Aculeate Wasps Research Articles

Biodiversity of the aculeate wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) of the Arabian Peninsula: Overview.

The current knowledge of the distribution and diversity of extant aculeate wasps (Aculeata excluding ants and bees) in the Arabian Peninsula (and Socotra) is reviewed. The number of species (1096 of which about 28% are apparently endemic) represents about 3% of the world fauna, with Crabronidae the most diverse family (about 35% of Arabian species). Most species (46%) are Afrotropical, 37% are Palaearctic, and 17% are Indo-Malayan (Oriental).

A new species of the enigmatic Australian endemic family Trachypetidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea): Cercobarcon lasallei sp.n.

ABSTRACT The Trachypetidae is a newly recognised family of Ichneumonoidea endemic to Australia and one of the most distinctive wasp groups on the continent based on their large body size and superficial resemblance to some ichneumonids and aculeate wasps. The family is united in the presence of a unique sensory or glandular structure at the base of the mandibles. It is known from three genera: Cercobarcon Tobias, 1979, Megalohelcon Turner, 1918 (= Rhamphobarcon Tobias, 1979) and Trachypetus Guérin de Méneville, 1830, totalling eight described species. Trachypetines are rarely encountered, with very few specimens having been collected or recognised in collections since the group was revised in 1993. Here we report on a newly discovered species from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, the first to be recognised in more than 25 years, and take much pleasure in naming it after Dr John La Salle, in celebration of his career.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3F0147A8-F628-4869-B7FD-2E1560145734

Behavior Manipulation of Crabronidae and Pompilidae (Hymenoptera) by the Entomopathogenic Fungus Ophiocordyceps humbertii (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) in an Amazonian Rainforest, Brazil

The parasitism and behavior manipulation of three different species of aculeate wasps by the entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps humbertii was recorded and described. A total of 30 parasitized specimens were observed and collected, being five specimens of Larra (Crabronidae), 21 of Liris (Crabronidae), and four of Epysiron (Pompilidae).

Direct evidence for eudicot pollen-feeding in a Cretaceous stinging wasp (Angiospermae; Hymenoptera, Aculeata) preserved in Burmese amber

Angiosperms and their insect pollinators form a foundational symbiosis, evidence for which from the Cretaceous is mostly indirect, based on fossils of insect taxa that today are anthophilous, and of fossil insects and flowers that have apparent anthophilous and entomophilous specializations, respectively. We present exceptional direct evidence preserved in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, 100 mya, for feeding on pollen in the eudicot genus Tricolporoidites by a basal new aculeate wasp, Prosphex anthophilos, gen. et sp. nov., in the lineage that contains the ants, bees, and other stinging wasps. Plume of hundreds of pollen grains wafts from its mouth and an apparent pollen mass was detected by micro-CT in the buccal cavity: clear evidence that the wasp was foraging on the pollen. Eudicots today comprise nearly three-quarters of all angiosperm species. Prosphex feeding on Tricolporoidites supports the hypothesis that relatively small, generalized insect anthophiles were important pollinators of early angiosperms.

Using non-parametric statistical analysis to estimate the numbers of solitary wasp and bee species (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) at study sites

The potential total number of solitary aculeate wasp and bee species on 34 research sites was estimated using non-parametric Chao and Jackknife tests of presence/absence. Successful estimates of the maximum number of species were achieved for some but not for other sites. Making further visits to a site or removing 'tourist' species data led to further success in estimating the potential number of species. The optimum number of visits required to successfully evaluate the aculeate fauna at a site was determined.

Analysis of venom sac constituents from the solitary, aculeate wasp Cerceris rybyensis

Solitary aculeate wasps are abundant and diverse hymenopteran insects that disable prey using venom. The venom may possess neuromodulation, immunomodulatory, metabolic-modulatory and antimicrobial functions. Venom analysis of transcriptomes and proteomes has been previously performed in social and parasitoid wasp species. We develop methodologies including mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics to analyse the protein constituents from venom sacs of the solitary aculeate wasp Cerceris rybyensis. The venom sac constituents of C. rybyensis are discussed with respect to other wasp species.

