Author(s): ZUCCHI, R. A.; SILVA, R. B. Q. da

Summary: Abstract: The history of the taxonomy of Trichogramma parasitoid wasps can be divided into two phases. In the frst phase, species identifications were based on external morphological characters; however, these identifcations proved to be confusing and inaccurate. In the second phase, starting in the 1970s, taxa were identifed based on charcteristics of the male genital capsule , leading to a major advance in Trichogramma taxonomy. The history of Trichogramma taxonomy in Brazil is recent and mainly related to species that parasitize agricultural pests. In Brazil, the frst phase of Trichogramma taxonomy occurred in the 1960s, while the second phase occurred from the 1980s onward. In this second phase, Trichogramma taxonomy progressed signifcantly and knowledge of Trichogramma diversity as well as associations with lepidopteran pests improved markedly in Brazil as well as worldwide. The last fve decades have seen signifcant progress in studies in Brazil, with taxonomy evolving from identifcations based exclusively on morphological characters to integrative taxonomy, encompassing biology (crosses) and morphometry. This historical outline presents the phases of Trichogramma taxonomy in Brazil, addressing the hurdles encountered in the frst descriptions, erroneous records of the species, and species descriptions since the 1980s. We highlight the importance of accurately identifying Trichogramma taxa for their use in biological control, as well as species diversity and associations with lepidopteran hosts.

Publication year: 2024

Types of publication: Journal article

Unit: Embrapa Cerrados

Keywords: Biodiversidade, Controle Biológico, Lepidóptero, Parasito, Taxonomia, Trichogramma sp, Vespa