Drosicha sp.

Family

Monophlebidae

Field characters

As an example, the following is a description of Drosicha mangiferae (Stebbing). Body large (up to 13 mm), elongate; thick in cross section, with lateral keel; body brownish gray, covered with white wax; ovisac produced beneath and behind female, white. Eggs laid inside ovisac, normally in soil, eggs are pink when first laid turning light yellow with time. Males are common, dull red with brown or black wings and 3 protruding fleshy lobes posteriorly; covered with white wax. Occurring on stems and branches; oviposition occurs on or in the soil.

Validation characters

7 pairs of abdominal spiracles, without pores in atrium; without ovisac band; 3 cicatirices near vulva (often difficult to see); thoracic spiracles simple, without pores in atrium; without spines, but with many setae; antennae 8- or 9-segmented; labium 3-segmented; multilocular pores simple, usually with 5 to 7 loculi, sometimes more near vulva. Other characters: Claw digitules thin, not reaching tip of claw; anal ring with single row of polygonal pores, often difficult to see because of sclerotization.

Comparison

Drosicha spp. are very similar to Drosichiella spp. by having 7 pairs of abdominal spiracles; without ovisac band; 3 cicatirices near vulva; thoracic spiracles simple, without pores in atrium; without spines, but with many setae. Drosicha differs by lacking pores in the atrium of the abdominal spiracles (these pores present in Drosichiella).

U.S. quarantine notes

This genus was intercepted 26 times at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, as Drosicha sp., with specimens originating from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, The Philipines, Taiwan, and Thailand. We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Australia (Chamelaucium); China (Dimocarpus, Litchi); India (Murraya, Rosa); Indonesia (unknown host); Japan (Azalea, Camellia, Pinus); Malaysia (Nepenthes); Nepal (Glycine); Pakistan (Litchi); The Philippines (Annona, Codiaeum, Corynocarpus, Kalmia, Lansium, Mangifera, Psidium, Spondias, Tamarindus); Taiwan (Litchi); Thailand (Lansium, Litchi). This genus occurs in the Australasian, Oriental, and Palaearctic zoogeographic regions, on a variety of hosts.

Important references

Green1903a; Morris1928; RahmanAb1944

Scalenet catalog and citation list

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