Research Article |
Corresponding author: Seunghwan Lee ( seung@snu.ac.kr ) Academic editor: Petr Janšta
© 2024 Duk-Young Park, Seunghwan Lee.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Park D-Y, Lee S (2024) First discovery of Plutarchia (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) in Palearctic region, with description of a new species from South Korea. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 97: 229-239. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.97.115524
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The genus Plutarchia is discovered in the Palearctic region for the first time. In this study, we report a newly described and newly recorded species from South Korea: P. fuscipennata sp. nov., and P. malabarica Narendran & Padmasenan, 1990, respectively. The host association of Plutarchia malabarica reared from leaf-miner flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) attacking the seeds of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (Fabaceae) has been unknown until now. A key to the South Korean species and descriptions of the new species are also provided.
Agromyzidae, East Asia, Fabaceae, new species, parasitoid
The genus Plutarchia is a relatively small group within the family Eurytomidae and comprises 13 known species (
This genus concept has undergone several morphological revisions, with new species added by
The host of Plutarchia is not well known, but
In this study, we report the genus Plutarchia in the Palearctic region for the first time by the new species and new record from South Korea.
Adult specimens of Plutarchia fuscipennata, sp. nov., were collected using sweeping nets, and P. malabarica were reared from the puparia of Agromyzidae in the pods of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (Fabaceae). Most of the specimens were deposited at the Laboratory of Insect Biosystematics, Seoul National University, and one specimen of each species was deposited at the National Institute of Biological Resources. The abbreviations for the depositories of the specimens used in this study are as follows:
Specimens were examined with an Olympus SZ61 stereomicroscope and photographed with a DMC 5400 digital camera attached to a Leica Z16 APO motorized macroscope. Serial images were combined using Zerene Stacker and digitally retouched using Adobe Photoshop CS6. Most morphological terms follow
Morphological abbreviations used in this paper as follows: F1– FX, funiculars 1–X; MPS, multiporous plate sensilla(e); POL, the distance between posterior ocelli; LOL, distance between anterior and posterior ocellus; OOL, minimal distance between posterior ocellus and inner orbit; OD, maximum diameter of posterior ocellus; cc, costal cell; mv, marginal vein; pmv, postmarginal vein; stv, stigmal vein; GT1–GTX, gastral tergites 1 to X.
Plutarchia Girault, 1925: 3. Type species: Plutarchia bicarinativentris Girault, 1925.
1 | Female | 2 |
– | Male | 3 |
2 | Head (Fig. |
P. fuscipennata sp. nov. |
– | Head (Fig. |
P. malabarica Narendran & Padmasenan |
3 | Head (Fig. |
P. fuscipennata sp. nov. |
– | Head (Fig. |
P. malabarica Narendran & Padmasenan |
The species is named after the Latin fusci (dark) and pennata (wing), from the basally infuscate wing of the new species.
Holotype
South Korea: ♀, San 1-6, Sujeom-dong, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 36°07'40.6"N, 128°18'05.1"E, 23.vi.2015, Duk-Young Park (deposited in
Plutarchia fuscipennata is easily distinguished from others by dark infuscate anterior half of the fore wing.
Holotype female (habitus: Fig.
Head
(Fig.
Antenna
(Fig.
Mesosoma
(Fig.
Metasoma. Petiole wider than long in dorsal view. Gaster slightly longer than head+mesosoma; 1.6× as long as high. GT4 the longest; with inconspicuous sculpture on ventral half area. Syntergum slightly upturned.
Male (habitus Fig.
South Korea.
Unknown.
Only one female and two males were collected using sweeping nets. The biology of this species has not been confirmed, but it would be similar to that of other species associated with Agromyzidae that attack Fabaceae.
Plutarchia malabarica
Narendran & Padmasenan, 1990: 115. Holotype ♀. Type locality: India (Kerala). Type depository:
South Korea: 1♀1♂, Bunori Fortification, Hwado-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, 37°35'28.1"N, 126°27'43.3"E, 20.ii.2021, Duk-Young Park, emerged from pupae of Agromyzidae sp. at 01.vi.2022 (1♀ in
Female (habitus: Fig.
Head
(Fig.
Antenna
(Fig.
Mesosoma
(Fig.
Metasoma. Petiole wider than long in dorsal view. Gaster 1.5× as long as height; 1.1× as long as head+mesosoma. GT4 with entirely reticulate-imbricate except anterodorsally one-fourth area smooth. Syntergum not upturned.
Male (habitus Fig.
A–D Plutarchia malabarica, male A habitus, lateral view B antenna, lateral view C head, dorsal view D propodeum and petiole, dorsal view E leaves and pods of Pueraria lobata F pupa of Agromyzidae in pod of Pu. lobata G larva of P. malabarica in pupa of Agromyzidae H male habitus emerged from pupa of Agromyzidae.
The length of the redescribed specimen (2.08 mm) in this study is slightly longer than that of the types (1.39–1.93 mm). Additionally, the POL/OOL ratio (2.62) is shorter compared to that of the holotype (3.22).
South Korea (new record), India (Kerala).
We observed this species emerging from the cocoons of an unknown leaf-miner species (Diptera: Agromyzidae), which attacked the seeds of Pueraria lobata (Fabaceae). Seeds were collected during winter and subsequently stored under laboratory conditions. Owing to the controlled environment, adults of P. malabarica emerged earlier than expected from the pupae of Agromyzidae. However, their emergence is associated with oviposition by Agromyzidae on the seeds of Pu. lobata, which occurred from September to October, when Pu. lobata seed ripening process. The host record for P. malabarica is the first discovery of a host association for this species.
Up to recently, Plutarchia was known to be distributed throughout the tropical (Oriental: Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Southern China; Australasian: Northern Australia; Afrotropical: Nigeria) to subtropical (Oriental: Nepal) zones of the Old World. Although this genus is mainly distributed in the Oriental region, its type species, P. bicarinativentris, was first discovered in Australia by
The biology of most Plutarchia species remains unknown; however, information exists for a few species. For example, P. bicarinativentris was reared from the pods of Glycine clandestina J. C. Wendl. (Fabaceae) in Australia (
We are grateful to reviewer, Dr. Hossein Lotfalizadeh, and subject editor, Dr. Petr Janšta, who helped improve the quality of this paper. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources (