Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5792 No. 3: 14 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5792.3.6
Page range: 553-564
Abstract views: 85
PDF downloaded: 3

First record of genus Aspicolpus Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India, with description of a new ovo-larval parasitoid of Xylotrechus stebbingi (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Department of Applied; Sciences; Desh Bhagat University; Mandi Gobindgarh; 147301; Punjab; India.
Department of Zoology; SHMM Government Degree College; Anantnag; 192101; Jammu and Kashmir; India.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Darwinweg 2; 2333 CR Leiden; the Netherlands.
Department of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Desh Bhagat University; Mandi Gobindgarh; 147301; Punjab; India.
Department of Zoology; Govt. Degree College; Kulgam; 192231; Jammu & Kashmir; India.
Hymenoptera Kashmir Himalayas longhorn beetle Braconidae endoparasitoid new species

Abstract

The genus Aspicolpus Wesmael, 1838 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Brachistinae) is recorded for the first time from India. A new species, A. kashmirensis sp. nov. from the Kashmir Himalayas, is described and illustrated. This ovo-larval endoparasitoid was reared from Xylotrechus stebbingi Gahan (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), infesting walnut trees. Parasitoid development and its potential implications for biological control are briefly discussed. This study represents the first documentation of ovo-larval parasitoidism in the genus Aspicolpus.

 

