Wasp Species Research Articles

The Evolution of Eusociality: Insights From Comparing Two Indian Paper Wasp Species

Eusocial species live in colonies with a reproductive division of labour into fertile reproductive castes and sterile non-reproductive castes, an overlap of generations and cooperative brood care. A further distinction can be usefully made between primitively eusocial species which do not have morphological caste differentiation and highly eusocial species which do. Ropalidia marginata is a tropical primitively eusocial wasp that has been extensively studied, especially compared to other tropical social wasps. R. marginata has several distinct traits, such as a docile queen, well-developed age polyethism, and decentralized work regulation, which makes it different from other primitively eusocial wasps and reminiscent of highly eusocial species. since tropical wasps, especially those belonging to the genus Ropalidia have been poorly studied, we cannot be sure whether R. marginata is unique or its traits are more common among tropical Ropalidia species. to begin to overcome this problem, we have extended our research to the congeneric and sympatric Ropalidia cyathiformis. Here, we compare and contrast what we now know about these two species, especially concerning their reproductive and non-reproductive division of labour. We find that R. cyathiformis, unlike R. marginata, has a behaviourally dominant queen, weak and rigid age polyethism, likely uses behavioural dominance to regulate worker reproduction and individual workers self-regulate their own non-reproductive activities. We, therefore, conclude that R. marginata is indeed unique and argue that R. marginata is intermediate between primitively and highly eusocial wasps.

Advances in the use of attractive traps in collecting Neotropical Social Wasp

It is possible to elaborate adequate methodologies for collecting social wasps from the knowledge of their behavior. Thus, the objective of the present study was to compare the attractiveness of different sized PET bottles (plastic soda bottles) (by volume), types of juice and variety of attractive flavors of juice in elaborating attractive traps to optimize the method for diverse works involving social wasps. The work was elaborated in the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, between the years of 2015 and 2016, and was divided into three experiments. The three experiments did not present a significant difference in relation to the richness or abundance of social wasps species, therefore the bottle volume choice used as traps, the type of juice (natural or artificial) and the variety of attractive substance should be selected according to practicality and low economic value. As such, the use of 0.5 L PET bottles as attractive traps filled with 150mL of mango, guava or passion fruit artificial juice is suggested.

Floral presence and flower identity alter cereal aphid endosymbiont communities on adjacent crops.

Floral plantings adjacent to crops fields can recruit populations of natural enemies by providing flower nectar and non-crop prey to increase natural pest regulation. Observed variation in success rates might be due to changes in the unseen community of endosymbionts hosted by many herbivorous insects, of which some can confer resistance to natural enemies, for example, parasitoid wasps. Reduced insect control may occur if highly protective symbiont combinations increase in frequency via selection effects, and this is expected to be stronger in lower diversity systems.We used a large-scale field trial to analyse the bacterial endosymbiont communities hosted by cereal aphids Sitobion avenae collected along transects into strip plots of barley plants managed by either conventional or integrated (including floral field margins and reduced inputs) methods. In addition, we conducted an outdoor pot experiment to analyse endosymbionts in S. avenae aphids collected on barley plants that were either grown alone or alongside one of three flowering plants, across three time points.In the field, aphids hosted up to four symbionts. The abundance of aphids and parasitoid wasps was reduced towards the middle of all fields while aphid symbiont species richness and diversity decreased into the field in conventional, but not integrated, field-strips. The proportion of aphids hosting different symbiont combinations varied across cropping systems, with distances into the fields, and were correlated with parasitoid wasp abundances.In the pot experiment, aphids hosted up to six symbionts. Flower presence increased natural enemy abundance and diversity, and decreased aphid abundance. The proportion of aphids hosting different symbiont combinations varied across the flower treatment and time, and were correlated with varying abundances of the different specialist parasitoid wasp species recruited by different flowers. Synthesis and applications. Floral plantings and flower identity had community-wide impacts on the combinations of bacterial endosymbionts hosted by herbivorous insects, which correlated with natural enemy diversity and abundance. We recommend that integrated management practices incorporate floral resources within field areas to support a more functionally diverse and resilient natural enemy community to mitigate selection for symbiont-mediated pest resistance throughout the cropping area.

