A specialised pollination system using nectar‐seeking thynnine wasps in Caladenia nobilis (Orchidaceae)

• Caladenia is a diverse Australian genus that is exceptional among orchids in having both species pollinated by food‐seeking and sexually deceived insects. Here, we investigated the pollination of Caladenia nobilis, a species predicted to be food‐deceptive due to its large, cream‐coloured and apparently nectarless flowers.
• Pollinator observations were made using experimental clumps of flowers. Measurements of floral colour were undertaken with a spectrometer, nectar was tested using GC‐MS, and reproductive success was quantified for 2 years.
• While C. nobilis attracted nine species of insect, only males of the thynnine wasp Rhagigaster discrepans exhibited the correct size and behaviour to remove and deposit pollen. Male R. discrepans attempted to feed from the surface of the labellum, often crawling to multiple flowers, but showed no evidence of sexual attraction. Most flowers produced little or no nectar, although some may provide enough sucrose to act as a meagre reward to pollinators. Floral colouration was similar to a related Caladenia species pollinated by sexual deception, although the sexually deceptive species had a dull‐red labellum. Reproductive success was generally low and highly variable between sites and years.
• In addition to most visitors being of inappropriate size for pollinia removal, the lack of response to the orchid by several co‐occurring species of thynnine wasp suggests filtering of potential pollinators at the attraction phase. Our discovery of a pollination strategy that may be intermediate between food deception and food reward raises the question, how many putatively rewardless orchids actually produce meagre amounts of nectar?

     

Opportunistic pollinator shifts among sexually deceptive orchids indicated by a phylogeny of pollinating and non-pollinating thynnine wasps (Tiphiidae)

The thynnine wasp genus Neozeleboria Rohwer is the main pollinating group of the sexually deceptive Australian orchid genus, Chiloglottis R.Br. In a highly specialized interaction, Chiloglottis species attract males from a single or very few Neozeleboria species through the chemical mimicry of the female wasp's sex pheromone. An earlier study examining the historical association among Chiloglottis and Neozeleboria using DNA sequence data found matching phylogenetic patterns suggestive of cospeciation between orchids and pollinators. However, patterns of constraint in Neozeleboria emergence phenology and sex pheromones suggested that the close association among orchid and wasp clades may be due to pollinator switching among closely related wasp taxa that have similar traits. In this study, we further examine the association by incorporating a morphological phylogenetic analysis of non‐pollinating as well as pollinating Neozeleboria. The morphological analysis is then compared with DNA sequence data from one nuclear and one mitochondrial gene for an increased sample of outgroup genera. The combined molecular data set finds a monophyletic Neozeleboria, although support for this was not strong in the individual data sets. A high congruence between molecular and morphological analyses was found among higher groupings of Neozeleboria. Neozeleboria species that pollinate Chiloglottis species are not found as a monophyletic group but, rather, are scattered throughout a phylogeny comprising pollinators and non‐pollinators. Under the cospeciation model, the presence of related Neozeleboria non‐pollinators carries the unlikely implication that the association between plant and pollinator has been repeatedly lost. Instead, we favour the alternative ‘preferential pollinator switching’ model that accounts for the specialization among orchid and wasp lineages in terms of similarities in traits among related Neozeleboria. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 86 , 381–395.     

大果榕亚组三种榕树传粉榕小蜂核型研究

研究了木瓜榕(Ficus auriculata Loureiro)、苹果榕(F.oligodon Miquel)及未知榕(Ficus sp.)3种榕树传粉榕小蜂的核型。结果表明:3种榕树对应的传粉榕小蜂具有非常相似的核型,染色体数目相同为2n=10,染色体全部为中着丝粒染色体;核型公式2n=2X=10=10M,核型均为Stebbins-1A型。以臂比不对称性系数Dc和相对长度不对称性系数Dt作二维散点图,Ceratosolen emarginatus Mayr(木瓜榕传粉榕小蜂)和C.emarginatus Mayr(苹果榕传粉榕小蜂)具有非常相近的核型不对称系数,核型不对称性大于Ceratosolen sp.(未知榕传粉榕小蜂),显示出两者更近的亲缘关系,而Ceratosolen sp.(未知榕)与前两者亲缘关系较远。此外,比较了Ceratosolen属和Blastophaga属在核型方面的差异,认为染色体数目包括染色体形态能够作为准确区分Ceratosolen属和Blastophaga属的依据,并对Ceratosolen属的核型进化进行了初步探讨。     

Revision of the South American wasp genus Aelurus (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae)

Abstract. The relationships among the thirteen South American species of Aelurus are discussed, and nine new species are described. New synonymy is given for gayi (Spinola), clypeatus Klug and nigrofasciatus (Smith).     

New genus and five new species of heat-tolerant tiphiid wasps from Western Australia (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae)

Abstract Thynnine wasps are a dominant part of the Australian insect fauna. They are parasites of soil-dwelling scarab-beetle larvae. These wasps are found during the spring and summer months and some are active during the hottest hours of the summer day. The new genus Beithynnus, from Western Australia, is one of these heat-tolerant groups. The genus is based on the new species B. sulfureus , and four additional new species, B. amplus , B. moorensis, B. multimaculatus , and B. tinkeri .     

