Genetic and morphological approach to reappraising species validity in two different Anagyrus wasps (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) attracted by cyclolavandulyl butyrate

Members of the genusAnagyrusare primary endoparasitoids of mealybugs and thus include potentially important biological control agents of mealybug pests. We have previously discovered that an analogous compound of a mealybug pheromone, cyclolavandulyl butyrate (CLB), strongly attractsAnagyrus sawadaiIshii and can enhance the foraging activity of this wasp in CLB-treated orchards. In the present study, we found two groups ofAnagyrusparasitoids that differed in color were attracted to CLB. One wasA. sawadaiand the other type was morphologically identified asA.subalbipesIshii, which had been considered to be synonymous withA. sawadai. We suspected these two color populations ofAnagyrusmust be independent species because of their different emergence patterns in the field. Our morphological and molecular analyses supported this idea. We confirmed morphologically diagnostic features to distinguish the two species. Furthermore, molecular phylogenetic analysis based onCOIsequences revealed thatA. sawadaiandA.subalbipeswere placed in entirely different clusters. These findings not only offered new insight into the taxonomy and phylogeny ofAnagyrusspp. but also provided critical knowledge for the use of these indigenous natural enemies for biological control of mealybugs in agricultural fields.