Avispas sociales (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) asociadas a plantaciones de Eucalyptus sp. en un Campo de Altitud situado en el sur del Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

In Brazil, there is little information about social wasp communities in Altitude Fields (Campos de Altitude), a phytophysiognomy of the Atlantic Forest with a high rate of endemism, which is being altered and reduced in area by human activities, such as the cultivation of Eucalyptus spp. Therefore, the present study aimed to inventory the species of Polistinae (Vespidae) presente in an Altitude Field associated with Eucalyptus sp. plantations in the municipality of Poços de Caldas, Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study was conducted in Morro do Ferro, central region of the Poços de Caldas Plateau, from 2020 to 2021, using active search and Malaise traps. Thirteen species of social wasps were recorded, which have a wide geographic distribution, and explore anthropic environments, such as agricultural areas, pasture and Eucalyptus sp. plantations. Many of them behave as synanthropic, suggesting this altitude field to be a degraded area in Poços Caldas, MG. However, further studies must be carried out in the region, in order to know and preserve these remaining ecosystems.

Contribución sobre los hábitos alimenticios y nuevos registros de Mirothrips arbiter Cavalleri, Souza, Prezoto y Mound, 2013 (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) en nidos de avispas Polistes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

New host wasps attacked by Mirothrips arbiter (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) are recorded and their possible feeding on fungi and mites in colonies of Polistes melanosoma and Polistes ferreri is evaluated. No predation events on mites or fungal ingestion were observed, indicating that these thrips only use wasp eggs as food. Thrips do not parasitize wasps’ bodies, they only live at the expense of their colonies, where they find food and shelter. However, as these insects feed on the immature stages of the wasps, it is possible that they cause or accelerate colony decline. Given this, we can say that the ecological relationship between thrips and social wasps is that of social parasitism, that is, thrips are parasites of wasps colonies, they depend directly on them for their survival and cause damage to them. From our findings, the number of host wasp species of this thrips rose to five, all belonging to the Polistinae subfamily.

The perception of bee and wasp fauna (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) by the inhabitants of Mangdi Valley, central Bhutan

This paper explores the perception, knowledge, and attitude of the inhabitants of Mangdi Valley in Trongsa District concerning bees and wasps (Hymenoptera). Prevailing conservation threats to these ecologically important insects were determined. Data were collected from June to September 2018 by means of open-ended interviews from 32 randomly selected individuals. Responses to questions regarding their perceptions were analyzed and comparisons were made among a variety of demographic groups distinguished by age group, gender, and education status. The results showed that the people were aware of 5–10 species of common bees and wasps, mostly found in the agriculture and forested areas. The main threats faced by these insects are developmental activities followed by hunting and consumption.

Revision of Bethylinae from Dominican amber, with description of a new genus (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae)

Fossil species of bethyline wasps from Dominican amber are revised. Based on a cladistic analysis of female morphological data we recognize a new genus and species, †Crassibethylus dominicanusgen. et sp. nov., which came out as sister group of the clade Odontepyris + Prosierola. We also transfer to Bethylidae a fossil taxon originally described in Sclerogibbidae, placing †Pterosclerogibba Olmi as a new junior synonym under Goniozus Förster, in the new combination †Goniozus antiquus (Olmi). Additionally, the third species of Bethylinae known from Dominican amber, †Goniozus respectus Sorg, is diagnosed and illustrated with color images of the holotype. An identification key to the species of Bethylinae from Dominican amber is provided.

Foraging Behavior of Two Pollen Wasp Species of the Genus Celonites Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae), from the Altai Mountains.

