Wasp Genus Research Articles

A revision of the parasitoid wasp genus Alphomelon Mason with the description of 30 new species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae).

The parasitoid wasp genus Alphomelon Mason, 1981 is revised, based on a combination of basic morphology (dichotomous key and brief diagnostic descriptions), DNA barcoding, biology (host data and wasp cocoons), and distribution data. A total of 49 species is considered; the genus is almost entirely Neotropical (48 species recorded from that region), but three species reach the Nearctic, with one of them extending as far north as 45° N in Canada. Alphomelon parasitizes exclusively Hesperiinae caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), mostly feeding on monocots in the families Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, Cannaceae, Commelinaceae, Heliconiaceae, and Poaceae. Most wasp species parasitize either on one or very few (2-4) host species, usually within one or two hesperiine genera; but some species can parasitize several hosts from up to nine different hesperiine genera. Among species with available data for their cocoons, roughly half weave solitary cocoons (16) and half are gregarious (17); cocoons tend to be surrounded by a rather distinctive, coarse silk (especially in solitary species, but also distinguishable in some gregarious species). Neither morphology nor DNA barcoding alone was sufficient on its own to delimit all species properly; by integrating all available evidence (even if incomplete, as available data for every species is different) a foundation is provided for future studies incorporating more specimens, especially from South America. The following 30 new species are described: cruzi, itatiaiensis, and palomae, authored by Shimbori & Fernandez-Triana; and adrianguadamuzi, amazonas, andydeansi, calixtomoragai, carolinacanoae, christerhanssoni, diniamartinezae, duvalierbricenoi, eldaarayae, eliethcantillanoae, gloriasihezarae, guillermopereirai, hazelcambroneroae, josecortesi, keineraragoni, luciarosae, manuelriosi, mikesharkeyi, osvaldoespinozai, paramelanoscelis, paranigriceps, petronariosae, ricardocaleroi, rigoi, rostermoragai, sergioriosi, and yanayacu, authored by Fernandez-Triana & Shimbori.

Two new species of Clystopsenella Kieffer from Belize and Peru (Hymenoptera: Scolebythidae)

Two new species of the scolebythid wasp genus Clystopsenella Kieffer (Scolebythidae: Scolebythinae) are described and figured. Clystopsenella maya sp. n., is reported from Belize, representing the northernmost extant occurrence for the genus. Clystopsenella kampa sp. n., is described from the southwestern Amazonian region of Madre de Dios, Peru, and intermingles traits of both C.pacifica Lepeco & Melo and C.longiventris Kieffer. A revised key is presented to the species of the genus.

The potter wasp genus Allorhynchium from Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species and a new country record (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae).

Species of the potter wasp genus Allorhynchium van der Vecht (Eumeninae: Odynerini) occurring in Vietnam are presented. Seven species have been recorded from Vietnam. Of them, three species are described as new to science: Allorhynchiumlatum Nguyen, Tran & MT Nguyen, sp. nov., A.moerum Nguyen & AD Nguyen, sp. nov., and A.setosum Nguyen & Engel, sp. nov., and one species, A.argentatum (Fabricius, 1804), is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. An updated key to the Oriental species of the genus is presented.

The First Record of Calvolia summersi (Mostafa, 1970) (Acari: Winterschmidtiidae) from the Oriental Region and a new record of host association with Xylocopa (Ctenoxylocopa) fenestrata (Fabricius, 1798) with a review on Xylocopa-mite associations in India

Mites have long been associated with bees, often showing a close relationship with particular taxa, probably due to a co-evolutionary process. The present study is the first confirmation on the occurrence of the mite species Calvolia summersi (Mostafa, 1970) in India and its association with Xylocopa fenestrata (Fabricius, 1798), a large carpenter bee species. The mite species was previously reported from Brazil in association with Zethus, a neotropical potter wasp genus. C. summersi is isolated and studied from different populations of X. fenestrata in Sagar Islands, West Bengal, the biggest island of mangrove Sundarban deltaic complex. A literature-based review of the Xylocopa-mite associations from India is provided herewith to understand the diversity and pattern of mite species on Xylocopa host selection in the country. Instigating a baseline study of Xylocopa-mite association is recommended to demark the status of dynamism for better conservation and protection.

