Species status of two colour morphs of Eupelmus vesicularis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) as revealed by allozyme electrophoresis, morphometric and host preference data

Abstract

Eupelmus vesicularis (Retzius) is considered to be a widespread and polyphagous parasitoid recorded from more than 200 hosts. The aim of this study was to determine whether two colour forms of the putative species represent two different morphs of a single species or a pair of cryptic species. Three different methods – morphometric analysis, allozyme electrophoresis and evaluation of host preferences – were used to investigate the existence of two cryptic species. Bivariate and multivariate analyses clearly indicate two species that are also distinguishable electrophoretically at the Idh-2, G6pdh, Me, Pgm and Xdh loci. The evaluation of host preferences indicates some overlap in host range between the two species.

Keywords:

• Chalcidoidea
• cryptic species
• allozymes
• morphometrics

Acknowledgements

The author is particularly grateful to I.E. Popescu, O.A. Popovici, I. Andriescu, M.D. Mitroiu (“Al. I. Cuza” University, Iaşi) and A. Ribes (Lleida, Spain) for the donation of specimens for the morphological and host preference studies. The allozyme electrophoresis laboratory was set up and the reagents obtained with the kind help of D. Cojocaru, C. Maniu, C. Cîmpeanu (“Al. I. Cuza” University) and P. Rotinberg (Biological Research Institute, Iaşi). I am very thankful to G.A.P. Gibson (CNC, Ottawa), whose very useful comments instigated several improvements to this paper. I acknowledge with gratitude J. Noyes and A. Polaszek for their kind support during my stay at the Natural History Museum (London, UK), G.F. Dyurich and S. Eliseev (Institute for Plant Protection and Ecological Agriculture, Chişinğu, Republic of Moldova), R. Danielsson (Zoological Museum, Lund University, Sweden), H. Vårdal, B. Viklund and G. Lindberg (Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, Sweden) for their help during my work in the collections of the respective institutions. This research received partial support from the SYNTHESYS Project (http://www.synthesys.info/) which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP6 “Structuring the European Research Area” Programme (application GB-TAF-4479).