Abstract: Scambus sagax (Hartig) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was reared from larvae of Agapanthia osmanlis Reiche et Saulcy (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Bayburt province (Kop Mountain Pass). Agapanthia osmanlis is the first known host for Scambus sagax in Turkey.
INTRODUCTION
Ichneumonidae is the largest family of the Hymenoptera with nearly 22000 described species grouped in 39 subfamilies worldwide (Yu and Horstmann, 1997). Currently, there are 731 recorded species in 262 genera in Turkey (Çoruh et al., 2005). Ichneumonidae have a big economic importance because they are, among others, parasites of forest, orchard and field insect pests. They are ecto or endoparasites of larvae and pupae of other insects (Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera (Symphyta), Coleoptera and Diptera) and rarely spiders or their eggs; mostly oligophagous or polyphagous (Kazmierczak, 2004). General information about host insect could be obtained from Kolarov (1997). This is the first ichneumonid reared from a Cerambycid host in Turkey.
Agapanthia osmanlis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is distributed in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Syria and Turkey (Hoskovec and Rejzek, 2005). It has been recorded in various localities from Turkey (Artvin, Bayburt, Bilecik, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gümüþhane, Hatay and Kars) (Rejzek et al., 2001; Tozlu et al., 2003). Information on the biology and host plants of this species is very limited (Tozlu and Kara, 2007). Danilevsky and Miroshnikov (1985) did not mention any host plants of this species. Known host plants are: Dipsacus laciniatus L. (Dipsacaceae) in Hungary (Kovacs, 1998), Cephalaria procera (Dipsacaceae) and Serratula cf. procera (Waldst. Et Kit.) M. B. (Asteraceae) in Turkey and Dipsacus fullonum L. (=D. sylvester Hudson) (Dipsacaceae) in Bulgaria (Rejzek et al., 2001).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was carried out in 2003 in Bayburt province. The site of study was a sloped area located 30 km S of Bayburt (Kop Mountain Pass) at an altitude of 1750–2000 m. The plant Cephalaria procera Fisch. and Lall., 1840 (Dipsacaceae) were collected from noncultivated fields of different areas at least twice in a month.
The infested stems by mature larvae of Cerambycids were collected from the beginning of May to middle October. The samples were conserved in the laboratory (100 larvae) at 25±2°C and 60-70% rh The cages containing a small piece of stem with host larvae were checked daily for control of the emergence of hosts and parasitoids. Host pupae and Ichneumonid puparia were placed in separate boxes containing moistened cotton until the adult beetle and flies emerged. Ichneumonid was identified by Dr. J. Kolarov (Plovdiv University, 24 Tsar Assen, Bulgaria).
RESULTS
| Subfamily | : | Pimplinae |
| Tribe | : | Ephialtini Scambus sagax (Hartig, 1838) |
| Reared material | : | Bayburt, Kop Mountain Pass, emergence of S. sagax, 18.VII.2003, 1 ♂. Agapanthia osmanlis is a new host record for Scambus sagax. |
| Distribution of S. sagax | : | Europe, Kazakhstan, Russia (Kolarov, 1997), Turkey (Çoruh, 2005; Çoruh and Özbek, 2008). |
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to express our cordial thanks to Prof. Dr. Janko KOLAROV (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) for identification of the species.