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Parasitism of the “Fuller’s rose weevil” Naupactus cervinus by Microctonus sp. in Argentina

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Abstract

We report the occurrence of an unidentified species of the wasp Microctonus Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitizing adults of the Fuller’s rose weevil Naupactus cervinus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a widespread pest of economically important crops included in the South American tribe Naupactini. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I-based phylogenetic analysis indicates that the parasitoid is closely related to Microctonus hyperodae Loan. Their first instar larvae show slight morphological differences with this species. Superparasitism by first instar larvae occurred at low frequency. Some teratocytes were observed. Microctonus sp. and its host were infected with different strains of the reproductive parasite Wolbachia pipientis Hertig (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), although the bacterial lineage harbored by the wasp coincides with that infecting most parthenogenetic Naupactini. This multipartite association (weevil bearing both Wolbachia and Microctonus, and Microctonus bearing Wolbachia) opens challenging perspectives for future research on biological interactions and biological control.

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Acknowledgments

We specially thank María Guadalupe del Río, Pablo Colombo, Jerson Guedes and Mauricio Lovadina for fieldwork collaboration. We also wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for comments that helped to improve this paper. This work was supported by Grants of Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (PICT 0962 awarded to MSR and PICT 480 awarded to VAC), Universidad de Buenos Aires (20020100100186 awarded to VAC), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (N261 awarded to MSL and N595 awarded to AAL), and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (PIP 1324 awarded to VAC, PIP 0458 awarded to MSL, and PIP 1272 awarded to AAL). MSR, MSL, VAC and AAL are members of Carrera del Investigador Científico of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires,- IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Av. Intendente Güiraldes y Av. Costanera Norte s/n, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Marcela S. Rodriguero, Agustín J. Elías Costa & Viviana A. Confalonieri

  2. División Entomología, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    Daniel A. Aquino, Marta S. Loiácono & Analía A. Lanteri

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  1. Marcela S. Rodriguero
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  2. Daniel A. Aquino
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  3. Marta S. Loiácono
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  4. Agustín J. Elías Costa
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  5. Viviana A. Confalonieri
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  6. Analía A. Lanteri
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Correspondence to Marcela S. Rodriguero.

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Rodriguero, M.S., Aquino, D.A., Loiácono, M.S. et al. Parasitism of the “Fuller’s rose weevil” Naupactus cervinus by Microctonus sp. in Argentina. BioControl 59, 547–556 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9595-6

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