Compsilura concinnata Lepidoptera Hymenoptera (Symphyta) Compsilura concinnata C. rosaceana C. fumiferana Choristoneura Choristoneura C. concinnata A review of the tachinid parasitoids (Diptera: Tachinidae) of Nearctic Choristoneura species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), with keys to adults and puparia O’Hara, James E. Zootaxa 2005 938 1 46 XHD9 Meigen, 1824 Meigen 1824 [264,742,1230,1256] Insecta Tachinidae Compsilura Animalia Diptera 19 20 Arthropoda species concinnata   Host records ex.  Choristoneura rosaceanaand/or  Pandemis limitata: Cossentine et al.2004(BC).   Compsilura concinnatais a mostly gray tachinid with four conspicuous, black, longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a black­and­gray banded abdomen. Adults are typically 7– 8mmlong but some individuals are as small as 4mm.  Compsilura concinnatawas introduced repeatedly into North Americafrom Europe throughout the 1900s for control of a number of lepidopterous pests, most notably the gypsy moth (  Lymantria dispar(L.)) and browntail moth (  Euproctis chrysorrhoea(L.)). It became established and is presently recorded from most of southern Canadaand the northeastern and western United States( O’Hara & Wood 2004). Because  C. concinnatais continuing to expand its range, it may well be more widely distributed than current records suggest.    Compsilura concinnatais an extremely polyphagous parasitoid that has been reared from nearly 200 species of Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera (Symphyta), and Coleoptera in North America( Arnaud 1978; Boettner et al.2000). Females have a long piercing ovipositor that is used to inject thin­shelled eggs into the body of a host. The eggs hatch immediately and the first instars migrate to the midgut, where they develop within the narrow space between the peritrophic membrane and midgut wall ( Ichiki & Shima 2003). The species has two or more generations per year, often alternating hosts throughout the season, and can develop gregariously in larger hosts ( Culver 1919; Webber & Schaffner 1926; Schaffner & Griswold 1934). The maggot overwinters within the host prepupa or pupa and emerges in the spring to pupariate nearby ( Culver 1919; Webber & Schaffner 1926).   Compsilura concinnatahas been recorded only recently from  C. rosaceana(see host records above) but readily parasitizes  C. fumiferanain the laboratory ( Dowden et al.1948) and hence has the potential to be a significant budworm parasitoid. It is the most polyphagous tachinid known and its parasitism of  Choristoneuraspecies will likely occur whenever suitable opportunities arise. Parasitism of  Choristoneuralarvae can occur only during a summer generation of  C. concinnata.