Stem-borer-parasitoid

Guides

• Gymnocheta

  Gymnocheta is a genus of tachinid flies comprising approximately 12 described species distributed across the Palaearctic region. The genus is distinguished by metallic green coloration in some species, a trait shared with only one other European tachinid genus. Members are parasitoids of Lepidoptera, with larvae developing inside host caterpillars. The genome of G. viridis was sequenced as part of the Darwin Tree of Life Project.

  parasitoidtachinidaemetallic-greengenome-sequencedDarwin-Tree-of-Lifepalaearcticspring-flyingLepidoptera-parasitoidstem-borer-parasitoidumbellifer-feeder

• Lixophaga

  Lixophaga is a genus of tachinid flies in the tribe Blondeliini. Species in this genus are parasitoids, primarily attacking lepidopteran hosts including stem borers in the genus Diatraea and other moth larvae. The genus has been recorded from the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, with some species studied for biological control potential against agricultural pests. Lixophaga diatraeae has been particularly well-studied as a parasitoid of sugarcane borers.

  parasitoidtachinidbiological-controlsugarcane-pest-managementDipteraBlondeliinisuperparasitismplanidiastem-borer-parasitoidagricultural-entomology

• Mesostenus sicarius

  Mesostenus sicarius is a small ichneumon wasp (6–13 mm) in the subfamily Cryptinae, described by Townes in 1962. The species is closely associated with cacti in the genus Opuntia (prickly-pear), where it parasitizes stem-boring or shoot-boring caterpillars. Females possess a long, tail-like ovipositor used to deposit eggs in concealed hosts; males lack this structure. The species has been documented in Colorado and Alberta, Canada.

  parasitoidcactus-associatedichneumon-waspstem-borer-parasitoid