Notes on rhopalosomatid wasps of Dominican and Mexican amber (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae) with a description of the first fossil species of <i>Rhopalosoma</i> Cresson, 1865

Abstract. Rhopalosomatidae are a family of aculeate wasps that are ectoparasitoids of crickets as larvae and are predominantly distributed pantropically. The published fossil record of the family is scarce. Here, we report three new fossil rhopalosomatid wasp specimens from Dominican and Mexican amber. Rhopalosoma hispaniola Lohrmann sp. nov. is described and documented from Dominican amber by two separate inclusions – one of each sex. An additional fossil female Rhopalosoma is described and documented from Mexican amber but is not named due to the insufficient preservation of the fossil. The new fossils, which are morphologically intermediate between Townes' isopus and poeyi species groups, do not only represent the first fossil records of an extant genus of this peculiar family but also the first records of the family in Dominican and Mexican amber.

Are rare velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) to feed on extrafloral nectar?

The family Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) is represented by solitary aculeate wasps with high sexual dimorphism. The adult females are wingless and usually immature parasitoids of other insects and males are most often winged and generally feed on nectar. There are few records in the literature of adults of mutillidae wasps feeding on extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and still less in Brazil. Here, we report six fortuitous observations of mutillid wasps feeding on extrafloral nectar and their behavior in different plants in a reserve of cerrado sensu stricto, in Uberlândia, Brazil. We observed six species of mutillid wasps: Traumatomutilla sp. and Traumatomutilla latevittata feeding on EFNs of Stryphnodendron polyphyllum, Hoplocrates sp. feeding on the EFNs of Eriotheca gracilipes,Timulla sp. feeding on the EFNs of Banisteriopsis malifolia, Hoplomutilla sp. feeding on the EFNs of Qualea grandiflora and an unidentified male species in Qualea multiflora. All mutillid wasps showed similar behavior on the plants. They quickly climbed on to the plant and foraged over with frequent movements of the antennas until they found the EFNs. We suggest that it is not a fortuitous observations, neither rare. We are just not looking with the needed attention to EFNs.

Burmusculidae, a new and basal family of pompiloid wasps from the Cretaceous of Eurasia (Hymenoptera: Pompiloidea)

A group of aculeate wasps from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described as Burmusculus Zhang and Rasnitsyn, gen. nov. in Burmusculidae Zhang and Rasnitsyn, fam. nov. The type genus Burmusculus contains three new species: Burmusculus nuwae Zhang and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov., Burmusculus fuxii Zhang and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov., and Burmusculus shennongii Zhang and Rasnitsyn, sp. nov. It does not fit any described families and therefore is referable to a new family. The family displays some features in common with the living family Pompilidae but can be easily distinguished from Pompilidae in having the mesopleuron lacking an oblique suture. Hence it is assigned to the superfamily Pompiloidea (monotypical as yet in our understanding) as the second member.

Stinging wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata), which species have the longest sting?

The stings of bees, wasps, and ants are something that catches the attention of anyone that experiences them. While many recent studies have focused on the pain inflicted by the stings of various stinging wasps, bees, or ants (Hymenoptera: Aculeata), little is known about how the length of the sting itself varies between species. Here, we investigate the sting length of a variety of aculeate wasps, and compare that to reported pain and toxicity values. We find that velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) have the longest sting compared to their body size out of any bee, wasp, or ant species. We also find that there is no link between relative sting length and pain; however, we did find an inverse relationship between relative sting length and toxicity with taxa having shorter relative stings being more toxic. While we found a significant relationship between host use and relative sting length, we suggest that the long sting length of the velvet ants is also related to their suite of defenses to avoid predation.

