Comparison of Wing, Ovipositor, and Cornus Morphologies between <i>Sirex noctilio</i> and <i>Sirex nitobei</i> Using Geometric Morphometrics

<i>Sirex noctilio</i> F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is an invasive woodwasp from Europe and North Africa. Globalization has led to an expanding global presence in pine forests. <i>S. noctilio</i> has been previously introduced outside of its native range and now co-occurs in tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ming Wang, Lixiang Wang, Ningning Fu, Chenglong Gao, Tegen Ao, Lili Ren, Youqing Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-01-01
Series:Insects
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/2/84
Description
Summary:<i>Sirex noctilio</i> F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is an invasive woodwasp from Europe and North Africa. Globalization has led to an expanding global presence in pine forests. <i>S. noctilio</i> has been previously introduced outside of its native range and now co-occurs in trees with native <i>S. nitobei</i> Matsumura (first discovered in 2016). Damage to <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Litv in northeast China can be attributed to two types of woodwasp. To distinguish the two species by the traditional taxonomic morphology, we mainly differentiate the color of the male&#8217;s abdomen and the female&#8217;s leg. There remains intraspecific variation like leg color in the delimitation of related genera or sibling species of <i>Sirex</i> woodwasps. In this study, we used landmark-based geometric morphometrics including principal component analysis, canonical variate analysis, thin-plate splines, and cluster analysis to analyze and compare the wings, ovipositors, and cornus of two woodwasps to ascertain whether this approach is reliable for taxonomic studies of this group. The results showed significant differences in forewing venation and the shapes of pits in the middle of ovipositors among the two species, whereas little difference in hindwings and cornus was observed. This study assists in clarifying the taxonomic uncertainties of Siricidae and lays a foundation for further studies of the interspecific relationships of the genus <i>Sirex</i>.
ISSN:2075-4450