Fantastic beasts and where to find them: updated Elasmus polistis Burks, 1971 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) hosts list and new host genus record

Abstract

ABSTRACT Given the important ecological role played by social wasps and the fact that parasitism is the main cause of mortality in the early stages of development of these wasps, it is of paramount importance to understand the ecological relationships between hosts and parasitoids. Therefore, the present study presents information on the sex ratio of Elasmus polistis for four Neotropical social wasps hosts, an update list of sixteen known host species of this parasitoid with geographic distribution. These results contributed for to two new Polistes species hosts, and for the first time in colonies of the genus Mischocyttarus.