BioInvasions Records (2019) Volume 8, Issue 2: 452–456

Medianero and Zachrisson (2019), BioInvasions Records 8(2): 452–456, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28 452

CORRECTED PROOF

Rapid Communication

Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae): a new pest in Central America

Enrique Medianero1,2 and Bruno Zachrisson3,* 1Universidad de Panamá, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, República de Panamá 2Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá, República de Panamá 3Instituto de Investigación Agropecuaria de Panamá. Ciudad del Saber, Panamá. 832-2758 World Trade Center, Panamá, República de Panamá Author e-mails: enrique.medianero@up.ac.pa (EM), bazsalam@gmail.com (BZ)

*Corresponding author

Abstract

Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, 2004, which is considered a pest in Erythrina trees and is known in different tropical and warm regions of the world, is recorded in Panama, a country in the Central American region. Quadrastichus erythrinae were collected from galls on twigs and leaves of Erythrina variegata L. The presence of this species is expected to cause biodiversity and economic losses by affecting some ecosystem services such as habitat for species, nutrient recycling, primary production and soil formation.

Key words: Cecidogenous, Coral trees, gall inducer, invasive species, Panama

Introduction

Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (Erythrina gall wasp) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a species described in 2004 based on adults reared from galls on Erythrina variegata, Erythrina fusca, Erythrina indica and Erythrina sp. collected at Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion (Kim et al. 2004). The Erythrina gall wasp is considered an invasive species that causes extensive damage to species of the genus Erythrina (Kim et al. 2004; Li et al. 2006). The female induces galls in the leaves, shoots, petioles and inflorescences of the plant (Kim et al. 2004; Heu et al. 2008; Howard et al. 2008; Rubinoff et al. 2010). During the development of the gall, the affected organ is deformed, and the petioles and shoots become swollen (Howard et al. 2008). Severe infestations can cause defoliation and death of trees (Yang et al. 2004; Heu et al. 2008). Since its description in 2004, Quadrastichus erythrinae has been reported in various tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including wide areas of Asia and Oceania and reaching the southern part of North America, the Caribbean Islands and South America, causing serious damage to endemic and alien Erythrina species in each country (Faizal et al. 2006; Heu et al. 2008; Gerlach and Madl 2007; Howard et al. 2008; Rubinoff et al. 2010; GISD 2015). In the Neotropical

Citation: Medianero E, Zachrisson B (2019) Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae): a new pest in Central America. BioInvasions Records 8(2): 452–456, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir. 2019.8.2.28

Received: 7 September 2018

Accepted: 2 January 2019

Published: 15 April 2019

Handling editor: Angeliki F. Martinou

Thematic editor: Stelios Katsanevakis

Copyright: © Medianero and Zachrisson This is an open access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International - CC BY 4.0).

OPEN ACCESS.

Erythrina gall wasp arriving in Central America

Medianero and Zachrisson (2019), BioInvasions Records 8(2): 452–456, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28 453

region, Quadrastichus erythrinae has been reported in Guadalupe, Martinique (Etienne and Dumbardon-Martial 2013), Puerto Rico (Ramirez 2012), Florida (Howard et al. 2008), Brazil (Culik et al. 2014) and Mexico (Palacios-Torres et al. 2017). This report is the first of this species in Central America.

Materials and methods

The studied adults of Quadrastichus erythrinae were reared from galls collected on three trees of Erythrina in August 2018 in Ciudad del Saber, Province of Panama, Panama (9°0′9.31″N; 79°34′59.14″O). The adult insects emerged from the galls in rearing cages under laboratory conditions. Voucher adult specimens and their galls have been deposited in the entomology collections of the Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá (MEUP). The identification of the Erythrina species was based on comparison with materials from the collections of the Herbarium of the University of Panama.

Results and discussion

Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, 2004 (Figure 1A, B)

Material examined

50♀ and 25♂. PANAMÁ, Panamá, Ancón, Ciudad del Saber, 9°0′9.31″N; 79°34′59.14″O, 24 m; ex gall on twigs and leaf of Erythrina variegata L. August 12, 2018. E. Medianero and L. Medianero leg. (MEUP).

Diagnosis

According to Kim et al. (2004) the female of Quadrastichus erythrinae is characterized by a dark brown color with yellow markings (Figure 1A). The head is yellow, except the genae, which are posteriorly brown. The antennae are pale brown, except the scape, which is posteriorly pale. The pronotum is dark brown. The mid lobe of the mesoscutum features a “V” shaped or inverted triangular dark brown area from the anterior margin, with the remainder yellow. The scapula is yellow. The scutellum, axillae and dorsellum are brown to light brown. The propodeum is dark brown. The metasoma is brown. The fore and hind coxae are brown. The mid coxa is almost pale. The femora are mostly brown to light brown. In contrast to the yellow female, the male has a pale coloration of white to pale yellow (Figure 1B). The head and antenna are pale. The pronotum is dark brown. The scutellum and dorsellum are pale brown. The axillae are pale. The propodeum is dark brown. The metasoma is pale in the anterior half and dark brown in the remainder. All legs are pale.

Erythrina gall wasp arriving in Central America

Medianero and Zachrisson (2019), BioInvasions Records 8(2): 452–456, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28 454

Figure 1. Quadrastichus erythrinae. (A) Habitus female. (B) Habitus male. (C) Gall on Erythrina variegata L. Photo by E. Medianero.

