Tetrastichus coeruleus explained

Tetrastichus coeruleus is a gregarious koinobiont wasp which can be used as a biological control agent for the common asparagus beetle.^[1]

It was originally named Tetrastichus asparagi Crawford,^[2] thus most of the literature about this species has been published under this other name.^[3]

Tetrastichus coeruleus has populations which are infected with the parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia and populations which are not.^[4]

On average, 4.75 T. coeruleus adults emerge per larva, though this ranges between 2 and 13 specimens per larva.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Fernald . H. T. . A parasite of the asparagus beetle . Journal of Economic Entomology . 1 August 1909 . 2 . 4 . 278–279 . 4 November 2018. 10.1093/jee/2.4.278 .
2. Web site: Noyes . J. S. . Universal Chalcidoidea Database . March 2018 . 4 November 2018.
3. Morrison . William R. . The Common Asparagus Beetle and Spotted Asparagus Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): Identification, Ecology, and Management . Journal of Integrated Pest Management . 1 September 2014 . 5 . 3 . B1–B6 . 10.1603/IPM14004 . free .
4. Reumer . BM . Population genetics of Wolbachia-infected, parthenogenetic and uninfected, sexual populations of Tetrastichus coeruleus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). . Molecular Ecology . 22 . 17 . 4433–44 . September 2013 . 23879258 . 10.1111/mec.12397 . 2013MolEc..22.4433R . 206180069 .
5. Capinera . J. L. . Lilly . J. H. . Tetrastichus asparagi, parasitoid of the asparagus beetle: some aspects of host-parasitoid interaction . Annals of the Entomological Society of America . 15 May 1975 . 68 . 3 . 595–596 . 4 November 2018. 10.1093/aesa/68.3.595 .