Inostemma
Haliday, 1833
Inostemma is a of minute in the Platygastridae, established by Haliday in 1833. within this genus are known to parasitize gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) across diverse including pine forests, agricultural crops, and tropical vegetation. Several species have been documented as agents of pestiferous gall midges, with well-studied examples including parasitoids of the pine needle gall midge in eastern Asia. The genus exhibits distribution with particular diversity in the Palearctic, Asia, and Madagascar.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Inostemma: /ˌɪnoʊˈstiːmə/
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Habitat
Pine forests where feed on Pinus ; agricultural crops including bell pepper fields; tropical and subtropical vegetation including ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis) stems. is determined by presence of gall midge host species.
Distribution
. Documented from: eastern Asia (Korea, Japan), India, Madagascar ( ), West Palearctic, Argentina, and Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden).
Host Associations
- Thecodiplosis japonensis (pine needle gall midge, Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) - parasitized by Inostemma seoulis and Inostemma matsutama
- Neolasioptera cephalandrae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) - parasitized by Inostemma indicum in stem galls of ivy gourd
- Coccinia grandis (ivy gourd, Cucurbitaceae) - associated plant plant of Neolasioptera cephalandrae
- Pinus species - associated plant trees of Thecodiplosis japonensis
Life Cycle
-larval : females parasitize eggs, and larvae develop within the host larva. This has been explicitly documented for Inostemma seoulis and Inostemma matsutama.
Behavior
with congeneric and confamilial has been observed; phenological timing of mediates segregation and coexistence. Inostemma seoulis competes with Inostemma matsutama and Platygaster matsutama for shared .
Ecological Role
Natural enemy and potential agent of gall midge pests; contributes to of forest pests such as Thecodiplosis japonensis; influences structure through competitive interactions.
Human Relevance
potential against pine needle gall midge damaging pine forestry; presence in agricultural crops (bell pepper) suggests possible role in pest management.
Similar Taxa
- PlatygasterConfamilial with similar -larval on gall midges; co-occurs on shared and requires careful morphological examination to distinguish
More Details
Taxonomic note
The includes with limited original descriptions; Inostemma indicum required neotype designation in 2018 due to loss of and scanty original description.
Endemic species
Two are to Madagascar: Inostemma ambilobei and Inostemma transversiceps.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Table 1: Life history traits of Inostemma seoulis , Inostemma matsutama , and Platygaster matsutama based on the literature.
- Parasitoid Wasp Inostemma striaticornu Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) in Crops of Bell Pepper in Argentina
- Neotype designation and redescription of Inostemma indicum (Platygastroidea: Platygastridae) parasitizing ivy gourd gall midge
- Figure 6: Relationship between two parasitoids: Inostemma matsutama and Platygaster matsutama (A), I. matsutama and Inostemma seoulis (B), I. matsutama and P. matsutama (C), and relationship between the proportion of I. seoulis in total parasitism and P. matsutama parasitism rate (D).
- Differential thermal biology may explain the coexistence of Platygaster matsutama and Inostemma seoulis (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) attacking Thecodiplosis japonensis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
- ECOLOGY OF PLA TYGASTER MA TSUTAMA AND INOSTEMMA SEOULIS (HYMENOPTERA : PLATYGASTRIDAE), EGG-LARVAL PARASITES OF THE PINE NEEDLE GALL MIDGE, THECODIPLOSIS JAPONENSIS (DIPTERA, CECIDOMYIIDAE)