Eine neue Bethylidae der GattungLytopsenella Kieffer 1911 aus dem Baltischen Bernstein (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea)

Lytopsenella kerneggeri n.sp. from Baltic amber (Upper Eocene) is described and compared with the hitherto known fossil and recent species of the genus. The phylogenetic position ofLytopsenella within the Bethylidae is discussed. PossiblyLytopsenella must be regarded as a paraphyletic grouping as autapomorphic characters of this taxon are unknown. Hence, the clarification of the exact phylogenetic position of the species ofLytopsenella is impossible.     

Evolution of Swarm Communication in Eusocial Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Eusocial paper wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets (Vespidae) exhibit two modes of colony foundation, primitively eusocial independent founders and advanced eusocial swarm founders. Unlike independent founders, swarmfounding wasps require a means of social communication to coordinate the movement of colony members between nest sites. We employed a phylogeny of paper wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets to test for patterns of correlated evolution between the mode of colony foundation and the presence of sternal exocrine glands. We also reviewed data on worker actions during swarming to determine whether swarm communication behavior was dependent upon gland possession and whether communicative behavior was shared among swarm-founding species. We did not find evidence for an association of sternal glands with swarm founding. Although sternal gland presence differed among swarm-founding species, worker behavior during swarming showed little variation. Workers of nearly all swarm-founding species rub their gasters on objects along swarm routes, independently of the occurrence of sternal glands. Widespread gastral rubbing indicates the use of swarm emigration trail pheromones from a diversity of glandular sources. Transitions from independent to swarm founding have been achieved via diverse pheromonal mechanisms in the Vespidae, while worker communicative behavior is either highly conserved or convergent.     

New Records of Upper Eocene Chrysidoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Basins of Styr and Stokhod Rivers (Rovno Amber)

Paleontological Journal - Three species of chrysidoid wasps, Palaeobethylus longicollis (Chrysididae), Dryinus wunderlichi and D. reifi (Dryinidae) are recorded for the first time for Rovno amber...     

Habitat Considerations for Parasitic Wasps (Hymenoptera)

Parasitic wasps operate at a high trophic level and, because of their biology, tend to be highly specialised, sometimes having very narrow host ranges with at least local monophagy a frequent outcome. These features, in addition to our poor state of autecological knowledge, render them particularly vulnerable in conservation terms and suggest that their habitat needs should be analysed differently from those of most other insects. The basic life history of parasitic wasps and some of the ways in which they interact with host populations and in communities are outlined. Then, against a background of very limited autecological data, and therefore somewhat speculatively, habitat parameters that seem likely to be of importance to parasitoids are discussed, largely by reference to the host relations and ecology of ichneumonoid parasitoids of Lepidoptera in N. W. Europe. Some considerations of environmental change are included.     

First record of the family Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Korea

The family Embolemidae Westwood, 1833 is recorded for the first time in Korea, based on a species Embolemus ruddii Westwood. A diagnosis of this species complemented by digital images are provided.     

A checklist of Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Cambodia,with new records

A checklist of Dryinidae from Cambodia is provided. Fourteen species are listed, of which twelve are new records from Cambodia. Distribution and recorded hosts for each species are provided. A key to the species known from Cambodia is also provided.     

Human Sting of Cephalonomia gallicola (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) in Korea

Hymenoptera stings can cause serious injury to humans. We report the clinical findings of 6 cases of Hymenoptera stings. All patients developed painful erythematous papules at the sting sites and had a past history of parasitoid wasp sting. This is the first clinical report of the parasitoid wasp, Cephalonomia gallicola, causing human stings in Korea.     

Potential non-target effects of Sclerodermus harmandi (Hymenoptera:Bethylidae) on Triaspis sp. (Hymenoptera:Braconidae)

Sclerodermus harmandi (Buysson) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is a generalist parasitoid that has been mass-produced and released for biological control of many agricultural and forest pests in China. However, few studies have examined the potential non-target risks of this parasitoid in targeted agriculture or forest ecosystems. In this study, we demonstrate that S. harmandi successfully attacks Triaspis sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), an important native natural enemy of the pine weevil pest Pissodes punctatus Langor et Zhang in Yunnan Province of China. When exposed to older larvae of Triaspis sp. at three different parasitoid-to-host group sizes (1:1, 2:2 and 3:3) with a constant 1:1 parasitoid-to-host ratio, S. harmandi successfully attacked 100%, 75% and 83.3% of the test larvae, respectively. All life stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult) of S. harmandi were observed on Triaspis sp. larvae, indicating that Triaspis sp. are suitable for the completion of S. harmandi development. There were no significant differences in the number of S. harmandi progeny produced among the different parasitoid-to-host exposure treatments. Immature stages of S. harmandi on parasitized Triaspis sp. took 25.4 days to complete their development (the egg stage: 3.6 days, the larval stage: 5.0 days, the pupal stage: 16.5 days). Together, results from our study indicate that mass-releases of S. harmandi for biological control of forest pests in Yunnan Province may adversely affect some valuable non-target insects such as Triaspis sp. We suggest that the potential non-target risk of S. harmandi be considered in future augmentative release biological control programmes against forest pests.     

