A New Gall Midge Species (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) as a Potential Candidate for Biological Control of the Invasive Plant Cortaderia Selloana (Poaceae)

Abstract

[Abstract] A gall midge (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) is reported here for the first time from spikelets of Cortaderia selloana, a prominent alien invasive grass species in southern Europe. The insect is described as a new genus and species, Spanolepis selloanae Gagné. Based on morphological and molecular analyses, the new genus and species are tentatively placed within the supertribe Lasiopteridi and tribe Dasineurini. Its effects on seed production were studied in order to ascertain its effectiveness in limiting sexual reproduction of the invasive plant species. The larvae of S. selloanae feed on the ovaries with a mean seed depletion of 74% in the studied population in northwest Spain. The new species is a potential candidate agent for the effective biological control against C. selloana.