Host

Quadrastichus erythrinae were collected from galls on twigs and leaves of Erythrina variegata L. (Figure 1C).

Distribution

With this report in Central America, the Erythrina gall wasp extends its distribution within the Neotropical region (Figure 2).

Quadrastichus erythrinae arrived in Central America, probably, through transport-contaminant, since the infected trees of Erythrina are located close to the Panama Canal. This maritime trade route moves hundreds of containers that transport all kinds of products including plants and seeds. Quadrastichus erythrinae, probably, used a similar pathway than Brachyplatys vahlii (Plataspidae) other invasive species recorded recently in Panamá (Aiello et al. 2016).

Erythrina gall wasp arriving in Central America

Medianero and Zachrisson (2019), BioInvasions Records 8(2): 452–456, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28 455

Figure 2. Map of the distribution of the erythrina gall wasp. Modified from Li et al. (2006), for details see Supplementary material Table S1.

The presence of this species is expected to cause biodiversity and economic losses by affecting some ecosystem services such as habitat for species, nutrient recycling, primary production and soil formation. The Neotropical region is a center of diversity for Erythrina, with approximately 70 of 112 known Erythrina species considered to be of Neotropical origin (Messing et al. 2009). Erythrina species are beneficial agriculturally as nitrogen-fixing legumes, windbreaks, shade trees, ornamental plants, and in areas such as Brazil, various Erythrina species are commonly known as medicinal plants (Dias et al. 2013).

Acknowledgements

E. M. was funded by the Sistema Nacional de Investigación (SNI) of the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) in Panama, the University of Panama and research project 52-2016-4-ITE1505 (SENACYT). B.Z was funded by the Sistema Nacional de Investigación (SNI) of the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) in Panama. We wish to thank to two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments to improve the manuscript

References

Aiello A, Saltonstall K, Young V (2016) Brachyplatys vahlii (Fabricius, 1787), an introduced bug from Asia: first report in the Western Hemisphere (Hemiptera: Plataspidae: Brachyplatidinae). BioInvasions Records 5: 7–12, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2016.5.1.02

Culik MP, Martins DDS, Ventura JA, Costa VA (2014) The invasive gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in South America: is classical biological control needed? Biocontrol Science and Technology 24: 971–975, https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157. 2014.900735

Dias SA, Neves AEO, Ferraz ABF, Picada JN, Pereira P (2013) Neuropharmacological and genotoxic evaluation of ethanol extract from Erythrina falcate leaves, a plant used in Brazilian folk medicine. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 23: 335–341, https://doi.org/ 10.1590/S0102-695X2013005000015

Erythrina gall wasp arriving in Central America

Medianero and Zachrisson (2019), BioInvasions Records 8(2): 452–456, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28 456

Etienne J, Dumbardon-Martial E (2013) Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim: un redoutable ravageur pour les érythrines de Guadeloupe et de Martinique (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 118(2): 155–158

Faizal M, Prathapan K, Anith K, Mary C, Lekha M, Rini C (2006) Erythrina gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae, yet another invasive pest new to India. Current Science 90(8): 1061–1062

GISD (2015) Species profile Quadrastichus erythrinae http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=965 (accessed 18 August 2018)

Heu RA, Tsuda DM, Nagamine W, Yalemar J, Suh T (2008) Erythrina gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), New Pest Advisory. Department of Agriculture, Manoa (Hawaii), pp 1-2

Howard FW, Pemberton RW, Liu H (2008) Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Florida, and susceptibility of Erythrina herbacea (Fabaceae). Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 121: 363–369

Kim IK, Delvare G, La Salle J (2004) A new species of Quadrastichus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): a gall-inducing pest on Erythrina (Fabaceae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 13(2): 243–249

Li H, Xiao H, Peng H, Han H, Xue D (2006) Potential global range expansion of a new invasive species, the erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54(2): 229–234

Messing RH, Noser S, Hunkeler J (2009) Using host plant relationships to help determine origins of the invasive Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Biological Invasions 11: 2233–2241, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-008-9379-y

Palacios-Torres RE, Malpica-Pita J, Bustamante-Ortiz AG, Valdez-Carrasco J, Santos-Chávez A, Vega-Muñoz R, Vibrans-Lindemann H (2017) The invasive gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim in Mexico. Southwestern Entomologist 42: 1099–1102, https://doi.org/10. 3958/059.042.0405

Ramirez AE (2012) Aviso de Plaga: Quadrastichus erythrinae. Departamento de agricultura, Puerto Rico, pp 1-2

Rubinoff D, Holland BS, Shibata A, Messing RH, Wright MG (2010) Rapid invasion despite lack of genetic variation in the Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim). Pacific Science 64: 23–31, https://doi.org/10.2984/64.1.023

Yang MM, Tung GS, LaSalle J, Wu ML (2004) Outbreak of erythrina gall wasp on Erythrina spp. (Fabaceae) in Taiwan. Plant Protection Bulletin 46: 391–396

Supplementary material

The following supplementary material is available for this article: Table S1. Geo-referenced records of Quadrastichus erythrinae.

This material is available as part of online article from: http://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2019/Supplements/BIR_2019_Medianero_ Zachrisson_Table_S1.xlsx