Nesting biology and social organisation of a silk wasp (Microstigmus rosae) from the North–West Ecuadorian Choco

Microstigmus Ducke (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Crabronidae, Pemphredoninae) is an intriguing genus of wasp, particularly interesting for the study of social evolution as it contains the only species of apoid wasps known to exhibit eusocial behaviours. Thus far, data concerning the genetics and biology of sociality in Microstigmus are restricted to just two species. Through behavioural observations and genetic analyses, we here present a detailed report on the nesting biology and social organisation of a third species, Microstigmus rosae. Our results indicate that M. rosae nests are founded by a single female and social groups appear when emerging female offspring remain on the natal nests as helpers. Adult females mass provision their offspring and developmental data are consistent with sequential brood production, an average egg laying interval of 10 days and a brood developmental period of more than 35 days. Social group formation is atypical, with 20% of nests containing up to a maximum of four adult females and two males. Adult group size is positively correlated with the number of brood in a nest, but negatively correlated with per capita brood. The sex investment ratio was female biased. Our findings support several theories concerning the behavioural characteristics thought to be important for transitions towards sociality, namely: high genetic relatedness generated by monogamous matrifilial associations, hygienic behaviour and the potential for direct reproduction. In contrast, one hypothesised trait, progressive provisioning, is notably absent, highlighting the need for investigations into the significance of post-provisioning parental care for offspring survival in this genus.

A new species of Olixon Cameron, 1887 (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae) and new records for the genus in Brazil.

Olixon Cameron, 1887 is a genus of solitary wasps belonging to Rhopalosomatidae with 28 species worldwide, all of which are distinct being brachypterous and having the inner eye margins straight. In this paper, we describe Olixon pantanensis Bulbol, Bartholomay & Somavilla sp. nov., based on a male from the Brazilian Pantanal biome and provide new distribution records for O. testaceum Cameron, 1887 in the country. We also provide the first descriptions and illustrations of the male genitalia for both species.

Taxonomic study on the spider wasp genus Ceropales Latreille, 1796 (Pompilidae: Ceropalinae) with description of two new species from India

The spider wasp genus Ceropales Latreille, 1796 from India was studied, resulting in the discovery of two new species in the nominotypical subgenus: Ceropales (Ceropales) anaghae Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass, sp. nov. and C. (C.) keralaensis Anju, Binoy & Thejass, sp. nov. Description of the new species with illustrations, comparisons with congeners and a key to Indian species of the subgenus are also provided.

Larissimusnigricans sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), a new reared species of a rare neotropical genus recovered through biodiversity inventory in Ecuador.

A new species of the rarely collected neotropical microgastrine braconid wasp genus Larissimus Nixon, represented previously by only a single described species, L.cassander Nixon, was recovered by the Caterpillars and Parasitoids of the Eastern Andes in Ecuador inventory project. Larissimusnigricanssp. nov. was reared from an unidentified species of arctiine Erebidae feeding on the common bamboo species Chusqueascandens Kunth at the Yanayacu Biological Station near Cosanga, Napo Province, Ecuador. The new species is described and diagnosed from L.cassander using both morphological and DNA barcode data.

Extremely small wasps independently lost the nuclei in the brain neurons of at least two lineages

Anucleate animal cells are a peculiar evolutionary phenomenon and a useful model for studying cellular mechanisms. Anucleate neurons were recently found in one genus of miniature parasitic wasps of the family Trichogrammatidae, but it remained unclear how widespread this phenomenon is among other insects or even among different tissues of the same insect species. We studied the anatomy of miniature representatives of another parasitic wasp family (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) using array tomography and found two more species with nearly anucleate brains at the adult stage. Thus, the lysis of the cell bodies and nuclei of neurons appears to be a more widespread means of saving space during extreme miniaturization, which independently evolved at least twice during miniaturization in different groups of insects. These results are important for understanding the evolution of the brain during miniaturization and open new areas of studying the functioning of anucleate neurons.

