Metaphycus anneckei and Metaphycushageni: two discrete speciesparasitic on black scale, Saissetia oleae

Abstract

Parasitized black scale, Saissetia oleae, were collected from olives(Olea europaea L.) in Spain and from thismaterial an encyrtid parasitoid was reared that istaxonomically similar to Metaphycus anneckeiGuerrieri and Noyes. Differences were noted betweenthe Spanish Metaphycus nr. sp. anneckeiand material described as M. anneckei that isresident to California. Although dissimilar in fewmorphological characters, the ovipositor length andshape of the male genitalia and the antennal club ofboth sexes can be used to discriminate between M.anneckei resident to California and the Spanishmaterial, which was subsequently named Metaphycushageni Daane and Caltagirone. To determine ifmorphological differences correspond to biologicaldifferences, reproductive and oviposition behavioursof Californian M. anneckei and SpanishM. hageni were studied. Mating was not observedbetween individuals of the two types and only maleprogeny were produced in interspecific pairings. Metaphycus anneckei females deposit eggs through thescale's ventral side and were never observed to hostfeed, while M. hageni females oviposit throughthe scale's dorsum and frequently host fed. Thecollective biological evidence agrees withmorphological evidence, indicating that M.anneckei and M. hageni are discrete species. Specimens from recent collections in California andSpain were compared with specimens from earliercollections (1910s to 1980s) in Australia, California,Greece, Hawaii, Italy, Israel, Mexico, and SouthAfrica. With the exception of Greek and Spanishmaterial, all specimens examined were M.anneckei. We discuss the significance of this newinformation with respect to biological control andprovide a key to separate these and other closelyrelated black scale parasitoids.