Phasiinae

Abstract: Data and observations on wild tachinid flies that were attracted to traps baited with known or suspected pheromones for the following stink bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are reported: Podisus maculiventris (SAY), Euschistus tristigmus (SAY), Thyanta custator accerra MCATEE, Acrosternum hilare (SAY), and Halyomorpha halys (STAL). Halyomorpha halys, called the brown marmorated stink bug, is a newly invasive species in the eastern U. S., while the other stink bugs listed are native North American species. The following known tachinid parasitoids of stink bugs were captured: Euclytia flava (TOWNSEND) (Phasiinae), Gymnosoma par (WALKER) (Phasiinae), Euthera tentatrix LOEW (Dexiinae), Hemyda aurata ROBINEAU-DESVOIDY (Phasiinae), Cylindromyia fumipennis (BIGOT) (Phasiinae), and Trichopoda pennipes (F.) (Phasiinae). Tachinids in the subfamily Phasiinae commonly exploit pheromones to guide their search for potential hosts. The findings of the current study bolster this conclusion, and provide clues to pheromones and host/parasitoid relationships yet to be discovered.

Abstract: Phasiinae (Diptera: Tachinidae) are endoparasitoid flies that attack Heteroptera, including a multitude of agricultural pests. A phylogenetically informed classification of Phasiinae has eluded systematists for over a century, primarily because of the conflicting character states and confusing morphology of certain taxa that indicate potential placement within other subfamilies. The unstable nature of phasiine taxonomy discourages important research into their classification, life history and potential use in biological control. In hopes of resolving several longstanding taxonomic debates and encouraging future research into this important group of parasitoids, the first molecular systematic analysis of Phasiinae is presented, including 128 worldwide taxa (80 genera) and approximately 7.6 kb of nuclear data representing four genes. Special emphasis is placed on the resolution of taxonomically ambiguous groups. The resulting robustly supported phylogenetic trees [maximum‐likelihood (ML)/Bayesian] were used to trace the evolution of significant adaptive traits within Tachinidae and test hypotheses about the classification of Phasiinae. Subfamily placements of certain taxa are confidently resolved including Eutherini, Epigrimyiini, Litophasia Girschner within Dexiinae, and Strongygastrini and Parerigonini within Phasiinae. The members of tribe Phasiini are redistributed: Cistogaster Latreille, Clytiomya Rondani, Ectophasia Townsend, Eliozeta Rondani and Euclytia Townsend transferred to Gymnosomatini; Opesia Robineau‐Desvoidy to Strongygastrini; and Xysta Meigen to Xystini. Similarly, members of Parerigonini are treated as belonging to Parerigonini (Parerigone Brauer, Zambesomima Walker), Cylindromyiini (Australotachina Curran, Pygidimyia Crosskey, Neobrachelia Townsend) or new tribe Zitini (Zita Curran, Leverella Baranov). Penthosia van der Wulp is transferred from Cylindromyiini to Hermyini. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that piercing structures used to insert eggs directly into host tissues have evolved separately in a number of groups, but have also been lost or reduced in several lineages. A single potentially unequivocal morphological synapomorphy of Phasiinae, an elongated medial plate of the hypandrium in males, is identified.

Abstract: This study was carried out to determine the tachinid parasitoids of lepidopterous and heteropterous hosts from some localities in the Kelkit Valley (Amasya, Tokat, Sivas) of Turkey. Eleven species belonging to the subfamily Exoristinae and 9 species belonging to the subfamily Phasiinae were reared. Eurygaster maura L. (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) for Gymnosoma desertorum Rohdendorf and Corizus hyoscyami (L.) (Rhopalidae) for Elomyia lateralis (Meig.) were recorded for the first time as tachinid/host-couples. Additionally, 6 tachinid/host-couples were recorded for the first time from Turkey.

Abstract: A list is given of 164 species of Tachinidae from Israel: 32 Phasiinae, 7 Dexiinae, 41 Echinomyiinae, 34 Exoristinae and 50 Goniinae; 13 of them are new species and 73 are recorded for the first time from Israel. The zoogeographical distribution of Israel tachinids is discussed; most species are Palaearctic and of a more or less wide distribution in this region, only 9 of them are Eremic; 6 species are Ethiopian elements and 7 Palaeotropic; 25 species and 2 subspecies are known so far only from Israel. Some observations on the biology of tachinids are stated; 45 hosts are reported from Israel: 4 Orthoptera, 4 Hemiptera and 37 Lepidoptera. Cases of hyperparasitism were observed: Brachymeria kassalensis Kirby (Chalcididae), Pediobius sp. (Eulophidae), and Tetrastichus sp. (Eulophidae) hatched from puparia of Exorista segregata Rond., a parasite of Orgyia dubia Tausch. (Lyman-triidae); Thyridanthrax afer Fabr. (Bombyliidae) hatched from a puparium of Spoggosia aegyptiaca Vill., a parasite of Ocnogyn...