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The bizarre male of Spalangia dozieri (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae): adaptations for male phoresy or the result of sexual selection?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

Gary A.P. Gibson  and
Carolina Reigada
Gary A.P. Gibson*
Affiliation:
Biodiversity and Integrated Pest Management, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6
Carolina Reigada
Affiliation:
Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências, Campus de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Júnior, s/n°, 18618–000, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: Gary.Gibson@agr.gc.ca).
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Abstract

Spalangia dozieri Burks is newly recorded as a gregarious parasitoid in the puparia of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), C. putoria (Wiedemann), Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann), and L. sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), and represents the first report of gregariousness in Spalangia Latreille. The previously unknown males of S. dozieri are described and compared with females. Males have highly modified legs and several other sexually dimorphic features that differ from those of other Spalangia species. Most of the unusual features are hypothesized to be adaptations for grasping and holding and it is suggested that males either are phoretic on adults of their dipteran hosts or, possibly, that males exhibit aggressive or other atypical behaviour toward siblings that is correlated with being gregarious. Barbados, Brazil, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad are recorded as new country distribution records for S. dozieri.

Résumé

Spalangia dozieri Burks est signalé pour la première fois comme parasitoïde grégaire des pupariums de Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), C. putoria (Wiedemann), Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann) et L. sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae); c’est la première mention de grégarisme chez Spalangia Latreille. Nous décrivons les mâles, jusqu’à maintenant inconnus, de S. dozieri et les comparons aux femelles. Les mâles possèdent des pattes fortement modifiées et plusieurs autres caractères à dimorphisme sexuel qui les distinguent des autres Spalangia. Nous posons l’hypothèse selon laquelle la plupart de ces caractères inusités sont des adaptations pour s’accrocher et se tenir; nous pensons que les mâles pourraient être phorétiques sur les adultes des diptères qui leur servent d’hôtes ou qu’ils pourraient montrer des comportements agressifs ou autrement atypiques avec les individus de même fratrie en relation avec leur grégarisme. La Barbade, le Brésil, la Dominique, Sainte-Lucie, Saint-Vincent et Trinidad représentent de nouveaux pays qui s’ajoutent à l’aire de répartition connue de S. dozieri.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 141 , Issue 2 , April 2009 , pp. 112 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2009

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