The spider wasp genus Erythropompilus Shimizu & Pitts, 2021 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) in China, with description of two new species and an updated key to world species

The taxonomy of the genus Erythropompilus from China is studied, with description of two new species, namely Erythropompilus venterisetalis Wu & Ma, sp. nov., and Erythropompilus macroplacoideus Wu & Ma, sp. nov. Additionally, the genus is newly recorded from mainland China, and E. thailandensis is newly recorded from China. An updated key to the world species of Erythropompilus is provided.

Review of the European Eumenes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) using morphology and DNA barcodes, with an illustrated key to species.

The European species of the potter wasp genus Eumenes Latreille, 1802 (Vespidae, Eumeninae) are illustrated and a new illustrated key to the 13 recognised species is presented. Eumenesmediterraneusaemilianus Guiglia, 1951 is synonymised with E.papillarius (Christ, 1791) (syn. nov.), E.obscurus André, 1884 and E.andrei Dalla Torre, 1894 with E.pedunculatus (Panzer, 1799) (syn. nov.) and E.crimensis Blüthgen, 1938 with E.sareptanus André, 1884 (syn. nov.).

Description and nesting biology of three new species of neotropical silk wasp (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Pemphredoninae: Microstigmus)

ABSTRACT The neotropical apoid wasp genus Microstigmus is of particular interest biologically because it represents an origin of eusociality independent of vespid wasps and bees, and is part of the only eusocial lineage among the approximately 10,000 solitary species of apoid wasps. Females construct nests made of silk and the species exhibit an unusual diversity of nesting strategies. However, research is hampered because many species remain undescribed and the basic nesting biology of only a few species is known. I describe three new species from north-west Ecuador related to M. bicolor Richards, including diagnostic morphological characters, altitudinal ranges and molecular data as well as descriptions of their nests and nesting biologies. M. rosae sp. nov. is a mass provisioner that preys on nymphal Thysanoptera, while M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov. are progressive provisioners that prey on nymphal leafhoppers (Cicadellidae). Nests of all three species can contain multiple adult females but more than half of nests contain only a single female. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E46768B9-FD13-4370-8E31-8D1819B724F4

A new genus of praeaulacid wasp (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea) from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar)

The diversity of praeaulacid wasps in Kachin amber is relatively poorly documented. Here, a new genus and species of praeaulacid wasp are described and illustrated from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber as Archeogastrinus kachinensis gen. et sp. nov., and placed in the subfamily Praeaulacinae. This new genus is distinguishable from the other Praeaulacidae because of its particular tibial spurs formula 1-2-2; its forewings with a long and thin pterostigma, a 1-M longer than 1-Rs, a 1-Rs longer than its distance to pterostigma, a crossvein 2r-rs aligned (or nearly) with 2rs-m and originating near the middle of pterostigma, a 2rs-m present, a cell 3rm long, a 1cu-a postfurcal to 1-M, a vein 2-M distinct; its hind wings cu-a reaching Cu distad M+Cu fork; and its metasoma with a first segment petiole-like (i.e., long and thin) and ventrally inflated in its distal half. The position of the genus Mesevania is briefly discussed, as well as the validity of the genus Paleosyncrasis, both described from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.

Nest Ecology and Prey Preference of the Mud Dauber Wasp Sceliphron formosum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae).

(1) Background: Sceliphron is a genus of sphecid wasps that build mud nests for reproduction. These wasps prey exclusively on spiders, and commonly inhabit human constructions. The nesting behaviour and prey selection of many Sceliphron species are well studied, but despite being a common insect in urban areas, Sceliphron formosum has never been comprehensively studied. (2) Methods: In this study, over 650 mud nests of S. formosum were collected, analysed and examined to establish prey preference, nest ecology and interspecific interactions. Prey preference was evaluated in terms of abundance, diversity and morphology. Preference in terms of morphology was estimated using body length to leg span ratio (BLR). (3) Results: S. formosum largely preys on ground-hunting spiders, among which Salticidae represented the most collected prey. In terms of prey size, S. formosum captures prey with a large BLR. Moreover, an unexpected discovery showed that the enclosed mud nests provide a micro niche that supports a wide variety of insects. Sixteen families and 23 species of insects were found associated with the use of mud nests, comprising the insect orders Hymenoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera. These included important pollinators, new species and native species not recorded in the past 20 years of mud dauber wasp research. We propose the potential of S. formosum as a keystone species, due to its ability to provide a micro niche for native species in urban areas. We also discuss how these results contribute to our knowledge on the role of insects in urban ecosystems and their significance in relation to conservation, ecology and biodiversity studies.

