Sympiesis notata (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae), a gregarious parasitoid of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), and some records of other Chalcidoidea associated with skipper butterflies in the Western Palaearctic

Askew, Richard; Shaw, Mark R

Sympiesis notata (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae), a gregarious parasitoid of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), and some records of other Chalcidoidea associated with skipper butterflies in the Western Palaearctic

Resource type

Journal article

Creator (person)

Askew, Richard

Shaw, Mark R

ORCID

Date published

January 28, 2022

Abstract

Sympiesis notata is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of skipper butterfly caterpillars. Other Lepidoptera larvae in leaf mines and leaf folds are attacked by the same morphospecies, but on these smaller hosts S. notata is usually a solitary parasitoid. Other Chalcidoidea recorded as reared from hesperiid hosts are mostly species of Brachymeria (Chalcididae) and Elasmus (Eulophidae), which are primary parasitoids, and Catolaccus (Pteromalidae) which are pseudohyperparasitoids attacking cocooned ichneumonoid primary parasitoids. Species of Ptermolus, Baryscapus and Tetrastichus a are also reported as secondary parasitoids from hesperiid hosts.