British phenological records indicate high diversity and extinction rates among late-summer-flying pollinators

The long-term decline of wild and managed insect pollinators is a threat to both agricultural output and biodiversity, and has been linked to decreasing floral resources. Further insight into the temporal relationships of pollinators and their flowering partners is required to inform conservation efforts. Here we examined the phenology of British: (i) pollinator activity; (ii) insect-pollinated plant flowering; and (iii) extinct and endangered pollinator and plant species. Over 1 million records were collated from the historical databases of three British insect monitoring organisations, a global biodiversity database and an authoritative text covering the national flora. Almost two-thirds (62%) of pollinator species have peak flight observations during late-summer (July and August). This was the case across three of the groups studied: aculeate wasps (71% of species), bees (60%), and butterflies (72%), the exception being hoverflies (49%). When species geographical range (a proxy for abundance) was accounted for, a clear late-summer peak was clear across all groups. By contrast, there is marked temporal partitioning in the flowering of the major plant groups: insect-pollinated tree species blossoming predominantly during May (74%), shrubs in June (69%), and herbs in July (83%). There was a positive correlation between the number of pollinator species on the wing and the richness of both flowering insect-pollinated herbs and trees/shrubs species, per calendar month. In addition, significantly greater extinctions occurred in late-summer-flying pollinator species than expected (83% of extinct species vs. 62% of all species). This trend was driven primarily by bee extinctions (80% vs. 60%) and was not apparent in other groups. We contend that this is principally due to declines in late-summer resource supplies, which are almost entirely provisioned by herbs, a consequence of historical land-use change. We hypothesize that the seasonality of interspecific competition and the blooming of trees and mass-flowering crops may have partially buffered spring-flying pollinators from the impacts of historical change.

The hosts ofPhlebopenes(Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), with the first record ofPhlebopenes longicaudataattacking nests of oil-collecting bees of the genusTetrapedia(Hymenoptera: Apidae)

AbstractTwo rearing records from trap nests set in São Paulo State, Brazil and one oviposition observation show that the parasitoid waspPhlebopenes longicaudata(Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae: Eupelminae) parasitises the nests of oil-collecting bees of the genusTetrapediaKlug (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Based on this and one previously published host record, species ofPhlebopenesPerty are newly hypothesised to be parasitoids of solitary wasps and bees rather than wood-boring Coleoptera. Other Eupelmidae reported as parasitoids of aculeate wasps are summarised.

Faunal Study of the Nocturnal Aculeate Wasps (Hymenoptera) of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of Joshua Tree National Park

Faunal Study of the Nocturnal Aculeate Wasps (Hymenoptera) of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of Joshua Tree National Park

Molecular phylogeny of Miltogramminae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): Implications for classification, systematics and evolution of larval feeding strategies

Miltogramminae is one of the phylogenetically most poorly studied taxa of the species-rich family Sarcophagidae (Diptera). Most species are kleptoparasites in nests of solitary aculeate wasps and bees, although parasitoids and saprophagous species are also known, and the ancestral miltogrammine life habit remains unsettled. Here, we present for the first time a comprehensive phylogenetic tree consisting of 58 representatives of Miltogramminae, reconstructed using sequence data from three mitochondrial (COI, cytB, ND4) and one nuclear (Ef-1α) genes. Our phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that: (1) Miltogramminae are sister to Paramacronychiinae, (2) Miltogramminae can be divided into the “lower miltogrammines” containing two clades of mainly saprophages and a clade of “higher miltogrammines” with mainly kleptoparasitic species, (3) only three genera turn out to be non-monophyletic: Miltogramma, Senotainia and Pterella and (4) the genus Sarcotachina, which traditionally has been considered as belonging to the Paramacronychiinae, is placed in one of the clades of “lower miltogrammines”. Ancestral state reconstruction of larval feeding strategy and five larval characters reveals that the ancestor of Miltogramminae was likely a saprophage retaining plesiomorphic oral ridges and a cephaloskeleton with sclerotized dorsal bridge. Synapomorphies like large pseudocephalic sensory organs and well-developed cuticular sculpture suggest that the ancestral first instar larva actively searched for a buried food supply.