Celonites kozlovi Kostylev, 1935, and C. sibiricus Gusenleitner, 2007, coexist in semi-deserts of the Altai Mountains. The trophic relationships of these pollen wasp species to flowers are largely unknown. We observed the flower visits and behaviors of wasps on flowers; pollen-collecting structures of females were studied using SEM; the taxonomic position of these two species was ascertained with the barcoding sequence of the mitochondrial COI-5P gene. Celonites kozlovi and C. sibiricus form a clade together with C. hellenicus Gusenleitner, 1997, and C. iranus Gusenleitner, 2018, within the subgenus Eucelonites Richards, 1962. Celonites kozlovi is polylectic in the narrow sense, collecting pollen from flowers of plants belonging to five families (with the predomination of Asteraceae and Lamiaceae) using diverse methods for both pollen and nectar uptake. In addition, this species is a secondary nectar robber, which has not been observed in pollen wasps before. The generalistic foraging strategy of C. kozlovi is correlated with an unspecialized pollen-collecting apparatus on the fore-tarsi. In contrast, C. sibiricus is broadly oligolectic, predominantly collecting pollen from flowers of Lamiaceae. Its specialized foraging strategy is associated with apomorphic behavioral and morphological traits, particularly specialized pollen-collecting setae on the frons, which enable indirect pollen uptake using nototribic anthers. These adaptations in C. sibiricus evolved independently of similar specializations in the Celonites abbreviatus-complex. Celonites kozlovi is re-described, and males are described for the first time.

New insights into the genome and transmission of the microsporidian pathogen Nosema muscidifuracis.

Nosema is a diverse genus of unicellular microsporidian parasites of insects and other arthropods. Nosema muscidifuracis infects parasitoid wasp species of Muscidifurax zaraptor and M. raptor (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), causing ~50% reduction in longevity and ~90% reduction in fecundity. Here, we report the first assembly of the N. muscidifuracis genome (14,397,169 bp in 28 contigs) of high continuity (contig N50 544.3 Kb) and completeness (BUSCO score 97.0%). A total of 2,782 protein-coding genes were annotated, with 66.2% of the genes having two copies and 24.0% of genes having three copies. These duplicated genes are highly similar, with a sequence identity of 99.3%. The complex pattern suggests extensive gene duplications and rearrangements across the genome. We annotated 57 rDNA loci, which are highly GC-rich (37%) in a GC-poor genome (25% genome average). Nosema-specific qPCR primer sets were designed based on 18S rDNA annotation as a diagnostic tool to determine its titer in host samples. We discovered high Nosema titers in Nosema-cured M. raptor and M. zaraptor using heat treatment in 2017 and 2019, suggesting that the remedy did not completely eliminate the Nosema infection. Cytogenetic analyses revealed heavy infections of N. muscidifuracis within the ovaries of M. raptor and M. zaraptor, consistent with the titer determined by qPCR and suggesting a heritable component of infection and per ovum vertical transmission. The parasitoids-Nosema system is laboratory tractable and, therefore, can serve as a model to inform future genome manipulations of Nosema-host system for investigations of Nosemosis.

Sexual dimorphism in excess power index of four North American native bees (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae, Apidae, and Halictidae)

A multitude of hymenopteran species exhibit sexual dimorphism for simple traits, such as color, size, or antennal segment number. These differences can reflect selection for specialized biological roles, many of which have not been documented for the majority of bee and wasp species. The excess power index (EPI) is an estimate of insect flight performance that is inferred by the combination of several morphological characteristics. We compared the female and male EPIs in four species of native bees: Agapostemon virescens Fabricius, Andrena carlini Cockerell, Melissodes bimaculata Lepeletier and Xylocopa virginica L.. While females of each species had a significantly larger whole body mass, males had a significantly larger EPI. A larger body mass for females is associated with egg laying abilities and foraging behavior. Male fitness may be dependent on EPI; males that have greater flight capacity can travel further or remain in flight for longer time periods in search of mates.

