How to Identify Common Insect Associates of the Southern Pine Beetle

Southern Pine Beetle Handbook

United States Department of Agriculture, Combined Forest Pest Research and Development Program, Southern Pine Beetle Handbook, Agriculture Handbook No. 563. 1980.

Hymenoptera

Formicidae

Crematogaster ashmeadi Mayer (fig 50): C. ashmeadi, like all ants found with SPB, are usually wingless. They are small (2.1-2.6 mm) brown insects with extremely narrow waists (gaster) and triangular abdomens. There are two spines on the propodeum.

Figure 50

Braconidae


Figure 51	Figure 52

Figure 53	Figure 54

Figure 55	Figure 56

Cenocoelius nigrisoma (Rohwer) (fig. 51): The male of C. nigrisoma is 5.0 mm long; the female is 6.0 mm long. Both sexes have a red head and shiny black body. The thorax is deeply pitted and rough. The abdomen is narrow and attached high on the thorax (dorsally).
Coeloides pissodis (Ashmead) (fig. 52): C. pissodis is smaller (3.8-4.6 mm) than Cenocoelius nigrisoma and has a smooth red head and an orange abdomen. The thorax is hairy and shiny. There are broad furrows at the base of the abdomen and petiole. The pedicel of the antennae is twice as long as the first flagellar segment.
Atanycolus comosifrons Shenefelt (fig. 53): Females are 9.011.0 mm long with an ovipositor 13.0-16.0 mm long; males are 9.0 mm long. The face is densely covered with silver hairs. The pedicel of the antennae is about five times longer than the first flagellar segment.
Dendrosoter sulcatus Muesebeck (fig. 54): D. sulcatus has a deep cleft above the eyes, with swollen areas (tubercles) on each side. The wings are dusky with a white band extending across them. The adults are 2.8-3.5 mm, dark brown, and the apical half of the abdomen is darker than the basal half.
Meteorus hypophloei Cushman (fig. 55): M. hypophloei (2.83.8 mm) has a thick head, a stout thorax (about 21/2 times as long as wide), and coarsely sculptured hind coxae. The females have a slender, slightly decurved oviposter. Wings are clear.
Spathius pallidus Ashmead (fig. 56): The adult s. pallidus is 3.5 mm long and light brown. The head has striations, and the wings appear patterned. The petiole is striated and has lateral processes. The first abdominal segment is almost as long as the remainder of the abdomen.

Pteromalidae


Figure 57	Figure 58

Figure 59	Figure 60

Figure 61	Figure 62

Pteromalidae: The pteromalids are minute, metallic-bronze insects with greatly reduced wing venation and triangular-shaped abdomens.
Dinotiscus dendroctoni (Ashmead) (figs. 57, male; 58, female; 59A): The sexes of D. dendroctoni differ markedly. Both sexes are metallic green-black with clear wings having greatly reduced venation. Also, the thorax is densely punctate. Females (3.8 mm) have long, pointed abdomens. Males (2.7 mm) appear similar to males of Roptrocerus (fig. 59), but have a distinctly rectangular stigma in the forewing (fig. 59A).
Roptrocerus Ratzeburg (figs. 59B, 60, male; 61, female): Both sexes of Roptrocerus have a finely punctate thorax. They are usually smaller than D. dendroctoni; females are 3.0 mm, males 1.8 mm long. Males and females have a rounded stigma in the forewing (fig. 59B). Their wings have short hairs.
Heydenia unica Cook and Davis (fig. 62): H. unica adults (2.84.2 mm) are usually reddish brown and have large front femora. There is a spot on the forewing. The pronotum is bellshaped, and gives it a "necklike" appearance.

Eurytomidae


Figure 63	Figure 64

Eurytomidae: Female eurytomids are similar in abdominal shape to the pteromalids, but they are usually black and have a more coarsely punctate thorax. The antennae have dense, light-colored hairs.
Eurytoma tomici Ashmead (figs. 63, male; 64, female): These are shiny black wasps 3.54.0 mm. They have a squarish pronotum, large pits on the thorax, and a triangular abdomen. The males have asymmetric, elbowed antennae. Female eurytomids are similar in abdominal shape to the pteromalids, but they are usually black and have a more coarsely punctate thorax. The antennae have dense, light-colored hairs.

Platygasteridae


Figure 65	Figure 66

Platygastridae: Platygastrids are minute (1.0-1.3 mm) shiny black wasps with reduced wing venation much like chalcids. The antennae have 10 segments, and are attached very low on the face, next to the clypeus.

Platygaster Latreille (fig. 65): Platygaster spp. ( 1 .3 mm) have clear wings without a fringe of hairs on the hind margin of the forewing, a trait which distinguishes them from Leptacis spp. (fig. 65). The scutellum is rounded off at the rear margin.
Leptacis Foerster (fig. 66): Leptacis spp. are similar to Platygaster spp., except for the somewhat dusky wings with a fringe of hairs. Length is 1.0 mm. They have a backward projecting spine on the scutellum.

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