First Record of a Gregarine Parasite of Thanasimus formicarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Cleridae)

Abstract

Thanasimus formicarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is a generalist predator that feeds on several important scolytid pest species in spruce, pine and broadleaf stands. T. formicarius is considered a very effective agent for biological control of the scolytid pests. It is mass produced in rearing laboratories and then released them against bark beetles. However, the production of this predator in the laboratory requires a great cost. Therefore, any infection by parasitic organisms in T. formicarius is undesirable. Gregarines (Protozoa: Apicomplexa), obligatory parasites of invertebrates, are especially frequent in Coleoptera. Several beetles of the Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) family are frequently parasitized by gregarines. Determining whether any gregarine pathogen is present in T. formicarius is of great importance in the selection and reproductive use of healthy parents. In this study, the presence of gregarine pathogens of T. formicarius was investigated. As a result, a gregarine parasite of T. formicarius is reported for the first time.