Nuevos Datos sobre Aulacidea Freesei y Phanacis Zwoelferi (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Aylacini), Inductores de Agallas en Silybum marianun (Asteraceae), en la Península Ibérica, Incluyendo la descripción y Comparación de sus últimos Estadios larvales y sus Agallas

Abstract

[EN] The presence in the Iberian fauna of Aulacidea freesei and Phanacis zwoelferi (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae), two cynipid wasps that induce galls in stems of Silybum marianum (Asteraceae), is confirmed with new records from the Community of Madrid and Andalusia. The two species have been recorded for the first time from the same locality and on the same host plant sample. Terminal-instar larvae of both species are described for the first time and illustrated with SEM pictures; identification keys are provided separating both species according to larval morphology and galls. Identification keys of adult females from close related Iberian species are also given and taxonomical and biological data for each species included. First records are also given for five chalcid wasp parasitoid species reared from the studied galls. It has been hypothesised that convergent colonization of the same host plants by couples of herb galling cynipid species from distantly related lineages has been facilitated by interspecific parasitism. We comment on this fact with the Silybum marianum associated species case study. The available evidence might support this hypothesis. The milk thistle, Silybum marianum, is a serious phytosanitary problem as an invader plant after it was introduced in many countries outside its native range. We discuss the possible use of these two associated cynipids as biocontrol agents of this invader plant.