Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:05:34.264Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The sorghum midge complex (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

K. M. Harris
K. M. Harris
Affiliation:
Senior Research Fellow, British Museum (Natural History)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Nine species of Cecidomyiid midges, including Contarinia sorghicola. (Coq.), C. andropogonis Felt, C. caudata Felt, C. palposa Blanch., Stenodiplosis sp., ? Lestodiplosis sp., Clinodiplosis sp., a species of Lasiopterariae and an undescribed species of Bifila, have been recorded from the inflorescences of cultivated sorghums (Sorghum vulgare) and related wild hosts. New morphological and other studies of this complex, involving the use of new techniques which are described, have elucidated the complex without recourse to biological testing.

Contarinia, sorghicola with which C. andropogonis and C. palposa are placed in synonymy, and a new species, Stenodiplosis sorghi, here described, are the only valid species which are primary feeders on cultivated and wild species of the genus Sorghum. Contarinia caudata is a distinct species reared from the grass Apluda varia. Contarinia gambae, a second species described as new, on the basis of specimens reared from the grass Andropogon gay anus, was formerly misidentified as C. sorghicola. C. sorghicola, S. sorghi and C. gambae are described and figured in detail. A species tentatively placed in Lestodiplosis and a species of Clinodiplosis are comparatively rare and of no economic importance. The record of a species of Lasiopterariae from a wild sorghum is believed probably to have been based on a misidentification of the host, and a species previously referred to as the ‘ 3rd Bifila ’ from A. gayanus has no real connection with the sorghum midge complex.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , August 1964 , pp. 233 - 247
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1964

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barnes, H. F. (1953). The biological approach to the species problem in gall midges (Dipt., Cecidomyidae).—Ann. ent. fenn. 19 pp. 2–24.Google Scholar
Barnes, H. F. (1954a). The sorghum midge problem.—Rep. 6th Commonw. ent. Conf.1954 pp. 101–104.Google Scholar
Barnes, H. F. (1954b). Memorandum on the gall midges living on the sorghums, the Panicum millets and rice.—Rep. 6th Commonw. ent. Conf.1954 pp. 155–160.Google Scholar
Barnes, H. F. (1956). Gall midges of economic importance. Vol. VII: Gall midges of cereal crops.—261 pp. London, Crosby Lockwood.Google Scholar
Barnes, H. F. (1958). Progress in the biological testing of sorghum midge (Contarinia spp.).—Bull. ent. Res. 49 pp. 555–558.Google Scholar
Blanchard, E. E. (1958). Contarinia palposa sp. nov., parásita del sorgo granífero.—Rev. Invest, agric., B. Aires 12 pp. 423–425.Google Scholar
Coquillet, D. W. (1898). A Cecidomyiid injurious to seeds of sorghum.—Bull. U.S. Bur. Ent. (N.S.) no. 18 pp. 81–82.Google Scholar
Dean, W. H. (1911). The sorghum midge.—Bull. U.S. Bur. Ent. no. 85 pp. 39–58.Google Scholar
Felt, E. P. (1918). A study of gall midges. VI.— Bull. N.Y. St. Muz. no. 202 pp. 76–110.Google Scholar
Felt, E. P. (1920). New Indian gall midges (Diptera).—Mem. Dcp. Agric. India, Ent. 7 pp. 1–11.Google Scholar
Felt, E. P. (1921). New Indian gall midges (Itonididae).—Mem. Dep. Agric. India, Ent. 7 pp. 23–28.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T. B. & others (1917). Juar (Andropogon Sorghum).—Proc. 2nd ent. Mtg Pusa. 1917 pp. 178–186.Google Scholar
Gahan, A. B. (1922). Descriptions of miscellaneous new reared parasitic Hymenoptera.—Proc. U.S. nat. Mus. 61 art. 24 no. 2445, 24 pp.Google Scholar
Harris, K. M. (1961a). The sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coq.), in Nigeria,—Bull. ent. Res. 52 pp. 129–146.Google Scholar
Harris, K. M. (1961b). Sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coq.) in West Africa.— Nature, Lond. 192 no. 4798 pp. 187–188.Google Scholar
Lange, W. H., Marble, V. L., Pendery, W. E. & Burton, V. E. (1961). New California pest—sorghum midge found in San Joaquin valley.—Calif. Agric. 15 no. 1 pp. 7–9.Google Scholar
Mamaev, B. M. (1956). The possibility of utilising characteristics of the structure of the head for identifying gall midges (Itonididae, Diptera). [In Russian with English summary.]—Zool. Zh. 35 pp. 1186–1192.Google Scholar
Matthee, J. J. & Oberholzer, J. J. (1958). The sorghum midge.—Fmg in S. Afr. 34 no. 5 pp. 17–19.Google Scholar
Subramania, Iyer T. V. (1922). Notes on the more important insect pests of crops in the Mysore State.—J. Mysore agric. exp. Un. 4 pp. 18–24.Google Scholar
Tryon, H. (1895). The insect enemies of cereals belonging to the genus Gecidomyia.—Trans, nat. Hist. Soc. Queensland 1 pp. 81–83.Google Scholar
Walter, E. V. (1941). The biology and control of the sorghum midge.—Tech. Bull. U.S. Dep. Agric. no. 778, 26 pp.Google Scholar