Quality control of the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) over 45 generations of rearing on Sitotroga cerealella

Trichogramma brassicae(Bezdenko)is an important biological control agent that has been used widely against many lepidopteran pests.Commonly,colonies of Trichogramma are mass reared on factitious hosts such as Sitotroga cerealella(Olivier)over many generations.In this study,we evaluated the quality and performance of a colony of T.brassicae that had been reared for over 45 generations(G)using two-sex life table parameters and parasitism capacity.We found that female adult longevity was significantly different among sequential generations,ranging from 5.58±2.5 d(at G5)to 3.75±1.42 d(at G45).However,no significant difference was found in male adult longevity among different generations.Although female wasps survived longer until the 15th gener・ation,they allocated more days for egg laying at G5 and GIO.The highest values of gross reproductive rate(GRR),net reproductive rate(7.),intrinsic rate of increase(r),finite rate of increase(λ)and mean generation time(T)were found in G5 and GIO,which also showed significantly higher cq.No significant difference in the finite parasitism rate(co)was found among generations up to G15.These results suggest that T.brassicae wasps held under continuous laboratory rearing can be used successfully in biological control programs until the 15th generation without any loss of quality or performance.However,laboratory mass rearing colonies declined in quality after 15 generations and we suggest that they should be rejuvenated regularly by adding field-collected parasitoids periodically.

Adult size and tinning of reproduction in five species of Asobara parasitoid wasps

The majority o f adult parasitoid wasps are unable to synthesize lipids and therefore face a trade-off between the investment of lipids in eggs or in the maintenance of soma.It has been shown that resource allocation should depend on body size in parasitoids.Given that smaller females have shorter expected life times,they should concentrate their reproductive effort into early life.To test this prediction,we investigated the relationship between body size and the timing of egg production in parasitoids.We measured body size,lipid reserves,and reproductive investment(number of eggs,ovigeny index equivalent[OIE]and egg size)at eclosion in five species of Asobara(Hymenoptera:Braconidae)originating from different geographic and climatic environments.Our results show significant interspecific variation in all these traits.A diagnostic test for phylogenetic independence revealed that closely related species did not resemble each other more closely than expected by chance for all traits measured.Lipid reserves scaled positively with body size both between and within species.In agreement with theory,01 correlated negatively with body size both between and within species.Total egg area at eclosion correlated negatively with lipid reserves both between and within species.This indicates the existence of a trade-off between allocation of lipids to current reproduction and survival/future reproduction.With the exception of the most extreme pro-ovigenic species,A.pers im ilis,we found that proovigeny was compensated for by small egg size.Our results indicate the role of habitats in shaping interspecific variation in resource allocation strategies.

Fungal diversity notes 1387-1511:taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa

This article is the 13th contribution in the Fungal Diversity Notes series,wherein 125 taxa from four phyla,ten classes,31 orders,69 families,92 genera and three genera incertae sedis are treated,demonstrating worldwide and geographic distri-bution.Fungal taxa described and illustrated in the present study include three new genera,69 new species,one new com-bination,one reference specimen and 51 new records on new hosts and new geographical distributions.Three new genera,Cylindrotorula(Torulaceae),Scolecoleotia(Leotiales genus incertae sedis)and Xenovaginatispora(Lindomycetaceae)are introduced based on distinct phylogenetic lineages and unique morphologies.Newly described species are Aspergillus lan-naensis,Cercophora dulciaquae,Cladophialophora aquatica,Coprinellus punjabensis,Cortinarius alutarius,C.mammil-latus,C.quercoflocculosus,Coryneum fagi,Cruentomycena uttarakhandina,Cryptocoryneum rosae,Cyathus uniperidiolus,Cylindrotorula indica,Diaporthe chamaeropicola,Didymella azollae,Diplodia alanphillipsii,Dothiora coronicola,Efibula rodriguezarmasiae,Erysiphe salicicola,Fusarium queenslandicum,Geastrum gorgonicum,G.hansagiense,Helicosporium sexualis,Helminthosporium chiangraiensis,Hongkongmyces kokensis,Hydrophilomyces hydraenae,Hygrocybe boertmannii,Hyphoderma australosetigerum,Hyphodontia yunnanensis,Khaleijomyces umikazeana,Laboulbenia divisa,Laboulbenia triarthronis,Laccaria populina,Lactarius pallidozonarius,Lepidosphaeria strobelii,Longipedicellata megafusiformis,Lophiotrema lincangensis,Marasmius benghalensis,M.jinfoshanensis,M.subtropicus,Mariannaea camelliae,Mel-anographium smilaxii,Microbotryum polycnemoides,Mimeomyces digitatus,Minutisphaera thailandensis,Mortierella solitaria,Mucor harpali,Nigrograna jinghongensis,Odontia huanrenensis,O.parvispina,Paraconiothyrium ajrekarii,Par-afuscosporella niloticus,Phaeocytostroma yomensis,Phaeoisaria synnematicus,Phanerochaete hainanensis,Pleopunctum thailandicum,Pleurotheciella dimorphospora,Pseudochaetosphaeronema chiangraiense,Pseudodactylaria albicolonia,Rhexoacrodictys nigrospora,Russula paravioleipes,Scolecoleotia eriocamporesi,Seriascoma honghense,Synandromyces makranczyi,Thyridaria aureobrunnea,Torula lancangjiangensis,Tubeufia longihelicospora,Wicklowia fusiformispora,Xenovaginatispora phichaiensis and Xylaria apiospora.One new combination,Pseudobactrodesmium stilboideus is pro-posed.A reference specimen of Comoclathris permunda is designated.New host or distribution records are provided for Acrocalymma fici,Aliquandostipite khaoyaiensis,Camarosporidiella laburni,Canalisporium caribense,Chaetoscutula juniperi,Chlorophyllum demangei,C.globosum,C.hortense,Cladophialophora abundans,Dendryphion hydei,Diaporthe foeniculina,D.pseudophoenicicola,D.pyracanthae,Dictyosporium pandanicola,Dyfrolomyces distoseptatus,Ernakula-mia tanakae,Eutypa flavovirens,E.lata,Favolus septatus,Fusarium atrovinosum,F.clavum,Helicosporium luteosporum,Hermatomyces nabanheensis,Hermatomyces sphaericoides,Longipedicellata aquatica,Lophiostoma caudata,L.clematidis-vitalbae,Lophiotrema hydei,L.neoarundinaria,Marasmiellus palmivorus,Megacapitula villosa,Micropsalliota globocys-tis,M.gracilis,Montagnula thailandica,Neohelicosporium irregulare,N.parisporum,Paradictyoarthrinium diffractum,Phaeoisaria aquatica,Poaceascoma taiwanense,Saproamanita manicata,Spegazzinia camelliae,Submersispora variabi-lis,Thyronectria caudata,T.mackenziei,Tubeufia chiangmaiensis,T.roseohelicospora,Vaginatispora nypae,Wicklowia submersa,Xanthagaricus necopinatus and Xylaria haemorrhoidalis.The data presented herein are based on morphological examination of fresh specimens,coupled with analysis of phylogenetic sequence data to better integrate taxa into appropriate taxonomic ranks and infer their evolutionary relationships.