The invasive eucalyptus tortoise beetle, Paropsis charybdis, defoliates plantations of Eucalyptus nitens in New Zealand. Recent efforts to identify host specific biological control agents (parasitoids) from Tasmania, Australia, have focused on the larval parasitoid wasp, Eadya paropsidis (Braconidae), first described in 1978. In Tasmania, Eadya has been reared from Paropsisterna agricola (genus abbreviated Pst.), a smaller paropsine that feeds as a larva on juvenile rather than adult foliage of Eucalyptus nitens. To determine which of the many paropsine beetle hosts native to Tasmania are utilized by E. paropsidis, and to rule out the presence of cryptic species, a molecular phylogenetic approach was combined with host data from rearing experiments from multiple locations across six years. Sampling included 188 wasps and 94 beetles for molecular data alone. Two mitochondrial genes (COI and Cytb) and one nuclear gene (28S) were analyzed to assess the species limits in the parasitoid wasps. The mitochondrial genes were congruent in delimiting four separate phylogenetic species, all supported by morphological examinations of Eadya specimens collected throughout Tasmania. Eadya paropsidis was true to the type description, and was almost exclusively associated with P. tasmanica. A new cryptic species similar to E. paropsidis, Eadya sp. 3, was readily reared from Pst. agricola and P. charybdis from all sites and all years. Eadya sp. 3 represents the best candidate for biological control of P. charybdis and was determined as the species undergoing host range testing in New Zealand for its potential as a biological control agent. Another new species, Eadya sp. 1, was morphologically distinctive and attacked multiple hosts. The most common host was Pst. variicollis, but was also reared from Pst. nobilitata and Pst. selmani. Eadya sp. 1 may have potential for control against Pst. variicollis, a new incursion in New Zealand, and possibly Pst. selmani in Ireland. Our molecular data suggests that Pst. variicollis is in need of taxonomic revision and the geographic source of the beetle in New Zealand may not be Tasmania. Eadya sp. 2 was rarely collected and attacked P. aegrota elliotti and P. charybdis. Most species of Eadya present in Tasmania are not host specific to one beetle species alone, but demonstrate some host plasticity across the genera Paropsisterna and Paropsis. This study is an excellent example of collaborative phylogenetic and biological control research prior to the release of prospective biological control agents, and has important implications for the Eucalyptus industry worldwide.

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Abstract. The Nearctic Peristenus pallipes complex (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) consists of two species groups that are further divided into nine species, separated largely using ecological rather than morphological differences. The species are re-examined with an integrative approach using morphometric multivariate ratios, molecular (COI and CytB), and ecological data to test the validity of the nine species. The data support only three valid species [P. dayi Goulet, P. mellipes (Cresson) and P. howardi Shaw] rather than nine. New synonymies include: P. braunae Goulet under P. dayi Goulet 2006 syn.n.; P. carcamoi Goulet, P. otaniae Goulet and P. pseudopallipes (Loan) under P. mellipes (Cresson) syn.n., and finally P. broadbenti Goulet 2006 and P. gillespiei Goulet 2006 under P. howardi Shaw 1999 syn.n. In light of these taxonomic revisions, the biology and distributions of the Nearctic P. pallipes complex are updated, resulting in three morphologically variable, widespread, multivoltine species rather than nine largely univoltine species with patchy distributions. The integrative taxonomic approach used here allowed for a more accurate delineation of native fauna and their potential to be competitively displaced by foreign biocontrol agents.

A new species of the genus Euderus Haliday, Euderus set sp. n., is described and illustrated from the southeastern United States, where it parasitizes the crypt gall wasp, Bassettia pallida Ashmead, 1896, on live oaks in the genus Quercus (subsection Virentes). This is the 1st species of the genus reported from the southeastern United States to parasitize cynipid gall wasps and the 3rd species of the genus reported to attack cynipids in North America. Modified sections of the identification keys to subgenera and species of Euderus (Yoshimoto, 1971) are included to integrate the new species.

EucalyptusL’Héritier, 1789 (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) plantations are a global economic resource with a wide array of uses. As this forestry crop grows in popularity around the world, the exotic introduction of pests such as the leaf beetles belonging to the generaParopsisOliver, 1807 andParopsisternaMotschulsky, 1860 increases in frequency. These pest introductions have spurred a need to understand the natural enemies of these pests for use in classical biological control programs. One such enemy,EadyaparopsidisHuddleston & Short, 1978 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), has shown potential as a biological control agent againstParopsischarybdis, an exotic pest of New ZealandEucalyptusplantations. However, observations made by biocontrol researchers have raised concerns thatE.paropsidisis a complex of cryptic species. A comprehensive large-scale phylogenetic study utilizing both host and molecular data (Peixoto et al. 2018), as well as a morphological multivariate ratio analysis, was utilized to ensure accurate delimitation of the species ofEadya. Here we formally describe the three new species (EadyaannleckieaeRidenbaugh, 2018,sp. n.,EadyadaenerysRidenbaugh, 2018,sp. n.,EadyaspitzerRidenbaugh, 2018,sp. n.), and one additional new species discovered in the Australian National Insect Collection (EadyaduncanRidenbaugh, 2018,sp. n.). All distributions and host associations forEadyaare listed as well as a redescription of the originally describedE.paropsidisandE.falcata. An illustrated key to all known species is included to assist biological control researchers. The value of citizen science observations is discussed, along with the need for a further understanding of mainlandEadyapopulations given the recent spread of paropsine pests. Finally, we discuss the subfamilial placement ofEadya, and suggest it belongs within Euphorinae based on morphological characters.