Taxonomy of Allobethylus Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from southeastern Asia

Two new species of Allobethylus Kieffer, 1905 are described and illustrated. Allobethylus korystus sp. nov. from Thailand is characterized as having a mandible with four apical teeth, a clypeus with a trapezoidal frontal profile and a pronotal declivity with a conspicuous crest. The last two traits are new characteristics to the genus. Allobethylus lamprus sp. nov. from Myanmar is characterized as having a mandible with three apical teeth, a clypeus with a triangular frontal profile and a bidentate median lobe. Additionally, A. multicolor Kieffer is recorded for the first time from Thailand. An updated world key to the species of genus is also provided.     

白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂学习行为的研究

肿腿蜂是防治林木蛀干害虫的重要天敌。为了解肿腿蜂搜索寄主的行为机制,研究了白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂Sclerodermus pupariae Yang et Yao搜索和寄生我国重大林木蛀干害虫——栗山天牛Massicus raddei(Blessig)幼虫过程中的学习行为。结果表明,白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂的记忆效应随着搜索次数的增加而增加。用寄主虫粪和木屑混合物预处理后,白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂搜索到寄主的时间缩短。不同学习经历的白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂对与寄主栗山天牛相关的气味源物质嗅觉测定结果表明,白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂经历栗山天牛幼虫虫粪和蛀屑环境后明显倾向于选择栗山天牛虫粪和木屑混合物,而经历栗山天牛幼虫或辽东栎树皮环境的肿腿蜂对相应的气味选择偏好性不显著。研究结果表明,多寄主型寄生蜂白蜡吉丁肿腿蜂具有较强的联系性学习能力有利于用来防治多种非原始寄主害虫,能够明显提高其对新寄主的寄生作用。     

Sperm morphology of the Prorops nasuta (Waterston, 1923) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)

In the present study, spermatozoa of the Prorops nasuta (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) parasitoid were described morphologically. This is the first publication to describe a species belonging to the superfamily Chrysidoidea. Light and transmission electron microscopy were used. The spermatozoa of P. nasuta are linear, with a mean length of 665 μm. The acrosome is composed of an acrosomal vesicle and a perforatorium. The nucleus measures approximately 17 μm in length and is circular at its cross-section; however, its anterior extremity is oval. The chromatin is electron-dense and compact, although there are clear areas in the posterior peripheral regions. In the nucleus-flagellum transition region, the cross-section of the centriole adjunct is oval, with a pleated border and an E-PTA-positive peripheral region. The axoneme shows a 9 + 9 + 2 microtubule arrangement. The microtubules are E-PTA positive and, at the posterior extremity, the accessories are the last to terminate. The diameters and shapes of the two mitochondrial derivatives are almost identical. One begins beside the nuclear base and the other after the centriole adjunct. Posteriorly, they terminate together, immediately before the axoneme. Both have mitochondrial cristae and a region of paracrystalline material; however, the format and arrangement of this material differs from those of all other species previously studied. The paracrystalline material is more strongly E-PTA positive than the cristae region. Accessories bodies are electron-dense and located between the mitochondrial derivatives and the axoneme. In general, P. nasuta spermatozoa are similar to those of the majority of Hymenoptera; however, they have various exclusive characteristics that may be useful for studying the phylogeny and taxonomy of the superfamily Chrysidoidea and of Hymenoptera in general.     

繁育川硬皮肿腿蜂替代寄主的筛选

在室内用直接接蜂和药物麻醉寄主后接蜂的方法,对杉棕天牛Callidium villosulumFairmaire、粗鞘双条杉天牛Semanotus sinoauster Gressitt、苹眼天牛Bacchisa dioica (Fairmaire)、星天牛Anoplophora chinensis (Forster)、玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée)、大螟Sesamia inferens (Walker)、桃蛀螟Dichocrocispunctiferalis Guenée、鞭角华扁叶蜂Chinolyda flagellicornis（Smith）、家蝇Musca domestica vicina Macquart和黄粉甲Tenebrio molitor L. 等10种昆虫作为川硬皮肿腿蜂Scleroderma sichuanensis Xiao繁蜂替代寄主的适合性进行了系统的测试,比较了川硬皮肿腿蜂在不同供试寄主上的寄生率、出蜂率、发育历期、后代的雌性比率、寄生繁殖能力和冷藏对成蜂存活的影响。结果表明,不同寄主及寄主的不同处理间只有寄生率和出蜂率两项指标可能有显著差异,能反映繁蜂寄主的适合性。据此,从10种供试寄主中筛选出黄粉甲和玉米螟两种优良的繁蜂替代寄主,为该蜂的大规模繁殖及应用奠定了基础。     