Notes on an interspecific interaction between distant taxa: Observation of active cohabitation and communal nesting resources between Gehyra mutilata (Wiegmann, 1834) and two vespid wasp species

AbstractTropical ecosystems are biodiverse and ecologically complex, supporting nearly half of the global herpetofauna. Ecological interactions play a role in the maintenance of species diversity with a range of ecological interactions occurring within and among species in tropical ecosystems. Incidental observations of ecological interactions provide an important contribution to the understanding of the ecology and natural history of species. Here, we report an interspecific interaction between distant taxa, the Four‐Clawed Gecko (Gehyra mutilata) utilizing an active communal nesting site and shared nesting resources with two vespid wasp species (Eumeninae and Polistinae), where previous observations documented species utilizing abandoned nesting resources. This is the first known record of three species actively cohabitating in a shared nesting resource. This observation, with one or all species positively benefiting from the ecological interaction, likely indicates a mutualistic or commensal ecological interaction. Incidental observations such as the present study are likely to reveal that interspecific ecological interactions including communal nesting are more widespread than previously thought and the co‐utilization of existing nesting resources presents an advantage for taxa. Observations such as these provide the basis for understanding the complex network of ecological interactions occurring in tropical rainforests.

Diversity and phylogeny of the extinct wasp subfamily Lancepyrinae (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) revealed by mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

The Lancepyrinae are an extinct subfamily of Bethylidae known exclusively from Cretaceous amber deposits of Lebanon, Spain, Taimyr and Myanmar. In this study, we describe and illustrate four new genera and five new species of lancepyrine wasps from the Albian of Hkamti and late Albian-early Cenomanian of Kachin (Myanmar): Azepyris delamarreigen. et sp. nov., Burmapyris ohmkuhnleisp. nov., Gwesped groehnigen. et sp. nov., Paralanceis chotardigen. et sp. nov. and Yunbayin rosseigen. et sp. nov. These taxa not only highlight the taxonomic diversity of the Lancepyrinae during the mid-Cretaceous but they also reveal the morphological disparity of the subfamily. To establish the phylogenetic relationships of these fossils and to check the monophyly of the Lancepyrinae, we add them to a pre-existing morphological matrix and perform a cladistic analysis. We retrieve the subfamily as poorly supported yet monophyletic, with the newly described taxa deeply nested in it. A key to the genera of Lancepyrinae is provided. Finally, we erect the subfamily Cretabythinaesubfam. nov. for the genera Cretabythus Evans, 1973, Holopsenelliscus Engel, 2019 and MegalopsenellaJouault et al., 2020 as no taxonomic treatment has been provided for these taxa after the transfer of HolopsenellaEngel et al., 2016 as Aculeataincertae sedis.

A NEW SPECIES OF <i>CERATOSOLEN</i> (AGAONIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH <i>FICUS HISPIDA</i> L. AND PROPOSED CHANGES IN STATUS OF TWO OTHER POLLINATOR FIG WASPS

An increasing number of fig trees are known to support more than one species of pollinator fig wasp (Agaonidae). This brings into question the relative importance of co-evolution, radiation and host switching in the development of this mutualistic association. The functionally dioecious Ficus hispida has a wide distribution in Asia. It supports at least three morphologically distinct Ceratosolen pollinators, one of which we describe as C. abscondus Wong & Yu sp. n., based on collections in China and Thailand. The other two taxa were originally described as separate species, but subsequently downgraded to sub-species. The morphological differences between the three taxa are similar in extent to those recorded between other Ceratosolen species and we therefore re-instate them as the distinct species, C. solmsi (Mayr) and C. marchali (Mayr). An identification key is provided to distinguish between them and relationships between Ficus species and their Ceratosolen pollinators of this and related species are discussed.

