Biosystematics of the Psyttalia concolor species complex (Hymenoptera : Braconidae : Opiinae): The identity of populations attacking Ceratitis capitata (Diptera : Tephritidae) in coffee in Kenya

The identity of a species of Psyttalia, a parasitoid of tephritid fruit fli es in Kenya, was investigated. Individuals reared from coffee infested with Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Medfly) and two other tephritid species in Kenya were compared with individuals of Psyttalia concolor (Szepligeti) fr om a laboratory culture in Italy used in augmentative biological control of olive hy, Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin). Reciprocal crosses showed full compat ibility, with production of viable female offspring. A preliminary morphome tric analysis demonstrated that most individuals originating from Italy cou ld be separated from most of those from Kenya based largely on differences in overall size, (C) 2001 Academic Press.