Behavioral Interaction Between Males of Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) Competing for Females

Male Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ashmead) compete with one another for mates. The behavioral interactions between males for mates occur both on and off females. Males winning the first copulation do not exhibit apparent postcopulatory mate-guarding behaviors, and females accept subsequent copulations with losing males soon after separation. The duration of copulation when a second male is present is shorter than when only one male is present. However, females receive sufficient sperm for their life-time female progeny production in copulations disrupted artificially at 10 s (1/5 of the regular copulation duration) under normal noncompetition situations. This suggests that shorter copulations because of male–male competition could still result in adequate sperm transfer. Larger males were not more successful in competition than small males, but male competitive ability decreased with age.     

The Evolution of Body Size,Antennal Size and Host Use in Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): A Phylogenetic Comparative Analysis

Chalcidoid wasps represent one of the most speciose superfamilies of animals known, with ca. 23,000 species described of which many are parasitoids. They are extremely diverse in body size, morphology and, among the parasitoids, insect hosts. Parasitic chalcidoids utilise a range of behavioural adaptations to facilitate exploitation of their diverse insect hosts, but how host use might influence the evolution of body size and morphology is not known in this group. We used a phylogenetic comparative analysis of 126 chalcidoid species to examine whether body size and antennal size showed evolutionary correlations with aspects of host use, including host breadth (specificity), host identity (orders of insects parasitized) and number of plant associates. Both morphological features and identity of exploited host orders show strong phylogenetic signal, but host breadth does not. Larger body size in these wasps was weakly associated with few plant genera, and with more specialised host use, and chalcidoid wasps that parasitize coleopteran hosts tend to be larger. Intriguingly, chalcidoid wasps that parasitize hemipteran hosts are both smaller in size in the case of those parasitizing the suborder Sternorrhyncha and have relatively larger antennae, particularly in those that parasitize other hemipteran suborders. These results suggest there are adaptations in chalcidoid wasps that are specifically associated with host detection and exploitation.     

New bethylid and chrysidid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Canadian Late Cretaceous amber

A new bethylid species, Celonophamia granama, and two new chrysidid species, Procleptes eoliami, and P. hopejohnsonae, are described from Late Cretaceous (Campanian) amber collected at the Grassy Lake locality in Alberta, Canada. Within the deposit these taxa constitute the first bethylid, and the second and third chrysidid species to be described, respectively. The new taxa expand the sparse fossil record of Chrysidoidea, particularly that of Chrysididae—a group that was previously represented by only three described species in the Mesozoic. The presence of Celonophamia species in both Canadian amber and Siberian (Taimyr) amber further emphasizes faunal similarities between these two northern Late Cretaceous amber deposits. Given the prevalence of metallic coloration in Chrysididae, the specimens described here also provide evidence for the taphonomic alteration of perceived insect colors in Cretaceous amber inclusions.     

管氏肿腿蜂母蜂产卵前合作的适合度代价

[目的]硬皮肿腿蜂Sclerodermus母蜂可合作寄生寄主,但在产卵前需不断蛰刺释放毒液以麻醉寄主.已明确合作可有效制服和寄生体型较大的寄主,但迄今对由此而付出的适合度代价尚不明确.[方法]用管氏肿腿蜂S.guani和替代寄主黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor蛹为材料,在两头已交配雌蜂(母蜂)分别合作0.5,1....     

A new protopristocerine wasp (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Ramageoptera platycephala gen. et sp. nov., a new protopristocerine wasp, is described and figured from a female individual preserved in mid-Cretaceous amber from Tanai, northern Myanmar. Ramageoptera platycephala gen. et sp. nov. shows most of the known characters used to circumscribe the extinct subfamily Protopristocerinae, and highlights the putative status of stem-Pristocerinae that may occupy the Protopristocerinae. Ramageoptera platycephala gen. et sp. nov. is unique among the Protopristocerinae, at least, for possessing a flat and square shaped head; eyes glabrous and small; mandibles with four conspicuous sharp teeth; antenna with short scape; forewing with Rs + M vein absent; vein M straight; cell 2R1 distally opened; cell 1Cu closed, sub-equal to R cell; cell 2Cu open.