Guwahati: A total of eight new species of parasitoid wasps have been discovered from two biodiversity hotspots in India, including Northeast India, along with an additional species found in Sri Lanka by Drs Ranjith A.P. and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore.
These parasitoid wasps play a crucial role as natural enemies of insects, which humans exploit for the biological control of crop pests. Belonging to the diverse group of Hymenoptera, parasitoids possess the unique ability to regulate insect populations and maintain a balance.
Their exceptional capability lies in their selective targeting and elimination of their specific hosts while sparing non-target organisms from harm.
These parasitic insects are not only specific to particular hosts but also exhibit specificity towards different developmental stages of their hosts. Some parasitoids exclusively attack eggs, while others target larval or pupal stages.
As a result, intervening and managing pest populations during the early stages, even as early as the egg stage, prove to be advantageous.
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Butterflies and moths, categorised as lepidopterans, are significant pests affecting vegetables and cereal crops. Among the egg parasitoids, wasps belonging to the genus Chelonus are considered excellent candidates for controlling lepidopteran pests in their egg stage. For instance, the species Chelonus blackburni Cameron is widely utilized as a biocontrol agent against a broad range of lepidopteran pests.
However, before selecting the most effective biocontrol agent, it is crucial to explore their diversity, identify potential habitats to source the agent species, determine the host species they interact with, and assess their overall species richness. Hence, research on hymenopteran parasitoids requires more attention.
The Indian fauna of hymenopteran parasitoids, especially from Northeast India, remains vastly unexplored. Recent studies conducted by Drs. Ranjith A.P. and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment shed some light on the extensive diversity of Indian parasitoids.
The braconid genus Chelonus is one of the most speciose genera within the parasitic wasp family Braconidae. In a recent publication, the researchers have described nine new species of Chelonus from India and SriLanka. This includes the collections from Siang Valley, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Four new species are collected from different parts of Siang Valley as a part of Siang Expedition.
Chelonus adii named commemorating the conservation efforts of Adi community of Arunachal Pradesh collected from Pasighat, C. expeditions is named after the Siang expedition, a reassessment of biodiversity exploration held in 2022 in the Siang Valley collected from Yingku, C. komsingensis collected from Komsing and C. siangensis named after the Siang river was collected from Komsing and Pangin. So far, only one species of braconid has been known from Siang Valley and this is the first record of genus from Siang Valley.
Three species described in the paper are collected from the Western Ghats. Chelonus biligiriensis, collected and named after Biligirirangan Tiger Reserve of Karnataka, C. sahyadriensis named after the vernacular of the Western Ghats was collected from Janakikkad (Kerala) and Kottireddi Palle (Telengana) and C. melanogastrus named after black colour abdomen was collected from Kozhikode (Kerala). One species (Chelonus novis) is collected from Kohima in Nagaland and named after the presence of some new morphological characters.
Another species Chelonus sigiriyansis was collected from Sri Lanka during an expedition in Sigiriya by a team of scientists from the Queensland Museum and was housed in their collection.
“All creatures, big and small, are important components of nature and play critical roles in the functioning of the ecosystems that are declining all over the world,” the researchers said.
“We believe that the discovery of four new species from the Siang Valley represents a significant step towards uncovering the untapped diversity of parasitoid wasps in Northeast India. This finding motivates us to dedicate more time and effort toward understanding the range of parasitoids, particularly those species with high potential for biocontrol purposes. Given that many of the hosts of Chelonus can be found in diverse agroecosystems such as rice fields, there is an opportunity to educate farmers in the Northeast region about the importance of these small wasps and their potential as an alternative to chemical pesticides,” they said.
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“By focusing on these tiny wasps, we can gain valuable insights that contribute to the conservation of both forest and agricultural ecosystems. It is important to note that this discovery is the initial outcome of the Siang Expedition 2022, which received funding from the National Geographic Society. The expedition involved researchers from various fields and was documented by the media team from Felis Creations,” the researchers said.
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