Cover Picture and Issue Information

Functional EcologyVolume 37, Issue 4 p. 793-795 COVER PICTURE AND ISSUE INFORMATIONFree Access Cover Picture and Issue Information First published: 05 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14074AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Graphical Abstract This caterpillar, Manduca sexta, is parasitized by a wasp, Cotesia congregata (credit: Laura McMillan). The female wasp injects eggs, venom, and a domesticated virus (polydnavirus) into the host. The caterpillar shows normal behaviour while the wasp larvae are developing inside the caterpillar’s blood space. Once the wasp larvae are ready to metamorphose into adult wasps, they scape their way through the body wall of the caterpillar and spin a cocoon. At this stage, the caterpillar loses all self-generated behaviour but shows heightened defense reflexes, thereby becoming a bodyguard for the wasp cocoons. Who pays for manipulating the host’s behaviour, mother or offspring? In this system, the mother wasp appears to pay most of the cost by producing the polydnavirus. However, the wasp larvae also play a role in inducing changes for their own individual benefit. For example, they numb the area of the caterpillar’s body wall around their exit hole, thus reducing the risk of host attack. There are many species of parasitic wasps, with different life histories (e.g. how many offspring are placed within each host), and these differences alter the selective forces on who pays for parasitic manipulation (10.1111/1365-2435.14150). Volume37, Issue4Special Feature: Mechanisms and Consequences of Infection‐Induced PhenotypesApril 2023Pages 793-795 RelatedInformation

Two new species of Astata Latreille from Iran (Hymenoptera, Astatidae)

Two new digger wasp species of the genus Astata Latreille, 1796 (Hymenoptera, Astatidae), A. ljubomirovi sp. nov. and A. rubriventris sp. nov. are described from Iran. Moreover, A. compta Nurse is newly recorded from the Palaearctic region and Iran, redescribed and illustrated. Diagnostic characters and key features to each species are given. With the present additions, the total number of Astata recorded from Iran increases up to 14.

Extinction Threat to a Previously Undescribed Species of Gall Wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and Two Associated Parasitoid Species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae and Eulophidae) on a Threatened Rose.

Diplolepis ogawai Abe and Ide sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) induces galls on Rosa hirtula (Regel) Nakai (Rosales: Rosaceae), which is endemic to a restricted area of Honshu, the main island of Japan. The gall is induced mainly on the leaf of R. hirtula in spring and the mature gall falls to the ground in early summer. The gall-inducing wasp emerges from the gall on the ground in the following spring, suggesting that D. ogawai is univoltine. From spring to summer, the braconid Syntomernus flavus Samartsev and Ku and the eulophid Aprostocetus sp. are parasitic on the larva of D. ogawai in the gall, and the adult wasp of both parasitoid species emerges from the gall on the ground in summer. For S. flavus, this is the first distribution record in Japan and the first host record. Since R. hirtula is threatened with extinction by succession and deforestation, D. ogawai and its two parasitoid wasp species are considered to be at risk of coextinction with the threatened rose. In the event that the population size of this rose species is further reduced, D. ogawai and its parasitoids may -become extinct prior to the extinction of R. hirtula. To conserve these three wasp species associated with R. hirtula, protection of remnant vegetation where individuals of this threatened rose species grow is necessary.

A new gregarious parasitoid species, Microplitis idreesae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) reared from Mythimna sp. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), with a key to the species of Microplitis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A new species of parasitoid wasp (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is described, Microplitis idreesaesp. nov. The genus is reported for the first time in the Eastern province of the KSA. This is the first host-parasitoid association for Microplitis documented in the country. The new species attacks Mythimna Ochsenheimer (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Natural history information is provided such as the association of males with females, geographical location, possible food plants, and details of wasp cocoons. In addition, a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene is presented. A taxonomic key to the species of Microplitis reported from the KSA is provided. Characters of this new species and its affinities with the three previous species described from the KSA and four of the closely related to Palaeartic species are also discussed.

Chromosome-level de novo genome assembly of two conifer-parasitic wasps, Megastigmus duclouxiana and Megastigmus sabinae, reveals genomic imprints of adaptation to hosts.

