December 2013. A student from India wrote that he was working on the Management of the chalcid wasp, Systole albipennis Walker (Eurotomidae : Hymenoptera) on fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Miller, and would like information on this pest (taxonomy details, ecology, life cycle, management, bioagents); this pest is an emerging problem in seed spices in India.

There is a paper on this wasp pest of coriander entitled: Management of chalcid wasp (Systole albipennis) (Eurytomidae: Hymenoptera) in coriander: a pest of field and quarantine significance. KRISHNA KANT, Y K SHARMA, B K MISHRA, M K VISHAL, S R MEENA.

Abstract

Field experiment on management of chalcid wasp [Systole albipennis (Walker)] on coriander crop was conducted during season 2008-09 and 2009-10 using different treatments such as manipulation of date of sowing, application of plant products and synthetic insecticides. The result revealed that late sown crop (15 November) suffered less seed damage while yield was also recorded lower in late sown crops. Among plant products efficacy of neem products was found superior over karanj products for control of the chalcid wasp. Among different neem formulations, application of neem oil 2% gave superior result than other neem products as minimum average of 3.5% seed damage and highest seed yield of 9.70 q/ha was obtained. Among insecticides, spray of thiamethoxam 0.025% and imidacloprid 0.005% provided maximum protection (5.25 and 5.20% seed damage against 16.2% in the control).

The email was sent to Chris Reid at the Australian Museum who forwarded it to Chris Darling at the Royal Ontario Museum Canada. This is what was said: The pictures are not Systole, but rather a species of Eulophidae! The macro shot (photo, left) is most likely not the metallic wasps on the flowers. Systole are black! Systole is a genus in the Eurytomidae, not Eurotomidae [sic]. Contact Dr. T.C. Narendran in Calicut. He is the main worker on Chalcidoidea in India.