A preliminary survey of flower visiting by aculeate wasps and bees in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, UAE

A preliminary survey of flower visiting by aculeate wasps and bees in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, UAE

Diverse Orthorrhaphan Flies (Insecta: Diptera: Brachycera) in Amber From the Cretaceous of Myanmar: Brachycera in Cretaceous Amber, Part VII

A remarkable diversity of new nonempidoid orthorrhaphan flies from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar (Late Albian–Early Cenomanian, ca. 99 Ma) is presented, including 28 species (all but one new) in 22 genera (13 new), and at least 12 families. Two families are new; three genera are unplaced in Tabanomorpha and one unplaced within Brachycera. Comparisons are presented between the amber taxa and extensive lithified taxa from the Jurassic and Cretaceous of eastern Laurasia.In Stratiomyomorpha: A new species of Zhangsolvidae has color patterns and body shape that apparently mimic Vespidae or other stinging aculeate wasps. Diverse new Xylomyidae and Stratiomyidae are described, the latter with male terminalia preserved in detail. In Tabanomorpha: The genus Athericites Mostovski et al. is synonymized with Palaepangonius Ren, and a new species of Galloatherix Nel is described in which the female proboscis is much longer than that of the male. All three genera were attributed to Athericidae, but the amber species reveal they are more basal tabanomorphs. Described are a new genus of stem-group Tabanoidea and a new species of Cratotabanus Martins-Neto and Kucero-Santos (Tabanidae), previously known from the Cretaceous of Brazil and New Jersey. In Nemestrinoidea: Three species of Hirmoneura Meigen are the first Nemestrinidae known from amber; one species has long cerci typical of Recent species of the genus. A new species of the Mesozoic family Rhagionemestriidae reveals this family is closely related to Acroceridae, not Xylophagidae as previously proposed. In Archisargoidea: A new species of Tethepomyiidae is described, the family known only in Cretaceous amber from New Jersey, Spain, and Myanmar. In Asiloidea: Three new species and genera of Bombyliidae are described, two of them with abdominal setal “baskets” distinctive to females of higher bombyliids. A fourth new asiloid genus is a probable stem-group bombyliid. The recently described Pseudorhagio Zhang et al., is transferred from Tabanomorpha to Bombyliidae. The male of a new species of Burmapsilocephala Gaimari and Mostovski (Apsilocephalidae) has terminalia very similar to that of Evocoa (Evocoidae: Recent, Chile), corroborating close relationship of the two families. In Families incertae sedis: A new species of Hilarimorphites Grimaldi and Cumming (Apystomyiidae) is described, the family known only in New Jersey and Burmese amber and the Recent fauna of California, and a sister group to either Cyclorrhapha or Eremoneura. Mysteromyiidae and Eucaudomyiidae, new families, are described, based on highly modified species with vestigial mouthparts, reduced venation, and unique specializations.Discussion is presented on some morphological features in fossil and Recent Brachycera that have apparent phylogenetic significance but are rarely discussed. This study adds further data to the phenotypic diversity, geological history, and biogeography of a major radiation.

The sister group of Aculeata (Hymenoptera) - evidence from internal head anatomy, with emphasis on the tentorium

The Aculeata comprises some of the best known Hymenoptera. Traditionally, their sister group has been considered to be the Ichneumonoidea; however, recent phylogenetic analyses contradict this hypothesis. We evaluate three potential candidates for the sister group of aculeate wasps: Ichneumonoidea, Evanioidea and Trigonaloidea. This is addressed by investigating the internal head anatomy of representatives of the relevant taxa, specifically the tentorium, musculature and glands. One species each of the families Braconidae, Evaniidae, Gasteruptiidae, Aulacidae and Trigonalidae, as well as Sphecidae and Sapygidae as representatives of Aculeata, and Ibaliidae as outgroup is examined. 33 head anatomical characters are mapped on the three competing hypotheses. Aculeata + Evanioidea are corroborated by the presence of a secondary bridge, the presence of a subforaminal cup and the presence of one medial sulcus on the ventral head sclerotisation instead of two sublateral ones. Trigonaloidea + (Aculeata + Evanioidea) is corroborated by the presence of a bent cibarium. The presence of a hypopharyngeal gland, the backwards shift of the origin of the antennal muscles, the loss of the connection of the dorsal tentorial arms with the head capsule and the loss of ventral salivarial dilators are retrieved as synapomorphies of Aculeata. Two hitherto unknown glands, a hypopharyngeal salivary gland in Sphecidae and Sapygidae and a hypopharyngeal-maxillary gland in Evaniidae, are described.

