Diachasmimorpha carinata (Szépligeti, 1910)

Remarks
Diachasmimorpha carinata has been reared from ceratitine and dacine tephritids, with nearly all records published under the name giffardii, a junior subjective synonym of carinata. This species has been reared on several occasions from dacines infesting cucurbits. Other host records (see Wharton and Gilstrap 1983) should probably be verified. Diachasmimorpha carinata was most recently reared from several hosts in Kenya (Copeland et al. 2009).

The first biological information on this species was provided by Silvestri (1913) when he described this species under the name Hedylus giffardii. Additional information was subsequently published under the names Opius giffardii and Biosteres giffardii (Clausen et al. 1965, Wharton and Gilstrap 1983, Fischer 1987).

Diachasmimorpha carinata and Diachasmimorpha brevistyli are virtually indistinguishable from one another, but brevistyli has been recorded only from Somalia whereas Diachasmimorpha carinata has been recorded from Kenya and Tanzania west through the Congo to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon. It is possible that carinata and brevistyli are the same. Both are large, orange species with striate sculpture on the second metasomal tergum (similar to the sculpture found in Diachasmimorpha longicaudata), but they lack the sinuate ovipositor tip of D. longicaudata.

For additional information, see the Diachasmimorpha page. In publications prior to about 1988, the species of Diachasmimorpha were placed either in the genus Opius or in the genus Biosteres.

Taxonomic History / Nomenclature
Biosteres carinatus Szepligeti, 1910. Original description of carinata. (Described from Kilimandjaro: Kibonoto, Kulturezone 2.)
Hedylus giffardii Silvestri, 1913. Original description of giffardii. (Described from Guinea: Conakry.)
Opius giffardii (Silvestri); Clausen et al. (1965): collection and rearing records associated with biological control program.
Biosteres giffardii (Silvestri); Fischer (1971): catalog; Wharton and Gilstrap (1983): key, diagnosis, updated host records; Fischer (1987): key, redescription: Wharton (1987): as synonym of Biosteres carinatus Szepligeti, 1910.
Diachasmimorpha carinata (Szepligeti): Wharton (1997): placement in species group.