Abstract
Wasps of the genusGasteruptionare predator-inquilines of bees nesting in cavities in wood, stems, galls, and vertical soil surfaces. During studies of hymenopterans associated with reed galls caused by flies of the genusLiparawe recorded three species. We provide the evidence that a rare European speciesGasteruptionphragmiticolais a specialized predator-inquiline of an equally rare wetland beeHylaeuspectoralis.Gasteruptionnigrescensis a predator-inquiline of bees of the family Megachilidae, using the common beeHoplitisleucomelanaas the main host.Gasteruptionassectatoris a less specialized predator-inquiline of multiple groups of bees. The first two species,G.phragmiticolaandG.nigrescens, are usually present at well-preserved reed beds associated with meadows rich in flowering plants whileG.assectatordoes not prefer any specific habitat. Mature larvae ofGasteruptiontypically have a dorsoventrally flattened body and lateral lobes, small head with only slightly sclerotized mouthparts and tridentate mandibles. The larvae of these three species differ only slightly from one another, at most by the sclerotization of the mouthparts, colour, and position of setae on the head capsule and the shape of the mandible. As previous descriptions are insufficient, we provide first detailed descriptions with figures.
Highlights
All three species were recorded in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary while only G. assectator occurred in Poland and no Gasteruption species were recorded in Italy and Slovenia we collected Gasteruption larvae in Sečovlje, Slovenia, but it was impossible to identify them to the species level because they did not turn to imagines
The species of the genus Gasteruption are predator-inquilines of solitary bees nesting in various cavities, as well as in reed galls
The reed galls produced by frit flies of the genus Lipara have a very thick walls that serve as a defense against predators and parasitoids, three Gasteruption species can predate the larvae of secondary inhabitants of reed galls
Summary
The genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1796, represents a relatively uniform group of parasitoid wasp-like hymenopterans, characterized by their slender body, thick hind tibiae and short to very long ovipositor of females (Kieffer 1912, Šedivý 1958, Wall 1994, van Achterberg and Talebi 2014). Detailed bionomy of species of this genus is usually only poorly known: there are quite many records of floral and host associations published in monographs and in short research articles but most of them are based only on observations of these parasitoids at localities (most is reviewed by Wall 1994) According to these studies (Malyshev 1965, Oehlke 1984, Wall 1994, Jennings and Austin 2004, van Achterberg and Talebi 2014), bees of the genus Hylaeus Fabricius, 1793 are supposed to be the hosts of most species while several are being connected with smaller species of the family Megachilidae
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