A new species of Diglyphus Walker (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) from China, with morphological characterizations and molecular analysis

Diglyphus Walker, 1844 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an economically important genus including species acting as biocontrol agents against agromyzid leafminer pests. A new species of Diglyphus, Diglyphus difasciatus Liu, Hansson & Wan, sp. nov., was discovered during the identification of agromyzid leafminers and their associated parasitoid wasps collected from 2016 to 2022 in China, based on morphological characteristics and molecular analyses of COI, ITS2 and 28S genes. Diglyphus difasciatus is similar to D. bimaculatus Zhu, LaSalle & Huang, distinguished by two interconnected infuscate vertical bands on the fore wing and the color of the scape. Molecular data support D. difasciatus and D. bimaculatus as two different species. The mean genetic distances between D. difasciatus and D. bimaculatus were 11.33%, 8.62%, and 0.18%, based on the COI, ITS2, and 28S genes, respectively.

Automated summary

Diglyphus Walker, 1844 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an economically important genus comprising species used as biocontrol agents against agromyzid leafminer pests. A new species, Diglyphus difasciatus, was discovered in China during the identification of leafminers and parasitoid wasps. Morphological characteristics and molecular analysis confirmed D. difasciatus as a distinct species from D. bimaculatus. Genetic distances based on COI, ITS2, and 28S genes support the differentiation of D. difasciatus and D. bimaculatus.