WASP Family Research Articles

A new species and diagnostic characters for Panguidae (Hymenoptera, Panguoidea)

The wasp family Panguidae Li, Rasnitsyn, Shih & Ren, 2019 was erected on the basis of the type species Pangu yuangu, which is a female preserved in mid-Cretaceous Burmese (Myanmar) amber. Herein, a new species, Pangu antiquum sp. nov., is described based on a male wasp. In addition, the wasp Prosphex anthophilos Grimaldi & Engel, 2019, described as Family Incertae sedis from Burmese amber, fits well with the diagnosis of Panguidae. We suggest to include Prosphex Grimaldi & Engel, 2019 as the second genus in the Panguidae. A key for genera and species of Panguidae is provided. Up to date, all taxa in Panguidae are known only from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

Stinging apparatus of apoid wasps and bees as never seen before

The stinging apparatus is expected to vary depending on the type of prey taken and the way it is carried in apoid wasps and the purpose of defense it serves in bees. To understand the differences in sting morphology, members of two apoid wasp families (Ampulicidae and Crabronidae) and a bee family (Halictidae) were studied. Scanning Electron Microscope images of lancets revealed tooth like projections on dorso-lateral aspect in Ampulex compressa (Fabricius, 1781) and blunt barbs on the lancets of Liris aurulentus (Fabricius, 1787) and Tachysphex bengalensis Cameron, 1889 whereas, in Halictus fimbriatellus Vachal, 1894 barbs are arranged in two rows on lancet, which includes four barbs on one side and three barbs on the other side of lancet which are not acutely pointed. The SEM images also indicated the presence of campaniform sensilla on the lancets of compressa. These findings help us to know the possible relationships of hunting behavior and modification of the sting in accordance.

Survey and Taxonomic Notes on The Hymenopterous Insect Fauna of the New Valley, Egypt.Part II. wasps

A survey of the wasps (Hymenoptera) was carried out in the New Valley governorate (Egypt), using mainly sweeping nets during a period covered all the seasons of the years 2017- 2018. The survey resulting 103 species under 68 genera belonging to 13 wasp families, of which 53 species are recorded for the first time in this area. Notes on the abundance of the species in the area of study, together with their economic status and their distribution in different geographical regions in Egypt are provided.

Molecular diversity and species delimitation in the family Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea).

Gasteruptiidae Ashmead is an easily recognised family of wasps with ∼589 described species worldwide. Although well characterised by traditional taxonomy, multiple authors have commented on the extreme morphological uniformity of the group, making species-level identification difficult. This problem is enhanced by the lack of molecular data and molecular phylogenetic research for the group. We used 187 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes to explore the efficiency of sequence data to delimitate species in Gasteruptiidae. We undertook a graphical and discussion-based comparison of six methods for species delimitation, with the success of methods judged based on known species boundaries and morphology. Both distance-based (ABGD and jMOTU threshold analysis) and tree-based (GMYC and PTP) methods compared across multiple parameters recovered variable molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), ranging from 55 to 123 MOTUs. Tree-based methods tended to split known morphological species less than distance-based methods, with the single-threshold GMYC method the most concordant with known morphospecies. Our results suggest that the incorporation of molecular species delimitation techniques provides a powerful tool to assist in the interpretation of species and help direct informed decisions with taxonomic uncertainty in the family.

Burmorussidae, a new family of parasitic wasps (Insecta, Hymenoptera) from mid‐Cretaceous Burmese amber

AbstractA new genus and species, Burmorussus mirabilis, is described based on two specimens from the mid‐Cretaceous Burmese amber, and considered to be a specialized parasitic wasp of wood‐living hosts. The new taxon is characterized by an orussid‐like ocellar crown, big eyes, antennae attached well above the clypeus, and antennal grooves or ventral transverse frontal carinae absent. Additionally, all legs carry a prominent lanceolate lobe on the third tarsomere. A similar structure is found, but organized differently, in Recent Orussidae and Stephanidae, serving as part of a vibration analyser. Although sharing some characters with families Karatavitidae, Orussidae and Paroryssidae, this new taxon cannot be assigned to any of these families. We propose a new monotypic family Burmorussidae and assign it to the superfamily Orussoidea. A phylogenetic analysis confirms the monophyly of Orussoidea, which occurs a sister group to Apocrita.

