Flight records for twenty-eight species of Macrophya dahlbom (Hymenoptera : tenthredinidae) in Virginia, and an unusual specimen of M. Epinota (Say)

4 Pages·1991·1.4 MB·

by  D R Smith

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
93(3), 1991, pp. 112-115
FLIGHT RECORDS FOR TWENTY-EIGHT SPECIES OF MACROPHYA
DAHLBOM (HYMENOPTERA: TENTHREDINIDAE) IN
VIRGINIA, AND AN UNUSUAL SPECIMEN OF M. EPINOTA (SAY)
David R. Smith
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, PSI, ARS, U.S.D.A., % National Museum ofNat-
ural History, NHB168, Washington, D.C. 20560.
Abstract.—Twenty-eightspeciesofthesawflygenusMacrophyaDahlbomwerecollected
in a 500 acre site in Virginia over a five year period. Peak annual flight periods ranged
from the end ofApril to the first ofJuly, but most occurred in June. A morphologically
unusual femaleofM. epinota(Say) is noted that hasan unusual, deeppit belowthe medial
angle ofthe mesepistemum.
Key Words: Macrophya, sawflies, flight records
Sawflies of the genus Macrophya Dahl- The collection site was within a 500 acre
bom are a common sight in the spring in areainLouisaCo.,Virginia,aboutfourmiles
the eastern temperate regions of North southofCuckoo. Townes-styleMalaisetraps
America. Individuals are relatively large, 6 (Townes 1962) were in continuous opera-
mm
to 12 long, and most are black with tion from mid-March to mid-Octoberfrom
whitish markings, though some have com- 1985 through 1989. Trapswereservicedev-
binations ofyellow, orange, and red. They ery one to three weeks, depending on the
can be seen in shrubby areas in open forests weather. Upto 12 trapswereusedinasingle
and along forest edges. During five years of season. Most were placed in areas with a
field work at a locality in the Virginia Pied- rich diversity of vegetation, such as open
mont, I collected 3265 specimensof28 spe- woods or woods-edge habitats. Species of
cies which represent 60% of the North Sambucus and Viburnum, known hosts for
American fauna. All speciesweretreated by some Macrophya, were common in several
Gibson (1980) who recognized 46 species trap areas.
in North America, 44 east ofthe Rockies. Thespeciescollected, speciesnewforVir-
Ofthe 23 speciesherecordedfrom Virginia, ginia, numbers ofspecimens taken overthe
allexceptM. masneriGibsonwerecollected fiveyearperiod, recorded hostgenera (from
from this single site. Six ofthe species col- Gibson 1980), and flight times are given in
lected are new Virginia records (Table 1). Table 1. Most all species could be found
All species of Macrophya are known to from theendofMay to theend ofJune, and
fly in the spring, but little information is many had peak flight periods during that
available on annual peak flight periods and time. Macrophya pannosa had the earliest
comparison offlight times for so many spe- peak flight period, during the end ofApril,
cies from a single locality. The data pre- and M. bifasciata, M. cassandra, M. flavo-
sented here may pertain to other geograph- lineata, and M. mixta followed in May.
ical areas also, though the times may vary Macrophya albomaculata had the latest
depending on the latitude and altitude. flight period, from the end ofJune through
VOLUME 93, NUMBER 3 773
Table1. Flightrecordsof28speciesofMaaophyainLouisaCo.,Virginia. An"X"indicatesearlyorlatecollection
recordsofone orseveralindividualsduringoneormoreyears. Anasterisk(*)indicatesanewstaterecordforVirginia.
M.flictaMacGillivray
{Pwnus]
M.iorwosa(Klug)
M.fuligineaNorton
(Castanea)
M.goniphora(Say)
M.lineatana Rohwer
M.macgillivrayiGitson
M.maculilabhsKonow
{Sambucus)
M.masoniGibson*
M.mensaGibson
M.mixtaMacGillivray*
M.nigra(Norton)
M.nigristigmaRohwer
{Caryal)
M.pannosa(Say)
{Sambucus)
M.polchella(Klug)
M.senaccaGibson*
M.t/b/atorNorton
M.trisyllaba(Norton)
(Sambucus)
M.varia(Norton)
M.zoeKirby
774 PROCEEDINGS OFTHE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OFWASHINGTON
Gibson(1980) initially thought thatthe for-
mertwomaybelongtoonemorphologically
variable species. Second, the separate but
close flight peaks ofM. mensa indicate the
need to question the status ofthat species.
A second species is possibly masquerading
under that name.
Macrophya epinota (Say)
Anunusualfemalewascollectedinsouth-
western Virginia (Grayson Co., base of
WhiteTopMt., VI-17-88, onSambucus, D.
R. Miller). In color, lancet characters, and
other respects, it is identical to M. epinota,
but differs by having an extremely deep pit
Fig. 1. Ventrolateral view ofthorax ofM. epinota just below the sharp medial angle of the
showing deep pit below medial angle of mesepister- mesepistemum (Fig. 1). Macrophyaepinota
Sncuaml.e lAinnteer=io1r.0ismtmo.the left; white in frontisa foreleg. has a sharp medial angle on the mesepister-
num but the area below the angle is ffat or
slightly concave. I have never seen speci-
mid-July and was collected over a longer mens ofany Macrophya species with such
period oftime than any other species. Most a deep pit. This specimen could either rep-
specieshadonepeak flight period, probably resent a distinct species or could be an
indicating a single generation a year. Re- anomaly. However, becauseofitssimilarity
cords for one species, M. mensa, indicated with M. epinota and because only a single
two flight peaks. This could be due to lack specimen is available, I presently regard it
mm
ofadequate data, two close generations, or asM. epinota. It isabout 12 long, com-
presence oftwo closely related species. All parable in size to some ofthe larger speci-
specimens from both flight peaks appeared mensofM. epinota. I citethisoddityincase
the same. it is discovered again so its status can be
The mostcommon speciesthroughoutthe better determined.
study area was M. formosa. Its host is not
known but must beaplantcommon toeach Acknowledgments
trap location. Nine other species (over 80
collected) were common: M. albomaculata, I extend my thanks to Mr. and Mrs. J. G.
Mme.nfslaa,viMco.xapea,nMno.safl,ictMa., Mp.ulcghoenlilpah,orMa., tMri.- pKrJoopkeertfyorinaLloluoiwsiangCoa.c,cVeisrsgitnoiat.heMiryftohramneksr
syllaba, and M. varia. The larval host ofM. alsotoHenriGouletandGaryA. P. Gibson,
goniphora is not known, but adults were Biosystematics Research Centre, Agricul-
collected flyingaroundRubussp. whichwas ture Canada, Ottawa, and T. J. Henry and
a common plant in the area. E. E. Grissell, Systematic Entomology Lab-
Two examples illustrate the significance oratory, U.S.D.A., Washington, D.C., for
and potential use of seasonal data in sys- reviewing the manuscript.
tematicwork. First, thesedatasupport Gib-
son's (1980) separation ofA/, maculilabris, Literature Cited
M. albomaculata, and M. pannosa. They Gibson,G. A. P. 1980. ArevisionofthegenusA/ac-
are difficultto separate morphologically, but rophyaDahlbom (Hymenoptera: Symphyta,Ten-
each has a distinct, separate flight period. thredinidae) of North America. Memoirs ofthe
VOLUME 93, NUMBER 3 775
Entomological Society ofCanada, No. 114, 167 ceedings ofthe Entomological Society ofWash-
pp. ington 64: 253-262.
Townes, H. 1962. Design for a Malaise trap. Pro-