A new species of Platygaster Latreille (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) parasitizing Chilophaga virgati Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Abstract

Platygaster chilophagae, new species, is described from specimens reared from larvae of Chilophaga virgati Gagné collected and reared in eastern South Dakota. The host larva feeds on the basal meristematic tissues of the inflorescence of Panicum virgatum L. This new species seems to lack immediate affinities with any described Platygaster species in its combination of characteristics, and is compared to and discriminated from six other species. Polyembryony is suggested by the presence of cocoon clusters containing 4–14 pupae from each host larva.