Wasp Genus Research Articles

Myopedicellina, a replacement name for Myosoma Robertson (Entoprocta: Pedicellinidae)

Myosoma is a genus name proposed in 1900 by Alice Robertson for a colonial species of Entoprocta, Myosoma spinosa Robertson. Myosoma has been used for this genus up to the present time, which now includes two named species. However, we determined that Robertson’s name is preoccupied by the parasitoid wasp genus name Myosoma (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), described by Brullé in 1846. Therefore, we propose another epithet for this entoproct genus: Myopedicellina new replacement name. Brief descriptions of the genus Myopedicellina and the two species belonging to it are provided.

A tale of long tails: Evolution of host specialization in non‐pollinating fig wasps

Abstract The evolution of host specialization and feeding habits in non‐pollinating fig wasps remains poorly understood. This study investigates these dynamics within the wasp genus Idarnes, which exhibits diverse life strategies and degrees of host specificity. We reconstructed the phylogeny of 57 Idarnes species using four genetic markers—two mitochondrial, one nuclear and one ribosomal—and performed ancestral state reconstructions to elucidate the evolution of host specialization. Our analyses reveal that host monophagy is ancestral in Idarnes, with oligophagy evolving independently in several lineages. Oligophagous species are more prevalent in kleptoparasitic compared to gall‐inducing lineages. Early gallers—which are wasps that colonize figs during the pre‐receptive stage of development—are predominantly monophagous, while some oligophagous species occur in the galler lineage that uses flower ovaries at the fig receptive phase. The relative ovipositor length correlates with the number of host species visited by kleptoparasite species, suggesting morphological adaptations play a role in host specialization. In the gall‐inducing lineages, the use of multiple host species seems not primarily constrained by the ovipositor size but possibly by the capacity of the wasp to induce galls in a non‐typical host species. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms driving host specialization in fig wasps, enhancing our understanding of this intricate insect‐plant system.

A new genus and species of club-horned wasps, with a key to the Old World genera of Sapyginae (Hymenoptera, Sapygidae).

A new genus and species of the family Sapygidae from Southeast Asia is described: Dasysapyga picta van Loon, gen. et sp. nov. The new genus is similar to Parasapyga Turner, 1910, but differs mainly in sculpture, wing venation and pubescence. A key to the Old World genera of the subfamily Sapyginae is provided.

Discovery of the digger wasp genus Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski, 1876 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae: Pseudoscoliini) in Indian Sub-continent, with description of a new species.

The digger wasp genus Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski, 1876 is newly reported from India with a new species: Pseudoscolia anuae Saini sp. nov. from the State of Haryana.

Description of Neuroandricus a new genus of gall wasp (Hym.: Cynipidae) and a new species of associated Sycophila (Hym.: Eurytomidae).

A new genus of oak gall wasps, Neuroandricus Pujade-Villar & Melika, gen. nov., with one new species, N. pustulatus Pujade-Villar & Melika, sp. nov. is described from Mexico. The new Cynipini species is known from its asexual generation which induces galls on leaves of Quercus (section Quercus). Also, a new species of gall-associated parasitoid is described, Sycophila baldufi Savall-Roig & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov. (Eurytomidae), emerged from N. pustulatus galls. Diagnosis, distribution and biological data of the new species are given.

Contributing to the understanding of Angiopolybia Araujo, 1946 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae): a new species, and descriptions of the nest of A. obidensis and male of A. zischkai.

Despite being a small genus, much remains unknown about the Neotropical social wasp genus Angiopolybia Araujo, 1946 (Polistinae: Epiponini). Here we describe the new species A. obscuriorina Barroso, sp. nov., the nest of A. obidensis (Ducke, 1904) and a hitherto unknown male of A. zischkai Richards, 1978.

First Record of the Genus Arpactophilus Smith, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Pemphredoninae) outside Australasia with the Description of a New Species from Northeastern India.

The aphid wasp genus Arpactophilus Smith, 1863 is reported from India, for the first time outside Australasia. A new species Arpactophilus pulawskii Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov. is described and illustrated.

New genus of falsiformicid wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespoidea: Falsiformicidae) with brachypterous male from middle Cretaceous Kachin amber in Myanmar

Falsiformicidae is a poorly known extinct family of aculeate wasps. It is known only as inclusions in various Cretaceous ambers. Brachypterous male Falsiformix pedestris Zhang and Rasnitsyn gen. et sp. nov. is described in the family Falsiformicidae based on a unique fossil from the middle Cretaceous Kachin amber. Occurrence and meaning of the male flightlessness in Hymenoptera is discussed. A combination of the flightless males with flying females occurs when mating takes place shortly after the eclosion, before adults disperse from confined space where they developed. An equally rare even if less exotic strategy with males and females both being flightless depends on the female pedestrian habits rather than on the pre-dispersal mating. Wide spatial (Angara Land, Laurussia Land and Gondwana Land) and narrow temporal distribution (Cenomanian and Turonian ages only) indicate Falsiformicidae as a possibly important stratigraphical indicator.

