Syntretus perlmani

Syntretus perlmani
Scientific classification Edit this classification
(provisionally accepted)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Braconidae
Genus: Syntretus
Species:
S. perlmani
Binomial name
Syntretus perlmani
Moore, Chris Amuwa, Shaw & Ballinger, 2024[1]

Syntretus perlmani is a species of parasitic wasps of adult Drosophila. It is currently the only known parasitoid wasp that targets adult flies, as opposed to their larval or pupal stages. It has been identified across the eastern USA.[2]

S. perlmani is an endoparasite. Female wasps lay a single egg in the abdomen of adult flies. Post oviposition, the larval stage of the wasp lasts around 18 days, with infection of the fly visible with the naked eye (i.e. without dissection) after 7 days. When fully developed, the larva will emerge from the host abdomen by chewing through the host cuticle and then burrowing into soil to pupate. The wasp will construct a cocoon around itself to pupate within. The pupal stage of the wasp lasts around 23 days.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Syntretus perlmani Moore, Chris Amuwa, Shaw & Ballinger, 2024". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 Moore, Logan D.; Chris Amuwa, Toluwanimi; Shaw, Scott Richard; Ballinger, Matthew J. (2024-09-11). "Drosophila are hosts to the first described parasitoid wasp of adult flies". Nature. 633 (8031): 840–847. Bibcode:2024Natur.633..840M. doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07919-7. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 11424482. PMID 39261731.