Four new species of Hecabolus Curtis, 1834 (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from south and southwestern Brazil, with notes on the morphological variation and geographic distribution of H. mexicanus Zaldívar-Riverón & Belokobylskij, 2009

Four new species of the braconid wasp genus Hecabolus Curtis, 1834 (Doryctinae Foerster, 1863) are described for the Neotropical region in south and southwestern Brazil: H. acutus sp. nov., H. chrisaxeli sp. nov., H. gavinbroadi sp. nov., and H. transversalis sp. nov. We also report the morphological variation of females and males of H. mexicanus Zaldívar-Riverón & Belokobylskij, 2009, originally described based on a single female, and provide its first precise geographical distribution records. An updated key to the 13 described species of Hecabolus is provided.

Review of the digger wasps of the genus Chilosphex Menke in Bohart and Menke, 1976 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Prionychini).

All available data about the digger wasp genus Chilosphex Menke in Bohart and Menke, 1976 is summarized. The melanistic form of Ch. argyrius (Brullé, 1833) from North Caucasus (Dagestan) is recorded and illustrated. Chilosphex pseudargyrius (Roth in de Beaumont, 1967) is newly recorded from Iran and Ch. argyrius from Bulgaria. A key to both species is provided.

Next-Generation Sequencing of Four Mitochondrial Genomes of Dolichovespula (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) with a Phylogenetic Analysis and Divergence Time Estimation of Vespidae.

The wasp genus Dolichovespula (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae) is a eusocial wasp group. Due to the taxonomic and phylogenetic issues with the family Vespidae, more genetic data should be gathered to provide efficient approaches for precise molecular identification. For this work, we used next-generation sequencing (also known as high-throughput sequencing) to sequence the mitochondrial genomes (mtgenomes) of four Dolichovespula species, viz. D. flora, D. lama, D. saxonica, and D. xanthicincta 16,064 bp, 16,011 bp, 15,682 bp, and 15,941 bp in length, respectively. The mitochondrial genes of the four species are rearranged. The A + T content of each mtgenome is more than 80%, with a control region (A + T-rich region), 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. There are 7 to 11 more genes on the majority strands than on the minority strands. Using Bayesian inference and Maximum-Likelihood methodologies as well as data from other species available on GenBank, phylogenetic trees and relationship assessments in the genus Dolichovespula and the family Vespidae were generated. The two fossil-based calibration dates were used to estimate the origin of eusociality and the divergence time of clades in the family Vespidae. The divergence times indicate that the latest common ancestor of the family Vespidae appeared around 106 million years ago (Ma). The subfamily Stenogastrinae diverged from other Vespidae at about 99 Ma, the subfamily Eumeninae at around 95 Ma, and the subfamily Polistinae and Vespinae diverged at approximately 42 Ma. The genus Dolichovespula is thought to have originated around 25 Ma. The origin and distribution pattern of the genus Dolichovespula are briefly discussed.

First host record, nesting behavior, and taxonomic position of the spider wasp genus Hesperopompilus Evans and some other Evans genera (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

First host record, nesting behavior, and taxonomic position of the spider wasp genus Hesperopompilus Evans and some other Evans genera (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

A new species of the inquilinous gall wasp genus Saphonecrus Dalla-Torre & Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini) from South Korea, Saphonecrus jejuensis Kang & Lobato-Vila, sp. nov.

A new species of the inquilinous gall wasp genus Saphonecrus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini) reared from undetermined cryptic stem galls on Quercus glauca Thunb., Saphonecrus jejuensis Kang & Lobato-Vila, sp. nov., is described from South Korea. A detailed description, diagnosis, data on biology and pictures of both the new species and the host galls are provided. An identification key to the Saphonecrus species found in South Korea is also given.

Discovery of the genus Nanoclavelia Haupt in Priesner, 1955 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) from Russia

The spider wasp genus Nanoclavelia Haupt in Priesner, 1955 and the species N. leucoptera (Dahlbom, 1845) are newly recorded from Russia. Diagnosis of the genus and species as well as photographs of the female and male are given.