Karyotype diversity of Polybia (gr. occidentalis) species complex (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): Taxonomic and evolutionary implications

AbstractPolybia is a common wasp genus found in most of South America. Polybia (gr. occidentalis) encompasses several species that are difficult to identify because of their similar morphologies. Our goal was to cytogenetically characterize three species belonging to Polybia (gr. occidentalis) and discuss the importance of cytogenetic data for integrative taxonomy. Polybia colonies were sampled from different regions of Brazil to perform classical and molecular cytogenetic analyses. Polybia paulista and Polybia sp. 1 showed 2n = 34 and 18S rDNA loci on two chromosomes, whereas Polybia sp. 2 showed 2n = 40 and 18S rDNA clusters on four chromosomes. The microsatellites GA(15), GAG(10), CAA(10), TTAGG(6), and TCAGG(6) showed similar distributions among the species, forming blocks in the euchromatic regions of the chromosomes, whereas CGG(10) did not yield any positive markings. In contrast, TAT(10) hybridized on the centromeric heterochromatin, showing differences in the number of marked chromosomes among the species. Therefore, it may potentially be a species‐specific cytotaxonomic marker in this group of wasps, but this feature needs further investigation. Fluorochromes evidenced that AT‐rich DAPI+ sequence distribution was coincident with heterochromatin, while the distribution of CG‐rich CMA3+ sequences was coincident with the 18S rDNA region. The present study revealed differences in diploid number, heterochromatin content, 18S rDNA sites, and microsatellite patterns between morphologically similar species, demonstrating the usefulness of cytotaxonomy in studying species complexes.

Afrotropical Centistidea Rohwer, 1914 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with description of four new species.

The braconid parasitoid wasp genus Centistidea Rohwer, 1914 is revised for the Afrotropical region, with four new species described; Centistideaareolaris Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., C.linearis Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., C.longipedes Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., and C.turneri Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov. are described based on specimens from the Natural History Museum, United Kingdom, and the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. An illustrated key to species in the Afrotropical region is provided.

Taxonomic review of the potter wasp genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species and keys to the Oriental fauna

Taxonomic review of the potter wasp genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species and keys to the Oriental fauna

Description of a new species of potter wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Northeast India

Pseumenes Giordani Soika, 1935 is a small genus of potter wasps occurring in Oriental, Australian and Palearctic Regions. Only one species, Pseumenes depressus (de Saussure, 1855) is known so far from India. A new species, Pseumenes siangensis sp. nov. from Arunachal Pradesh, is described. The morphological affinities of the new species are discussed. The new species is compared with the closely related P. depressus as well as P. laboriosus. Since P. depressus is similar to P. laboriosus, comparisons were made between P. laboriosus and P. siangensis sp. nov. The apical teeth of the propodeum are medium sized and blunt in P. siangensis sp. nov. (long and sharp in P. laboriosus); the posterior part of the first tergite is densely punctate in the middle P. siangensis sp. nov. (almost impunctate in P. laboriosus). The clypeus without a median black spot in P. siangensis sp. nov. (with median black spot in P. laboriosus).

Two new species of the spider wasp genus Paracyphononyx Gribodo, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) in China, with a key to Chinese species.

The taxonomy of the genus Paracyphononyx Gribodo, 1884 from China is studied. Two new species, P. pilisquamatus Liu & Ma, sp. nov. and P. noncarinulatus Liu & Ma, sp. nov., from Yunnan, Hainan, and Guangdong Provinces, are described and illustrated. A new combination is proposed for Paracyphononyx smithi (Banks, 1934), comb. nov. A key to the Chinese species of Paracyphononyx is provided.

Wolbachia strain diversity in a complex group of sympatric cryptic parasitoid wasp species

BackgroundMaternally-inherited symbionts can induce pre-mating and/or post-mating reproductive isolation between sympatric host lineages, and speciation, by modifying host reproductive phenotypes. The large parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia (Braconidae) includes a diversity of cryptic species, each specialized in parasitizing one to few related Lepidoptera host species. Here, we characterized the infection status of an assemblage of 21 Cotesia species from 15 countries by several microbial symbionts, as a first step toward investigating whether symbionts may provide a barrier to gene flow between these parasitoid host lineages.ResultsThe symbiotic microbes Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Microsporidium and Spiroplasma were not detected in the Cotesia wasps. However, the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was present in at least eight Cotesia species, and hence we concentrated on it upon screening additional DNA extracts and SRAs from NCBI. Some of the closely related Cotesia species carry similar Wolbachia strains, but most Wolbachia strains showed patterns of horizontal transfer between phylogenetically distant host lineages.ConclusionsThe lack of co-phylogenetic signal between Wolbachia and Cotesia suggests that the symbiont and hosts have not coevolved to an extent that would drive species divergence between the Cotesia host lineages. However, as the most common facultative symbiont of Cotesia species, Wolbachia may still function as a key-player in the biology of the parasitoid wasps. Its precise role in the evolution of this complex clade of cryptic species remains to be experimentally investigated.

