First report of Trichopoda pictipennis (Diptera, Tachinidae) for the Canary Islands

By

Caloca, Pablo
Suárez, Daniel
Peña, Gustavo
Ruiz, Carlos

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-2-5

Original Publication

Biodiversity data journal

Volume

13

Pages

1--10

Subjects

Faunistics , introduced species , Macaronesia , new records , Nezara viridula , parasitoid , Pentatomidae , Pest Control , Phasiinae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers [2013]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e137821

 

Abstract

The genus Trichopoda Berthold, 1827 is distributed in the Neotropical and Nearctic Regions and some species are very important for biological control. During the last decades, the species Trichopoda pictipennis Bigot, 1876 has received much attention. It is of Neotropical origin, but it has been introduced throughout the western Palaearctic, probably through exchanges that transported its main host, the 'southern green stink bug' Nezara viridula.<br> Trichopoda pictipennis is reported for the first time from the Canary Islands. To date, this introduced species has been detected throughout the island of Tenerife and in a single locality on the island of La Gomera. This finding confirms that this species of Neotropical origin is expanding its range across the Palaearctic realm of this species of Neotropical origin. Parasitised Nezara viridula were collected and reared under laboratory conditions to document the complete life cycle of T. pictipennis. Its potential effects on its main host, as well as on the Canary fauna, are discussed.