Cephalonomia tarsalis is a idiobiont ectoparasitoid hymenopteran in the family Bethylidae. Known hosts include: Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Sitophilus granarius, Sitophilus oryzae, Sitophilus zeamais, and Tribolium castaneum.
| Cephalonomia tarsalis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Bethylidae |
| Genus: | Cephalonomia |
| Species: | C. tarsalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ashmead), 1893
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Cephalonomia carinata Kieffer, 1907 | |
Biology
editOn Oryzaephilus surinamensis, fertilized females C. tarsalis lay on average 85 eggs and non-fertilized females lay on average 50 eggs. Adult lifespan is on average 35 days for females and 6 days for males at room temperature. Adult females need to host-feed to initiate oviposition. Upon paralyzing a host (a beetle larva or pupa) the female typically lays 2 eggs (one female and one male) onto the host's body. When 2 larvae develop on the same host they develop on average in 2/3 the time required for a solitary larva to develop. The life cycle is completed in ~20 days at room temperature on Oryzaephilus surinamensis. Cocoons can overwinter. Males emerge 2 days prior to females. Males enter the cocoon of pharate females to mate. A male will mate with multiple females but females mate only once.[1]
Distribution
editCephalonomia tarsalis has been reported from India, the US, and the United Kingdom.[2]
References
edit- ^ Powell, D. (1938). "The biology of Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ash.), a vespoid wasp (Bethylidae: Hymenoptera) parasitic on the sawtoothed grain beetle". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 31 (1): 44–49. doi:10.1093/aesa/31.1.44.
- ^ "Caphalonomia tarsalis". Invasive Species Compendium. CABI. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.