References

  1. Belokobylskij, S.A. (1998) Subfam. Helconinae. In: Lehr, P.A. (Ed.), Opredelitel’ nasekomykh Dal’nego Vostoka Rossii. Tom 4. Setchato krylo obraznye, skorpionnitzy, pereponchatokrylye. Chast’ 3. Dal’nauka, Vladivostok, pp. 411–435. [in Russian]
  2. Belokobylskij, S.A. & Fujie, S. (2017) Helconine genus of the tribe Diospilini (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Helconinae) from Japan with a key to the holarctic genera of the tribe. Annales Zoologici, 67 (1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.3161/00034541ANZ2017.67.1.003
  3. Belokobylskij, S.A. & Lobodenko, Y.S. (1997) A review of the Palaearctic species of the genus Diospilus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with description of four new species. Zoologicheskiy Zhurnal, 76 (8), 915–924. [in Russian]
  4. Braud, Y., Ramos, R. & Cocquempot, C. (2002) Nouvelles observations de Xylotrechus stebbingi Gahan, 1906, en Europe et en Afrique du Nord (Col., Cerambycidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 107 (5), 487–488. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.2002.16894
  5. Chen, X.X. & van Achterberg, C. (2019) Systematics, phylogeny and evolution of braconid wasps: 30 years of progress. Annual Review of Entomology, 64, 335–358. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-011118-111856
  6. Das, S. (1966) Palaearctic Elements in the Fauna of Kashmir. Nature, 212, 1327–1330. https://doi.org/10.1038/2121327a0
  7. Deyrup, M.A. (1984) A maple wood wasp, Xiphydria maculata, and its insect enemies (Hymenoptera: Xiphydriidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist, 17, 17–28. https://doi.org/10.22543/0090-0222.1492
  8. Gahan, C.J. (1906) The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Coleoptera Cerambycidae. Vol. I. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii + 329 pp.
  9. Kadyrov, A.K., Karpiński, L., Szczepański, W.T., Taszakowski, A. & Walczak, M. (2016) New data on distribution, biology, and ecology of longhorn beetles from the area of west Tajikistan (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). ZooKeys, 606 (1), 41–64. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.606.9190
  10. Maqbool, A., Akbar, A.A. & Wachkoo, A.A. (2018) First record of the genus Ficobracon (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India, with description of new species. Zootaxa, 4379 (3), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4379.3.5
  11. Maqbool, A., Wachkoo, A.A., Stuke, J.-H., Akbar, S.A. & Clements, D.K. (2021) Neotype designation and redescription of Sicus indicus Kröber,1940 (Diptera: Conopidae). Zoosystema, 43 (11), 197–203. https://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a11
  12. Maqbool, I., Varga, O., Maqbool, A., Wachkoo, A.A., Banu, A.N. & Rather, S.U. (2022) Xorides xylotrechi sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Xoridinae) parasitizing Xylotrechus stebbingi (Gahan, 1906) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in India. Zootaxa, 5150 (1), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5150.1.7
  13. Molina, D.M. (2021) Nuevo registro ibérico de Xylotrechus stebbingi Gahan, 1906 en la provincia de Alicante, España (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). Revista gaditana de Entomología, 12 (1), 113–116.
  14. Quicke, D.L. (2009) Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps). In: Resh, V.H. & Carde´, R.T. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Insects. 2nd Edition. Academic Press, London and San Diego, California, pp. 473–484. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00136-3
  15. Quicke, D.L.J. (2015) Biology, systematics, evolution and ecology of braconid and ichneumonid parasitoid wasps. Wiley Blackwell, Chichester, 688 pp. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118907085
  16. Ranjith, A.P., van Achterberg, C. & Priyadarsanan, D.R. (2022) Atree, a remarkable new genus of the subfamily Brachistinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the first report of the tribe Diospilini from India. Zootaxa, 5105 (4), 571–580. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5105.4.6
  17. Sama, G. (2006) Taxonomic remarks on Xylotrechus smei (Castelnau & Gory, 1841) and X. stebbingi Gahan, 1906 and their distribution in western palaearctic region (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). Doriana, 8 (351), 1–10.
  18. Sharanowski, B.J., Dowling, A.P.G. & Sharkey, M.J. (2011) Molecular phylogenetics of Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea), based on multiple nuclear genes, and implications for classification. Systematic Entomology, 36 (3), 549–572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00580.x
  19. Skinner, E.R. & Thompson, G.H. (1960) The Alder woodwasp and its Insect Enemies. World Educational Films, Oxford. World Educational Films, Oxford. [video]
  20. Stigenberg, J., Boring, C.A. & Ronquist, F. (2015) Phylogeny of the parasitic wasp subfamily Euphorinae (Braconidae) and evolution of its host preferences. Systematic Entomology, 40 (3), 570–591. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12122
  21. Swelam, N.O. (2021) First record of the long-horned beetle, Xylotrechus stebbingi Gahan 1906 (Cerambycidae: Coleoptera) infesting golden shower tree, Cassia fistula in Egypt. Journal of Applied Plant Protection, 10 (1), 49–52. https://doi.org/10.21608/japp.2021.222797
  22. Tobias, V.I. (1986) Helconinae, Brachistinae. In: Medvedev, G.S. (Ed.), Opredelitel’ Nasekomykh Evropeiskoi Chasti SSSR. Vol. III. Pereponchatokrylye. Part 4. Opredeliteli po Faune SSSR. No. 145. Nauka, Leningrad, pp. 150–180.
  23. Valladares, L. & Réglade, M. (2019) Poursuite de l'expansion de Xylotrechus stebbingi Gahan, 1906 en France (Coleoptera Cerambycidae). L'Entomologiste, 75 (1), 9–12.
  24. van Achterberg, C. (1988) Revision of the subfamily Blacinae Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden, 249, 1–324.
  25. van Achterberg, C. (1993) Illustrated key to the subfamilies of the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea). Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden, 283, 1–189.
  26. Wang, Q. (2017) Cerambycid pests in agricultural and horticultural crops. In: Wang, Q. (Ed.), Cerambycidae of the world, Biology and Pest Management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 423–576.
  27. Wang, Z.-Z., Liu, Y.-Q., Shi, M., Huang, J.-H. & Chen, X.-X. (2019) Parasitoid wasps as effective biological control agents. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 18 (4), 705–715. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(18)62078-7
  28. Yan, C.-J., Wu, Q., He, J.-H. & Chen, X.-X. (2020) The genus Aspicolpus Wesmael, 1838 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) from China, with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa, 4743 (3), 391–401. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4743.3.6
  29. Yatoo, S.F., Maqbool, A. & Wachkoo, A.A. (2022) Pseudopomyzidae—A family of Diptera new to the Indian Fauna. Zootaxa, 5124 (1), 95–100. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5124.1.8
  30. Yatoo, S.F., Maqbool, A. & Wachkoo, A.A. (2023) A review of the genus Stratiomys Geoffroy (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) from India with description of a new species. European Journal of Taxonomy, 910, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.910.2353
  31. Yu, D.S., van Achterberg, C. & Horstmann, K. (2016) World Ichneumonoidea (2015). Taxonomy, biology, morphology and distribution. Taxapad interactive catalogue database on flash-drive. Nepean, Ottawa.

How to Cite

Maqbool, I., Maqbool, A., Achterberg, C.V., Sidhu, H.K. & Wachkoo, A.A. (2026) First record of genus Aspicolpus Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India, with description of a new ovo-larval parasitoid of Xylotrechus stebbingi (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Zootaxa, 5792 (3), 553–564. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5792.3.6