Conifers make up about one third of global forests but are threatened by seed parasitoid wasp species. Many of these wasps belong to the genus Megastigmus, yet little is known about their genomic background. In this study, we provide chromosome-level genome assemblies for two oligophagous conifer parasitoid species of Megastigmus, which represent the first two chromosome-level genomes of the genus. The assembled genomes of Megastigmus duclouxiana and M. sabinae are 878.48 Mb (scaffold N50 of 215.60 Mb) and 812.98 Mb (scaffold N50 of 139.16 Mb), respectively, which are larger than the genome size of most hymenopterans due to the expansion of transposable elements. Expanded gene families highlight the difference in sensory-related genes between the two species, reflecting the difference in their hosts. We further found that these two species have fewer family members but more single-gene duplications than polyphagous congeners in the gene families of ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC), cytochrome P450 (P450) and olfactory receptors (OR). These findings shed light on the pattern of adaptation to a narrow spectrum of hosts in oligophagous parasitoids. Our findings suggest potential drivers underlying genome evolution and parasitism adaptation, and provide valuable resources for understanding the ecology, genetics and evolution of Megastigmus, as well as for the research and biological control of global conifer forest pests.

Nest characteristics and associates of Dolichovespula (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Central Finland

In social vespine wasps, the nest characteristics and associates vary intra- and interspecifically. I studied the nest characteristics and nest associates of three Dolichovespula wasp species in boreal Finland. The average number of combs and cells per nest was similar among D. media, D. saxonica and D. norwegica, and similar to Dolichovespula in the temperate zone. Most D. media and D. saxonica colonies produced both gynes and males, whereas D. norwegica produced mainly either one. The average colony lifespan of D. saxonica was a bit over two months, i.e. shorter than documented for Dolichovespula in the temperate zone. The proportion of nests parasitised by the ichneumonid wasp Sphecophaga vesparum was 36% in D. saxonica and 50% in D. media; S. vesparum has not been recorded from D. media before. The proportion of parasitized cells was 0.6–11% for D. saxonica and 0.2–22% for D. media. The proportion yellow, overwintering cocoons of S. vesparum was highly variable among the nests. The proportion of nests parasitised by the moth Aphomia sociella was 36% in D. saxonica and 13% in D. media. Sphecophaga and Aphomia were not recorded from D. norwegica colonies, which supports studies in the temperate zone. The study adds up to the previous research on the nest structure and nest associates of vespines, and together they indicate that there is geographical variation within Europe and globally in the host use of Sphecophaga.

Cold tolerance and diapause within and across trophic levels: Endoparasitic wasps and their fly host have similar phenotypes

Low temperatures associated with winter can limit the survival of organisms, especially ectotherms whose body temperature is similar to their environment. However, there is a gap in understanding how overwintering may vary among groups of species that interact closely, such as multiple parasitoid species that attack the same host insect. Here, we investigate cold tolerance and diapause phenotypes in three endoparasitoid wasps of the apple maggot fly Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae): Utetes canaliculatus, Diachasma alloeum, and Diachasmimorpha mellea (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Using a combination of respirometry and eclosion tracking, we found that all three wasp species exhibited the same three diapause duration phenotypes as the fly host. Weak (short duration) diapause was rare, with <5 % of all three wasp species prematurely terminating diapause at 21 °C. Most D.mellea (93 %) entered a more intense (longer duration) diapause that did not terminate within 100 d at this warm temperature. The majority of U.canaliculatus (92 %) and D. alloeum (72 %) averted diapause (non-diapause) at 21 °C. There was limited interspecific variation in acute cold tolerance among the three wasp species: wasps and flies had similarly high survival (>87 %) following exposure to extreme low temperatures (−20 °C) as long as their body fluids did not freeze. The three wasp species also displayed little interspecific variation in survival following prolonged exposure to mild chilling of 8 or more weeks at 4 °C. Our study thus documents a remarkable conservation of cold tolerance and diapause phenotypes within and across trophic levels.