A first phylogenomic hypothesis for Eulophidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)

ABSTRACT Eulophidae is a hyper-diverse family of chalcidoid wasps with 324 genera, about 5300 described species and probably thousands of others to be described. Until now, the absence of unequivocal morphological apomorphies and the low resolution provided by the handful of Sanger sequenced genes have hampered the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships within the family. Here, we used ultra-conserved elements and their flanking regions to resolve relationships among 84 species of eulophids included in 63 genera representing all subfamilies and most tribes, plus 15 outgroups. Our analyses recover all traditional Eulophidae subfamilies and tribes with high support and globally agree with the traditional classification of the family. Our results confirm that Eulophinae + Tetrastichinae is the sister group of (Opheliminae + Entiinae) + Entedoninae. At the generic level, our analyses provide high support for intergeneric relationships for which morphology and Sanger markers previously failed to provide resolution. Our results also confirm that Trisecodes does not group with Eulophidae and may not belong to this family; however, its correct classification still awaits a large-scale phylogenomic hypothesis for Chalcidoidea. This work opens new avenues towards a better understanding of the evolutionary history, biogeography and evolution of host–parasitoid associations in this hyper-diverse family of chalcidoid wasps.

<p><strong>First scolebythid wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea, Scolebythidae) in the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber</strong></p>

Scolebythidae is a small relict family of ordinary looking small wasps with only four genera and six species in the contemporary fauna of Central and South America, South Africa, Madagascar, north China, Thailand, Australia and Fiji; and with 11 genera and 13 species in various Cretaceous, Eocene and Miocene ambers and rocks (Engel, 2015; present paper) ascribed to two subfamilies, one predominantly living and another mostly extinct (Engel et al., 2013). Biologically, Scolebythidae are known as gregarious parasites of xylophagous larvae of Cerambycidae and Ptinidae (Anobiinae) (summarized by Engel, 2015). Based on the morphology, the family is usually considered phylogenetically as the second most (after Plumariidae) basal one in Chrysidoidea (Brothers, 1975; Rasnitsyn, 1988, 2002; Brothers & Carpenter, 1993).

First discovery of a long-tailed wasp from the Indian subcontinent (Hymenoptera: Megalyroidea: Megalyridae)

The genus Megalyra Westwood, commonly referred to as “long-tailed wasps,” is represented by 27 extant species. Regarded as a parasitoid of xylophagous beetles, Megalyra species are mostly native to the Australasian region; however, one species occurs naturally in Malaysia and Sumatra, and another has been reported as accidentally introduced into South Africa from Australia. Here we report on the first discovery of the wasp family Megalyridae from the Indian Subcontinent and provide a description, diagnosis, and illustrations of variations in Megalyra fasciipennis Westwood collected from Kerala, India. This incidence is thought to be an accidental introduction of the species, most likely from Australia sometime during the British Colonial Period.

WASP family proteins regulate the mobility of the B cell receptor during signaling activation

Regulation of membrane receptor mobility tunes cellular response to external signals, such as in binding of B cell receptors (BCR) to antigen, which initiates signaling. However, whether BCR signaling is regulated by BCR mobility, and what factors mediate this regulation, are not well understood. Here we use single molecule imaging to examine BCR movement during signaling activation and a novel machine learning method to classify BCR trajectories into distinct diffusive states. Inhibition of actin dynamics downstream of the actin nucleating factors, Arp2/3 and formin, decreases BCR mobility. Constitutive loss or acute inhibition of the Arp2/3 regulator, N-WASP, which is associated with enhanced signaling, increases the proportion of BCR trajectories with lower diffusivity. Furthermore, loss of N-WASP reduces the diffusivity of CD19, a stimulatory co-receptor, but not that of FcγRIIB, an inhibitory co-receptor. Our results implicate a dynamic actin network in fine-tuning receptor mobility and receptor-ligand interactions for modulating B cell signaling.

Tephritidae flies associated with Chuquiraga avellanedae (Asteraceae) in Patagonia, Argentina.