Adaptive Radiation in Socially Advanced Stem-Group Ants from the Cretaceous

Across terrestrial ecosystems, modern ants are ubiquitous. As many as 94 out of every 100 individual arthropods in rainforests are ants, and they constitute up to 15% of animal biomass in the Amazon. Moreover, ants are pervasive agents of natural selection as over 10,000 arthropod species are specialized inquilines or myrmecomorphs living among ants or defending themselves through mimicry. Such impact is traditionally explained by sociality: ants are the first major group of ground-dwelling predatory insects to become eusocial, increasing efficiency of tasks and establishing competitive superiority over solitary species. A wealth of specimens from rich deposits of 99 million-year-old Burmese amber resolves ambiguity regarding sociality and diversity in the earliest ants. The stem-group genus Gerontoformica maintained distinct reproductive castes including morphotypes unknown in solitary aculeate (stinging) wasps, providing insight into early behavior. We present rare aggregations of workers, indicating group recruitment as well as an instance of interspecific combat; such aggression is a social feature of modern ants. Two species and an unusual new genus are described, further expanding the remarkable diversity of early ants. Stem-group ants are recovered as a paraphyletic assemblage at the base of modern lineages varying greatly in size, form, and mouthpart structure, interpreted here as an adaptive radiation. Though Cretaceous stem-group ants were eusocial and adaptively diverse, we hypothesize that their extinction resulted from the rise of competitively superior crown-group taxa that today form massive colonies, consistent with Wilson and Hölldobler's concept of "dynastic succession."

An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species.

The Chrysididae are a group of cleptoparasitic and parasitoid aculeate wasps with a large number of rare and endangered species. The taxonomy of this group has long been confusing due to the similarity of species and extensive intraspecific variation. We present for the first time a comprehensive dichotomous key for all 74 species found in the Nordic and Baltic countries. In addition to diagnostic characters, information on the distribution and biology of each species is also presented. A new species, Chrysis borealis Paukkunen, Ødegaard & Soon, sp. n. is described on the basis of specimens collected from Fennoscandia. Chrysis gracillima Förster, 1853 is recorded as new to the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Evolution of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Hymenoptera: a Meta-Analysis.

Chemical communication is the oldest form of communication, spreading across all forms of life. In insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) function as chemical cues for the recognition of mates, species, and nest-mates in social insects. Although much is known about the function of individual hydrocarbons and their biosynthesis, a phylogenetic overview is lacking. Here, we review the CHC profiles of 241 species of Hymenoptera, one of the largest and most important insect orders, which includes the Symphyta (sawflies), the polyphyletic Parasitica (parasitoid wasps), and the Aculeata (wasps, bees, and ants). We investigated whether these taxonomic groups differed in the presence and absence of CHC classes and whether the sociality of a species (solitarily vs. social) had an effect on CHC profile complexity. We found that the main CHC classes (i.e., n-alkanes, alkenes, and methylalkanes) were all present early in the evolutionary history of the Hymenoptera, as evidenced by their presence in ancient Symphyta and primitive Parasitica wasps. Throughout all groups within the Hymenoptera, the more complex a CHC the fewer species that produce it, which may reflect the Occam’s razor principle that insects’ only biosynthesize the most simple compound that fulfil its needs. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the complexity of CHC profiles between social and solitary species, with some of the most complex CHC profiles belonging to the Parasitica. This profile complexity has been maintained in the ants, but some specialization in biosynthetic pathways has led to a simplification of profiles in the aculeate wasps and bees. The absence of CHC classes in some taxa or species may be due to gene silencing or down-regulation rather than gene loss, as demonstrated by sister species having highly divergent CHC profiles, and cannot be predicted by their phylogenetic history. The presence of highly complex CHC profiles prior to the vast radiation of the social Hymenoptera indicates a ‘spring-loaded’ system where the diversity of CHC needed for the complex communication systems of social insects were already present for natural selection to act upon, rather than having evolved independently. This diversity may have aided the multiple independent evolution of sociality within the Aculeata.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10886-015-0631-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.