A review of the solitary wasp genus Apodynerus from Vietnam (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Species of the potter wasp genus Apodynerus Giordani Soika (Eumeninae: Odynerini) occurring in Vietnam are reviewed. Eight species have been collected from the study area, with four species new to science: Apodynerus angulus Nguyen & Engel sp. nov., A. gracilis Nguyen & AD Nguyen sp. nov., A. puteus Nguyen & Tran sp. nov., and A. securis Nguyen sp. nov. The new species are described and figured along with their male genitalia. Apodynerus indicus Giordani Soika, 1994 is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. The male genitalia of A. indicus, A. formosensis (von Schulthess, 1934), and A. troglodytes (de Saussure, 1855) are redescribed in detail with added characters. Apodynerus formosensis continentalis Giordani Soika, 1994 is synonymized under A. formosensis (syn. nov.). One species is removed from Apodynerus and placed elsewhere in the tribe: Paraleptomenes nitidiclypeus (Gusenleitner, 2013), comb. nov. Keys are provided to the species of the genus.

Review of the Parasitoid Wasp Genus Cratichneumon Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Arizona's Sky Islands, with Descriptions of Eleven New Species

Review of the Parasitoid Wasp Genus Cratichneumon Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Arizona's Sky Islands, with Descriptions of Eleven New Species

Reticulodermis lithogalla gen. nov. and sp. nov. of oak gall wasp from Mexico (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae).

A new genus of oak gall wasp, Reticulodermis Pujade-Villar, Cuesta-Porta & Melika gen. nov. and a new species R. lithogalla García-Martiñón & Pujade-Villar sp. nov. are described from Mexico. Reticulodermis is known only from the asexual generation that induces galls on leaves of Quercus crassipes Humb. & Bonpl. (section Lobatae). We provide the diagnosis, distribution and biological data on the new species. An identification key to the genera of oak gall wasps inducing galls on the section Lobatae is given.

Revisiting the Darwin wasp genus Epelaspis Townes, 1970 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Phygadeuontinae): five new species, new records and a key to Neotropical species.

The Darwin wasp genus Epelaspis Townes, 1970 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Phygadeuontinae) is studied in some countries of South America. We recorded the genus for the first time in Colombia, and five new species are described: Epelaspis boteroi Lima & Fernandes, sp. nov., Epelaspis constantinoi Lima & Fernandes, sp. nov., Epelaspis lulo Lima & Fernandes, sp. nov., Epelaspis tavoi Lima & Fernandes, sp. nov., and Epelaspis wagneri Lima & Fernandes, sp. nov.. Furthermore, E. anorus Townes, 1970 is newly documented for Brazil, while the geographic ranges of E. renatoi Graf & Kumagai, 1996 and E. ketiae Graf & Kumagai, 1996 are extended within the country. Digital images, maps, and a key to Neotropical Epelaspis species are provided.

Revision of Nearctic Eparces (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae): description Eparces australis Claridge & Dal Pos sp. nov., nomenclatural notes, and new records of Eparces quadriceps (Cresson, 1867).

The Nearctic species of the parasitoid wasp genus Eparces are revised. A new species, Eparces australis Claridge & Dal Pos sp. nov., is described from the southeastern USA. Additionally, nomenclatural comments on the other Nearctic species, Eparces quadriceps (Cresson, 1867) are provided, along with new records for the species from various states in the USA.

When the predator becomes the prey: record of Mischocyttarus rotundicollis (Cameron, 1912) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) feeding on a spider in southeastern Brazil

Social wasps are commonly considered generalists in their feeding habits, but there are genera with little information regarding their diet, such as Mischocyttarus de Saussure, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), the most species-rich wasp genus in the world. The objective of this study is to report Mischocyttarus rotundicollis (Cameron, 1912) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) feeding on a spider in the southeastern region of Brazil, aiming to expand information about its feeding behavior. The record occurred occasionally on September 23, 2023, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the ecotone region between the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. The feeding of a species from the Araneidae family occurred in its web, and the individual of M. rotundicollis used the tarsi of its legs to cling to the silk threads of the web, which could suggest a specialization for the exploitation of this food resource. Our record provides further information on the feeding behavior and diet of M. rotundicollis and presents the first information on spider feeding by this species. Further studies are suggested to evaluate this possible hypothesis of specialization of the genus for foraging in spider webs.