Queen-worker differences in spermatheca reservoir of phylogenetically basal ants

Ant queens mate when young and store sperm in their spermatheca to fertilize eggs for several years until their death. In contrast, workers in most species never mate. We have compared the histological organization of spermathecae in 25 poneromorph species exhibiting various degrees of queen-worker dimorphism. The spermathecae of both castes in all species are similar in having a reservoir connected by a sperm duct to the ovary, and a paired gland opening into this duct. The reservoir of queens typically has a columnar epithelium in the hilar region (near the opening of the sperm duct), whereas the epithelium in the distal region is cuboidal. Abundant mitochondria together with apical microvilli and basal invaginations indicate an osmoregulatory function. In contrast, the reservoir epithelium of workers is flattened throughout and lacks these transport characteristics. This single difference shows the importance of a columnar epithelium in the reservoir for sperm storage. However, our data have not revealed inter-specific variations in the development of the hilar region linked with higher fecundity. We have found no consistent differences in associated structures, such as the spermatheca gland or sperm ducts, or in the musculature between queens and workers.This work was funded by IWT, FWO, KULeuven OT and JSPS.     

Similar attractiveness of maize volatiles induced by Helicoverpa armigera and Pseudaletia separata to the generalist parasitoid Campoletis chlorideae

Campoletis chlorideae Uchida (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a major larval endoparasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), also attacks many other noctuid caterpillars. We investigated the attractiveness of H. armigera‐ and Pseudaletia separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)‐infested maize [Zea mays L. (Poaceae)] plants to C. chlorideae, and analyzed the volatiles emitted from infested plants and undamaged plants. Considering the reported specific induction of plant volatiles by elicitors in the caterpillar regurgitant, we also tested the response of the parasitoid to mechanically damaged plants treated with caterpillar regurgitant or water and measured the volatiles released by these plants. In wind‐tunnel bioassays, C. chlorideae was strongly attracted to herbivore‐induced maize volatiles. Mechanically damaged plants, whether they were treated with caterpillar regurgitant or water, were more attractive to the parasitoid than undamaged plants. The parasitoid did not distinguish between maize seedlings infested by the two noctuid insects, nor did they show a difference in attraction to mechanically damaged plants treated with caterpillar regurgitant or water. Coupled gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) analysis revealed that 15 compounds were commonly emitted by herbivore‐infested and mechanically damaged maize plants, whereas only two compounds were released in minor amounts from undamaged plants. Infestation by H. armigera specifically induced four terpenoids, β‐pinene, β‐myrcene, D‐limonene, and (E)‐nerolidol, which were not induced by infestation of P. separata and mechanical damage, plus caterpillar regurgitant or water. Two compounds, geranyl acetate and β‐sesquiphellandrene, were also induced by the infestation of H. armigera, but not by the infestation of P. separata. All treated maize plants released volatiles in significantly larger total amounts than did undamaged plants. Maize plants infested by H. armigera emitted greater amounts of volatiles than plants infested by P. separata. The treatment with caterpillar regurgitant resulted in larger amounts of volatile emission than the treatment with water did in mechanically damaged plants. The amounts of emissions of individual compounds were also different between differently treated plants.     

Dissecting the ancient rapid radiation of microgastrine wasp genera using additional nuclear genes

Previous estimates of a generic level phylogeny for the ubiquitous parasitoid wasp subfamily Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera) have been problematic due to short internal branches deep in the phylogeny. These short branches might be attributed to a rapid radiation among the taxa, the use of genes that are unsuitable for the levels of divergence being examined, or insufficient quantity of data. We added over 1200 nucleotides from four nuclear genes to a dataset derived from three genes to produce a dataset of over 3000 nucleotides per taxon. While the number of well-supported short branches in the phylogeny increased, we still did not obtain strong bootstrap support for every node. Parametric and nonparametric bootstrap simulations projected that an enormous, and likely unobtainable, amount of data would be required to get bootstrap support greater than 50% for every node. However, a marked increase in the number of well-supported nodes was seen when we conducted a Bayesian analysis of a combined dataset generated from morphological characters added to the seven gene dataset. Our results suggest that, in some cases, combining morphological and genetic characters may be the most practical way to increase support for short branches deep in a phylogeny.     