In Patagonia, knowledge about the interaction among tephritids and the native flora is very scarce. In this study we identified for the first time two tephritid species (Cecidochares sp. and Neosphaeniscus m-nigrum) associated with the capitula of Chuquiraga avellanedae. This is the first record of a host plant for the genus Neosphaeniscus. Cecidochares sp. was more abundant and had a shorter development time than N. m-nigrum. Also, two families of parasitoid wasps (Pteromalidae and Eurytomidae) were registered. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of these tephritids on C. avellanedae fitness and their potential to control its populations.

Phylogeny and divergence estimates for the gasteruptiid wasps (Hymenoptera : Evanioidea) reveals a correlation with hosts

The Gasteruptiidae are an easily recognised family of wasps whose larvae are considered predator-inquilines in the nests of solitary bees and wasps. There has been minimal molecular research on the family and as a result little understanding of the evolutionary relationships within the group. We present the first molecular phylogeny focused on Gasteruptiidae, generated using three molecular fragments (mitochondrial C01 and nuclear markers EF1-α and 28s) and estimate the divergence times of Evanioidea based on three secondary calibration points. The analyses included 142 specimens of Gasteruptiidae and 5 outgroup taxa from Aulacidae and Evaniidae. The monophyly of the Gasteruptiidae and its subfamilies Gasteruptiinae (Gasteruption) and Hyptiogastrinae (Hyptiogaster and Pseudofoenus) are confirmed. Our results indicate that Evanioidea diverged during the late Jurassic at 151.3 (171.99–136.15)Ma with Evaniidae during the early Cretaceous at 137.33 (140.86–133.67)Ma, and Gasteruptiidae during the Palaeocene at 60.23 (83.78–40.02)Ma. The crown age of Hyptiogastrinae was estimated to be during the mid-Eocene 40.72 (60.9–22.57)Ma and for Gasteruption during the early Eocene at 47.46 (64.7–31.75)Ma, which corresponded to their host divergence ages. We anticipate that more extensive taxon sampling combined with the use of phylogenomic data will help resolve low support within the Gasteruption clade.

Molecular phylogenetics disentangles the limits of a group of related Neotropical doryctine parasitoid wasp genera (Hymenoptera : Braconidae)

The Doryctinae is one of the most specious subfamilies of the mainly parasitoid wasp family Braconidae. Members of this subfamily are characterised by having a very heterogeneous external morphology, which has made establishing the limits of several of its genera extremely difficult. The Neotropical Callihormius Ashmead, Platydoryctes Barbalho & Penteado-Dias, and Aphelopsia Marsh are prime examples of this, since they show extensive interspecific morphological variation but lack consistent diagnostic features among them. We carried out a comprehensive phylogenetic study among several representative species belonging to the above genera as well as other morphologically similar doryctine taxa based on three nuclear and two mitochondrial (mt)DNA sequence markers. Based on the relationships recovered, we assessed the generic limits among the examined taxa and investigated the times of origin and diversification in this group. Our best estimate of phylogeny did not recover Callihormius as monophyletic, and thus we propose a taxonomic arrangement where we elevate the status of Ca. (Dmitriohormius) Belokobylskij, Zaldívar-Riverón & Coronado-Blanco to genus level, stat. nov., and also describe four new genera: Macrometasoma, gen. nov., Caputlenis, gen. nov., Platyhormius, gen. nov. and Caputrugosus, gen. nov. Platydoryctes is delimited morphologically, and the body flatness is proposed to have independently evolved more than once within the group of genera examined. Aphelopsia was not recovered as monophyletic, though the relationships involved were weakly supported and therefore we maintain its species composition. Panama Marsh, stat. rev., which was considered a junior synonym of Leluthia Cameron, is resurrected. Basal relationships in the phylogeny had very short branch lengths, which could be due to ancient rapid radiation events that occurred during the early evolution of the group. The estimated times of divergence showed that the clade containing Callihormius and its related genera originated between the late Oligocene and middle Miocene, whereas its early diversification events probably occurred between the middle to late Miocene.

