Reperti di Ceranisus menes (Walker) in Sud Italia (Hymenoptera Eulophidae)

REPORTS OF CERANISUS MENES (WALKER) FROM SOUTHERN ITALY (HYMENOPTERA EULOPHIDAE) Many females of C. menes were collected in field by shacking inflorescences of different herbaceous plants. Many other of them were obtained in laboratory from neanids of a host thrips, Thrips angusticeps Uzel. Thrips neanids were selected from flowering tops of Calendula arvensis L. (Compositae) in spring and autumn; after they were stored in jars, they moulted into prepupae within 5 days. Pupae of C. menes arose from parasitized thrips prepupae 8-10 days later and moulted into adults after other 24-25 days. Many parasitized neanids of T. angusticeps were obtained from samples of Calendula collected nearby vineyards in Bari province (Apulia), where pests of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) and Thrips tabaci Lindeman do usually occur. Therefore, author supposes that C. menes does attack also these pest thrips in the same localities. Key words: field occurrence, host, Thrips angusticeps, development chronology. Viene segnalata la presenza in Sud Italia dell’eulofide Ceranisus menes (Walker), noto parassitoide delle neanidi di molti tisanotteri. Gli individui identificati, tutti di sesso femminile, sono stati in parte raccolti in campo e in parte ottenuti da sfarfallamenti in laboratorio. Accertatamente, nelle zone di indagine, C. menes attacca il tripide Thrips angusticeps Uzel, che prolifera comunemente sulla composita Calendula arvensis L. Sia il tripide sia la pianta sono comunemente diffusi nei dintorni dei vigneti coltivati a tendone in provincia di Bari. Pertanto, l’autore ritiene che, in queste zone agricole, C. menes possa esprimere la propria azione parassitaria anche nei confronti di due tripidi notoriamente dannosi alla vite: Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) e Thrips tabaci Lindeman. Parole chiave: presenza in campo, ospite, Thrips angusticeps, tempi di sviluppo