Abstract:

Objective: Sinoscolia fengyang Wei et Niu is the major defoliator of the landscape plant species Pterocarya stenoptera in Beijing in recent years. Due to the damage of the pest, the host leaves occur a large number of yellowish-brown spotted, broken or defoliated ultimately, seriously threatening the healthy growth of P. stenoptera. In order to realize the sustainable management of the pest and protect the landscape and ecological environment of P. stenoptera, it is important to investigate the parasitic natural enemy resources of the pest, clarify the species, screen the dominant natural enemy species and carry out the application of biological control. Method: The damaged leaves by larvae of S. fengyang were collected from the north garden of Beijing National Botanical Garden, brought to the laboratory, and then were cultured at room temperature for the rearing of parasitoid wasp. When the adults emerged, they were collected, and specimens were examined based on the characteristics of traditional morphology and mitochondrial COI gene sequence. Result: A new parasitoid that parasitizes the larvae of S. fengyang was discovered, it belongs to the genus Closterocerus in the family Eulophidae (Hymenoptera), and here is named as C. sinoscoliae Jiang, Yao et Fu, sp. nov. The morphological characteristics of the new species were described in this paper. The color images and electron microscope photos of the external morphological characteristics of male and female were also provided. Meanwhile, based on the COI gene sequence of the new species, a phylogenetic tree with some other species of Closterocerus was constructed, and the taxonomic status of the new species was further clarified. Objective: In this study, a new species of the genus Closterocerus is discovered. It parasitizes the larvae of S. fengyang on P. stenoptera, and represents a potential parasitoid enemy for biological control.

Key words: taxonomy, new species, parasitoid, biological control