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ViewAttendees 3

10-Minute Paper

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

P-IE: IPM - Field Crops 2

Investigating one dark taxon, Platygastridae (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea), for biocontrol of another: The Blueberry Gall Midge Complex (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Sunday, November 5, 2023
10:24 AM – 10:36 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor 7
In-Person

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MR

    Monique Raymond

    University of New Hampshire
    Newmarket, New Hampshire

    • Co-Author(s)

  • ET

    Elijah Talamas

    Florida State Collection of Arthropods
    Gainesville, Florida

  • MM

    Matthew R. Moore

    Biological Scientist IV - SES
    Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
    Gainesville, Florida

  • EH

    Elizabeth Harvey

    University of New Hampshire
    Durham, New Hampshire

  • IM

    István Mikó

    Collections Manager
    University of New Hampshire
    Strafford, New Hampshire

The Blueberry Gall Midge Complex (BGMC) is a cryptic amalgamation of leafcurling gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) with global potential for damage of high and lowbush blueberry Vaccinium (Ericales: Ericaceae). Specialist platygastrine parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) may offer biocontrol potential against the complex, but like the larval stage of its host, Platygastrinae requires expanded diagnostic effort. In this study, the interaction between two dark taxon groups is investigated by integrating DNA barcoding with morphological analysis. These diagnoses will provide new information about the parasitoid and pest assemblages of BGMC in an expanded geographic area while supporting the ongoing taxonomic exploration of Platygastridae.