First record of Embolemus tauricus (Hymenoptera: Embolemidae) at continental Ukraine

Embolemidae is a small family of chrysidoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) understudied in Ukraine. The cosmopolitan genus Embolemus is shown comprising only 32 extant and 2 fossil species in the world fauna: the actual check-list for the genus is given. Only two species had been previously registered in Ukraine. Embolemus ruddii was recorded at Western Ukraine and Crimea, and E. tauricus was described from Crimea based on a single specimen collected at 1910. In present contribution E. tauricus is recorded for continental Ukraine for the first time from the Zaporizhia Region. The specimen collected almost fully correspond to the original description of the species, differing only in the small features of coloration. The habitat of E. tauricus is briefly described.

Darwin wasps: a new name heralds renewed efforts to unravel the evolutionary history of Ichneumonidae

The parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae is arguably one of the groups for which current knowledge lags most strongly behind their enormous diversity. In a five-day meeting in Basel (Switzerland) in June 2019, 22 researchers from 14 countries met to discuss the most important issues in ichneumonid research, including increasing the speed of species discovery, resolving higher-level relationships, and studying the radiation of these parasitoids onto various host groups through time. All agreed that it is time to advertise ichneumonid research more broadly in the scientific community and thereby attract young talents to this group for which specialists are sorely lacking. In order to popularize the group, we here suggest a new name for the family, “Darwin wasps”, to reflect the pivotal role they played in convincing Charles Darwin that not all of creation could have been created by a benevolent god. We hope that the name catches on, and that Darwin wasps start buzzing more loudly across all disciplines of biology.

Diversity of parasitoid wasps in conventional and organic guarana (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis) cultivation areas in the Brazilian Amazon

ABSTRACT We surveyed parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera) in two guarana plantations in the central Brazilian Amazon (one conventionally, and one organically managed), as well as in adjacent forest and edge areas between crop and forest. We evaluated differences between management systems in parasitoid diversity and abundance, and assessed the importance of the surrounding matrix as a source of parasitoid wasps for guarana cultivation. Parasitoid wasp richness, abundance and taxonomic composition (at family level) were compared between plantations, and among habitats within plantations. Wasps were sampled using Malaise and Moericke traps. A total of 25,951 parasitoid wasps (10,828 in the conventional, and 15,123 in the organic crop area) were collected, and were distributed in 11 superfamilies and 38 families. In the conventional management area, the greatest abundance and richness of parasitoids were recorded in the adjacent forest, while, in the organic management area, the greatest abundance and richness were recorded in the crop-forest edge. Parasitoid wasp family richness was not influenced by management system and habitat but varied significantly between trap types. Average wasp abundance varied significantly between management systems. The presence of adjacent forest in both cultivation areas likely contributed to a greater abundance and richness of parasitoid wasps, showing the importance of preserving forest areas near the plantations.

New sawflies from the mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Syspastoxyelidae)

ABSTRACT Many insects have been described from the mid-Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber in recent years, including about 50 families of wasps. However, only two species of sawfly, Syspastoxyela rhaphidia and Striaexyela longicornis (Syspastoxyelidae), have been described in Myanmar amber, in contrast to more than 100 species of sawflies from the Mesozoic of Kazakhstan and China. Herein, we describe three new taxa of sawflies, Deltoxyela engeli gen. et sp. nov., Syspastoxyela pinguis sp. nov. and Syspastoxyela simpla sp. nov., based on six amber pieces with 21 specimens of sawflies from the mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. The new findings suggest that syspastoxyelids were speciose and prosperous in the ecosystem, even though only one family of sawflies, Syspastoxyelidae, has been reported hitherto.

From hair pin to safety pin: evolution of the ovipositor apparatus in Orussidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

Orussidae, a small family of parasitoid wasps targeting woodboring insect larvae, are characterized by having the ovipositor apparatus invaginated in the body and operated by a mechanism unique among Hymenoptera. The first and second valvulae when not in use lie in an invaginated ovipositor sack extending forward throughout the abdomen and thorax. During oviposition, the valvulae are extended and retracted by a combination of small median apodemes on the anterior margin of abdominal sterna 3–7 gripping and releasing the ovipositor, and rocking motions of the sterna. Females representing different genera of Orussidae were examined by dissection and SEM, revealing overall similarity of the ovipositor system and its inferred mode of operation in a larger sample across the family, but also variation between genera in the way the ovipositor is accommodated. This includes differences in the prophragma, profurca and the internal part of the mesonotum where the anterior loop of the ovipositor is stored, and the shape of the loop itself which occurs in two configurations: simple hair pin-like bend or whorled, safety pin-like. The former is putatively the plesiomorphic condition in Orussidae, the latter possibly having evolved more than once to accommodate a longer ovipositor. Selected features in the ovipositor apparatus are mapped and discussed in the context of recent phylogenetic hypotheses for the family.

