Abstract
The oviposition behaviour of four ant parasitoids was observed and filmed for the first time. The movies are available from YouTube (search for Elasmosoma, Hybrizon, Kollasmosoma and Neoneurus). Two of the observed species (Neoneurus vesculus sp. n. and Kollasmosoma sentum sp. n.) are new to science. A third species (Neoneurus recticalcar sp. n.) is described from Slovakia and Norway. Keys to the Palaearctic species of the genera Neoneurus and Kollasmosoma are added.
Highlights
In Europe the members of the small tribe Neoneurini Bengtsson, 1918 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) belong to three genera: Elasmosoma Ruthe, 1858, Kollasmosoma van Achterberg & Argaman, 1993, and Neoneurus Haliday, 1838
Kollasmosoma sentum sp. n. and Neoneurus vesculus sp. n. were observed in Madrid (at the enclosed area of the Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA), Carretera de La Coruña Km 7.5, Spain) in August and September, 2010
The whole oviposition behaviour of Kollasmosoma sentum sp. n. lasted a mean of 0.052 seconds (95% confidence interval: 0.047–0.057; N = 19; SE = 0.002), with a median of 0.050 seconds
Summary
In Europe the members of the small tribe Neoneurini Bengtsson, 1918 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) belong to three genera: Elasmosoma Ruthe, 1858, Kollasmosoma van Achterberg & Argaman, 1993, and Neoneurus Haliday, 1838 (van Achterberg and Argaman 1993). As far as the scanty biological information allows a conclusion, the Neoneurini are considered to be most likely koinobiont endoparasitoids of adult ants (Shaw and Huddleston 1991; Shaw 1992). With few exceptions Neoneurini have been found in association with formicine ants (Shenefelt 1969; Marsh 1979; Yu et al 2007). These ants exude formic acid which is a powerful attractant for predatory ant species, and it seems likely that this exudate could serve as a kairomonal stimulant to host-seeking hymenopterous parasitoids (Huddleston 1976; van Achterberg and Argaman 1993)
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