Sex ratio dynamics of Gonatocerus ashmeadi,a parasitoid of the glassy‐winged sharpshooter in California

We examined whether Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), a quasi‐gregarious egg parasitoid of Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), produces precise sex ratios under a field setting. Under laboratory conditions, previous studies have shown that G. ashmeadi exhibits strongly female‐biased sex ratios with low variance in the number of males produced per host. Field‐collected G. ashmeadi tend to produce much less female‐biased sex ratios with high variance in male numbers. We found significant positive effects of proportion parasitism and host density on sex ratio. Proportion parasitism also had a positive effect on sex ratio variance. The findings of this study are discussed in the context of theoretical predictions.     

Effects of multiple matings on reproductive fitness of male and female Diaeretiella rapae

Mating frequency and the amount of sperm transferred during mating have important consequences on progeny sex ratio and fitness of haplodiploid insects. Production of female offspring may be limited by the availability of sperm for fertilizing eggs. This study examined multiple mating and its effect on fitness of the cabbage aphid parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae McIntosh (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae). Female D. rapae mated once, whereas males mated with on average more than three females in a single day. The minimum time lag between two consecutive matings by a male was 3 min, and the maximum number of matings a male achieved in a day was eight. Sperm depletion occurred as a consequence of multiple mating in D. rapae. The number of daughters produced by females that mated with multiple‐mated males was negatively correlated with the number of matings achieved by these males. Similarly, the proportion of female progeny decreased in females that mated with males that had already mated three times. Although the proportion of female progeny resulting from multiple mating decreased, the decrease was quicker when the mating occurred on the same day than when the matings occurred once per day over several days. Mating success of males initially increased after the first mating, but then males became ‘exhausted’ in later matings; their mating success decreased with the number of prior matings. The fertility of females was affected by mating with multiple‐mated males. The study suggests that male mating history affects the fitness of male and female D. rapae.     

双齿锤角叶蜂研究及亚洲锤角叶蜂科分属检索表

根据模式标本和新采集的标本,重新描述了齿锤角叶蜂属和双齿锤角叶蜂Odontocimbex svenhedini Malaise, 1934,其中双齿锤角叶蜂的雌虫是首次报道。简要讨论了齿锤角叶蜂属Odontocimbex 和锤角叶蜂属Cimbex Olivier、壮锤角叶蜂属 Palaeocimbex Semenov以及毛锤角叶蜂属Trichiosoma Leach的区别。重新指定了双齿锤角叶蜂Odontocimbex svenhedini Malaise的正选模。编制了锤角叶蜂科亚洲分布属分属检索表。     

中国巨胸小蜂属两新记录种（膜翅目：小蜂总科：巨胸小蜂科）

记录中国巨胸小蜂属Perilampus Latreille 2新记录种:诺巨胸小蜂Perilampus noemi Nikol’skaya, 1952和螟巨胸小蜂Perilampus nola Nikol’skaya, 1952。提供了形态描述、分布及形态特征图,并提供了分种检索表。研究标本保存于中国科学院动物研究所动物标本馆。     

中国隆痣短柄泥蜂属研究及二新记录种记述（膜翅目：方头泥蜂科）

记述我国已知的隆痣短柄泥蜂属Carinostigmus Tsuneki 9种,其中包括2中国新记录种:脉隆痣短柄泥蜂Carinostigmus costatus Krombein, 1984,以及弯柄隆痣短柄泥蜂Carinostigmus maior (Maidl, 1925)。编制了中国隆痣短柄泥蜂属已知种类检索表。     

凹翅单锤角细蜂在我国新发现及其雄性首次记述(膜翅目,锤角细蜂科)

记述我国单锤角细蜂属Monelata Frster1新纪录种,凹翅单锤角细蜂Monelata incisipennis Huggert,1982,并首次记述该种的雄性成虫。研究标本保存于华南农业大学膜翅目标本室(SCAU)。