Extensive sampling and thorough taxonomic assessment of Afrotropical Rhyssinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) reveals two new species and demonstrates the limitations of previous sampling efforts.

Tropical forest invertebrates, such as the parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae, are poorly known. This work reports some of the first results of an extensive survey implemented in Kibale National Park, Uganda. A total of 456 individuals was caught of the subfamily Rhyssinae Morley, 1913, which in the Afrotropical region was previously known from only 30 specimens. Here, the six species found at the site are described and the Afrotropical Rhyssinae are reviewed. Two new species, Epirhyssa johanna Hopkins, sp. nov. and E. quaggasp. nov., are described and a key, diagnostic characters, and descriptions for all 13 known Afrotropical species are provided, including the first description of the male of Epirhyssa overlaeti Seyrig, 1937. Epirhyssa gavinbroadi Rousse & van Noort, 2014, syn. nov. is proposed to be a synonym of E. uelensis Benoit, 1951. Extensive sampling with Malaise traps gave an unprecedented sample size, and the method is recommended for other poorly known tropical areas.

Solitary wasp diversity (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in different cultivation environments

ABSTRACT: Wasps contribute to environmental quality and ecosystem services, and play a key role in the functioning of many environments. The present study identified the diversity of species of solitary wasps that occupied trap-nests in farming environments. as well as the architecture of the nests found. The study focused on three areas of agroecosystem, where 30 blocks of trap-nests, with four diameters (5 mm, 7 mm, 9 mm, and 11 mm), were installed. A total of 56 nests were occupied by solitary wasps, with the most frequent species being Trypoxylon sp.1 (N=100, 54.9%), Pachodynerus cf. brevithorax (N=31, 17.0%), Trypoxylon sp.2 (N=27, 14.8%) and Caenochrysis nigropolita (N=9, 4.9%). The wasps occupied preferentially the trap-nests of 5 mm and 7 mm in diameter. Six wasp families were recorded, with the most abundant being the Crabronidae with 127 individuals, followed by the family Vespidae (N=36). Reduced number of species was recorded in the study area with frequent use of pesticides, and farming practices, which may damage nesting sites. These findings provide important guidelines for the use of agricultural practices, and emphasize the need for the adoption of effective strategies for the conservation and sustainable management of the populations of these potentially beneficial insects.
 KEY-WORD: Conservation, hymenopterans, agroecosystems.

Genetic dissection of active forgetting in labile and consolidated memories in Drosophila

Different memory components are forgotten through distinct molecular mechanisms. In Drosophila, the activation of 2 Rho GTPases (Rac1 and Cdc42), respectively, underlies the forgetting of an early labile memory (anesthesia-sensitive memory, ASM) and a form of consolidated memory (anesthesia-resistant memory, ARM). Here, we dissected the molecular mechanisms that tie Rac1 and Cdc42 to the different types of memory forgetting. We found that 2 WASP family proteins, SCAR/WAVE and WASp, act downstream of Rac1 and Cdc42 separately to regulate ASM and ARM forgetting in mushroom body neurons. Arp2/3 complex, which organizes branched actin polymerization, is a canonical downstream effector of WASP family proteins. However, we found that Arp2/3 complex is required in Cdc42/WASp-mediated ARM forgetting but not in Rac1/SCAR-mediated ASM forgetting. Instead, we identified that Rac1/SCAR may function with formin Diaphanous (Dia), a nucleator that facilitates linear actin polymerization, in ASM forgetting. The present study, complementing the previously identified Rac1/cofilin pathway that regulates actin depolymerization, suggests that Rho GTPases regulate forgetting by recruiting both actin polymerization and depolymerization pathways. Moreover, Rac1 and Cdc42 may regulate different types of memory forgetting by tapping into different actin polymerization mechanisms.