Journal of Hymenoptera Research (Oct 2016)

Infestation of the woodwasp Tremex apicalis Matsumura (Hymenoptera, Siricidae) on the large-leaf dogwood Swida macrophylla (Wall.) with biological notes on its parasitoid wasps

  • Kazumu Kuramitsu,
  • Atsuya Kosaki,
  • Teruhito Ishihara,
  • Hideo Yamada,
  • Kyohei Watanabe

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.52.10060
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 52
pp. 71 – 79

Abstract

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The woodwasp Tremex apicalis (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) infesting a decayed stand of Swida macrophylla (Cornales: Cornaceae) was found in Honshu, Japan. S. macrophylla was newly recorded as a host tree of the woodwasps. We observed oviposition behavior of T. apicalis on the tree trunk on May, 2015. In addition, prepupae and pupae of T. apicalis were observed in the wood on April, 2016. However, no larvae of T. apicalis were found at that time. This suggests that T. apicalis requires one year from egg to pupation. Parasitoid wasps, Ibalia japonica (Hymenoptera: Ibaliidae) and Megarhyssa spp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), were also observed on the trunk (oviposition behavior of adult females) and in the wood (pupae and newly emerged adults). Because Ibalia and Megarhyssa are known as larval parasitoids of woodwasps and there were no other insect species in the wood, we conclude that these wasps are parasitoids of T. apicalis larvae. These parasitoids appear to be major natural enemies of T. apicalis larvae in the study site.