological control of tephritids is still restricted, and considered inefficient ( Peña et al. 2002)

Distribution. This is a cosmopolitan species, found in all biogeographical regions.

Distribution in Brazil (associated with Tephritidae ). MG ( Silva et al. 2003), MS ( Uchôa et al. 2003, Nicácio et al. 2011) and RJ ( Aguiar-Menezes & Menezes 2002; Aguiar-Menezes et al. 2003)

Figures

FIGURES 9–17. 9–11, Head: 9, Spalangia endius; 10, Spalangia gemina; 11, Spalangia simplex. 12–14, Pro- and mesonotum (arrows at pronotal sculpturing): 12, S. endius; 13, S. gemina; 14, S. simplex (arrow at median pit of mesoscutum). 15–17, Fore wing: 15, S. simplex; 16, Trichopria sp. aff. anastrephae; 17, Coptera haywardi (adapted from Loiácono 1981). (bar = 0.2 mm)