Saturday 11 May 2013

Parasitoid of Olethreutes mygindiana


In May 2012, this 8mm long parasitoid larva appeared in a container that had housed a caterpillar of Olethreutes mygindiana. The fully-grown caterpillar had completely disappeared.
I suspect this solitary endoparasitoid to be one of the Lissonotinae (Banchinae) which usually attack young lepidopterous larvae but don't kill the host until it is fully grown.
It may well belong to the genus Glypta (Glyptini) which attack partially concealed larvae of various small lepidoptera, especially tortricids. I wonder if it is Glypta gracilis which has been described previously from this host.
Unfortunately the parasitoid died before it reached the adult stage.

Monday 6 May 2013

Thursday 25 April 2013

Diadegma from Luffia ferchaultella

This female Diadegma emerged from a Luffia ferchaultella case collected at Hollins Hall, Baildon, VC64 in August 2012.
I am still waiting to find out whether this is Diadegma naryciae.

Monday 22 April 2013

Lysibia nanus (Gravenhorst, 1829)

Lysibia nanus (Gravenhorst, 1829) is a  common pseudo-hyperparasitoid of Cotesia glomerata.
I have also reared one this year from Cotesia melanoscela. which is a bit unusual from a solitary Cotesia but the male is completely distinctive from its genital claspers. The broken areolet on the forewing is also a characteristic.