4-5-2011
Dear Yair,
I am wondering if this kind of thing can be posted to the Scale Insect Forum? It is very likely that scale collectors come across chamaemyiids not too infrequently, and it would be a great resource to have some "scale-eyes" on the lookout! In any case, below is the text which I would like posted to the scale community please.
Cheers,
Steve
Stephen D. Gaimari
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Request for Chamaemyiidae (Diptera) - predators of Sternorrhyncha!
by Stephen D. Gaimari
Program Supervisor (Entomology
E-MAIL: sgaimari@cdfa.ca.gov
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ppd/staff/sgaimari.html
Plant Pest Diagnostics Center
California Department of Food and Agriculture
3294 Meadowview Road
Sacramento, CA 95832,
USA
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
I currently have a joint project with Nathan Havill (USDA Forest Service) working on the phylogeny of Chamaemyiidae. This project started with our looking solely at the adelgid predator lineage(s), but in the process we decided we should tackle the whole family, since I had accumulated in my own collections so many of the critical taxa. I am writing to you (the scale insect community) in the hopes that you can keep your eyes open for these flies, which at times can be very numerous in association with scales and other sternorrhynchs. To date, the genera we most critically need are the following - please contact me if you want any information about how to collect them if you are in places where they might occur! I am very happy to provide any insight you might need, although I am quite sure you all know your way around the coccoids much better than me! For those predaceous on scales, I find just holding the scale colonies and letting the flies emerge is the best method. For those attacking mealybugs, I tend to get large numbers sweeping through the vegetation housing the colonies (this is particularly effective with the grass-feeding mealybugs). Here they are (*note a few specific examples for some of these at the end of the message):
Chaetoleucopis [Australia - see below*]
Cremifania [Holarctic - on adelgids]
Leucopis (Indioleucopis) [India - see below*]
Leucopis (Leucopella) [Neotropical/Afrotropical - on various scales and mealybugs on grasses/dicots, see below*]
Leucopis (Metaleucopis) [Russia - rare - on aphids]
Leucochthiphila [Australia (Black Mountain, ACT) - rare - probably on mealybugs in grasses]
Leucopomyia [Holarctic - see below*]
Melametopia [Palearctic - rare - probably on mealybugs in grasses]
Melanochthiphila [Canary Islands only - probably on mealybugs in grasses]
Parochthiphila (Euestelia) [Holarctic - on mealybugs in grasses]
Parochthiphila (Parochthiphila) [Holarctic - on mealybugs in grasses]
new genus [Neotropical (Brazil) - on Ceroplastes]
So, I am asking if any of you collectors out there might keep an eye out for chamaemyiids - it would be a great help to this project! And of course host information is always useful! I would greatly appreciate any specimens (from anywhere in the world) of chamaemyiids in ethanol. The project is both morphological (my part, of course) and molecular (Nathan's part). I have pinned specimens for many species of course, but access to fresh and ethanol-preserved specimens will be greatly appreciated! ... of course, I am always happy with ANY chamaemyiid adults you may come across in your scale efforts!
Here are some specific examples - this isn't a limitation - just a few examples from literature of what these genera are found on. I have many other records if it will help - just ask!
Chaetoleucopis,
Dactylopius confusus (Cockerell) - Australia
Melanococcus albizziae (Maskell) - Australia
Leucopina
Dactylopius coccus Costa - Neotropical
Dactylopius confusus (Cockerell) - Nearctic
Phenacoccus helianthi (Cockerell) - Nearctic
Leucopis (Leucopella) - these records except the first, are all Afrotropical
Ceronema africana Macfie
Dactylopius coccus Costa - also Neotropical
Dactylopius confusus (Cockerell)
Delottococcus euphorbiae (Ezzat & McConnell)
Icerya purchasi Maskell
Maconellicoccus ugandae (Laing)
Paracoccus burnerae (Brain)
Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner)
Planococcus citri (Risso)
Planococcus kenyae (LePelley)
Planococcus trispinosus James
Pseudococcus concavocerarii James
Pulvinaria floccifera Westwood
Pulvinaria dicrostachys Leonardi
Saissetia oleae (Olivier)
Spilococcus spp.
Leucopis (Indioleucopis) luteicornis - India and Sri Lanka
Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green)
Brevennia rehi (Lindinger)
Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell)
also on the aphid - Aphis gossypii Glover, on cotton.
Leucopomyia - egg predators within female egg sac
Filippia follicularis (Targioni Tozzetti) - Palearctic
Neopulvinaria innumerabilis (Rathvon) - Nearctic, Palearctic
Pulvinaria vitis (Linnaeus) - Nearctic, Neotropical
Planococcus ficus (Signoret) - widespread
Melaleucopis
Insignorthezia insignis (Browne) - Neotropical, Caribbean
Praelongorthezia citricola (Beingolea) - Neotropical (Peru)
Praelongorthezia olivicola (Beingolea) - Neotropical (Peru, Chile)
Pseudoleucopis
Eriococcus coriaceus Maskell - Australasia
Eriococcus eucalypti Maskell - Australia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Stephen D. Gaimari
Program Supervisor (Entomology)
Plant Pest Diagnostics Center
California Department of Food and Agriculture
3294 Meadowview Road
Sacramento, CA 95832,
USA
Tel. 916-262-1131, Fax 916-262-1190
E-mail sgaimari@cdfa.ca.gov
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ppd/staff/sgaimari.html