Revision of the Australasian genus Orussobaius Benson (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Orussidae)

Abstract The Australasian genus Orussobaius Benson is revised. Seven species are recognised: Orussobaius paniculus sp. n. from Papua New Guinea, and six species from Australia: O. badius sp. n., O. caligneus sp. n., O. mesembrinus Benson, O. minutissimus sp. n., O. minutus Benson, and O. wilsoni Benson. Orussobaius normani Rayment (new synonymy) is removed from synonymy with O. wilsoni and treated as a junior synonym of O. minutus instead. With a body length of only 2 mm, O. minutissimus sp. n. is the smallest currently known sawfly species in the world. A key is provided and distribution maps are shown for all species. The genus Orussobaius is redefined on the basis of all species currently included.     

Distributed cognition and social brains: reductions in mushroom body investment accompanied the origins of sociality in wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The social brain hypothesis assumes the evolution of social behaviour changes animals'' ecological environments, and predicts evolutionary shifts in social structure will be associated with changes in brain investment. Most social brain models to date assume social behaviour imposes additional cognitive challenges to animals, favouring the evolution of increased brain investment. Here, we present a modification of social brain models, which we term the distributed cognition hypothesis. Distributed cognition models assume group members can rely on social communication instead of individual cognition; these models predict reduced brain investment in social species. To test this hypothesis, we compared brain investment among 29 species of wasps (Vespidae family), including solitary species and social species with a wide range of social attributes (i.e. differences in colony size, mode of colony founding and degree of queen/worker caste differentiation). We compared species means of relative size of mushroom body (MB) calyces and the antennal to optic lobe ratio, as measures of brain investment in central processing and peripheral sensory processing, respectively. In support of distributed cognition predictions, and in contrast to patterns seen among vertebrates, MB investment decreased from solitary to social species. Among social species, differences in colony founding, colony size and caste differentiation were not associated with brain investment differences. Peripheral lobe investment did not covary with social structure. These patterns suggest the strongest changes in brain investment—a reduction in central processing brain regions—accompanied the evolutionary origins of eusociality in Vespidae.     

Alpha–beta diversity in trap-nesting wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in Southern Brazil

This study was carried out at the Parque Municipal das Araucárias, in the municipality of Guarapuava, state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The aims of the present study were to access the spectrum of wasp species inhabiting trap-nests in three habitats, to record their richness and diversity and elucidate the process responsible for their composition and abundance and to investigate if there is difference in their diversity between Brazilian tropical and subtropical regions. A total of 1097 nests, belonging to 21 species of solitary wasps, were collected. Of these, nine belonged to the family Vespidae (42.86%), six to Pompilidae (28.57%), four to Crabronidae (19.05%) and two to Sphecidae (9.52%). Crabronidae was the most abundant family in the samplings, with a total of 927 collected nests (84.3%). The environment that presented the greatest species diversity, richness and evenness was the grassland areas. Using the Bray–Curtis coefficient (beta diversity), the greatest similarity, in relation to species abundance, occurred between swamp and grasslands. In contrast, the araucaria forest was the habitat with the greatest dissimilarity, a result corroborated by the correspondence analysis.     

Revision of the orchid bee subgenus Euglossella (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Part I, The decorata species group

Euglossella, one of the most distinctive subgenera of orchid bees of the genus Euglossa, is composed of two characteristic assemblages of species, one of them comprising bees bearing the strongly metallic integument trademark of the genus (viridis species group), and the other consisting of bees with a brown integument shaded with metallic iridescence (decorata species group). Here we provide the first of two parts of a revision of Euglossella, providing diagnostic definitions for the subgenus, the decorata species group, and all the species included therein. Six species are included in the decorata group, one new: Euglossa (Euglossella) aurantia, sp. n.; Euglossa (Euglossella) apiformis Schrottky, resurrected status; Euglossa (Euglossella) decorata Smith, revised status; Euglossa (Euglossella) singularis Mocsáry, revised status; Euglossa (Euglossella) cosmodora Hinojosa-Díaz and Engel; and Euglossa (Euglossella) perpulchra Moure and Schlindwein. Euglossa meliponoides Ducke and Euglossa urarina Hinojosa-Díaz and Engel are newly synonymized under Euglossa decorata, Euglossa decorata ruficauda Cockerell is synonymized under Euglossa singularis, and a neotype is designated for Euglossa apiformis.     

Differential rates of invasion in three related alien oak gall wasps (Cynipidae: Hymenoptera)

Abstract. Three related species of oak gall wasps, Andricus corruptrix (Schlechtendal), A. kollari (Hartig) and A. lignicola (Hartig) have entered Britain since the introduction of Turkey oak, Quercus cerris L. in 1735. Their lifecycles involve alternating generations between an agamic generation on the native oak species (Q. petraea, Q. robur and their hybrid Q. x. rosacea), and a smaller, sexual generation on the alien Q. cerris. In examining the distributions of these insects and Q. cerris, we hypothesized that: (1) the invasion will spread more rapidly in places where both host trees are equally abundant than through regions where one of the tree species is substantially less common than the other; (2) interspecific competition between these bud‐galling species will lead to a negative correlation between their abundances at a particular site; (3) differential recruitment of natural enemies from the native hymenopteran fauna will slow the rate of spread in a species‐specific manner. A. kollari arrived nearly 200 years ago and is now found throughout the British Isles, wherever Turkey oak is grown. A. lignicola and A. corruptrix have been here for 30 years, after establishing in S.E. England. A. lignicola is in its final rapid stages of range expansion across England, southern Scotland and N.E. Scotland. A. corruptrix is just beginning to spread through Central and S.W. England. It has occupied proportionally fewer sites behind its invasion front than have the other two species, but is no less abundant at these sites. Nevertheless, distance leaps of up to 50 km were identified in A. lignicola in N.E. Scotland, and the possibility of long‐distance transport of infected trees through the horticulture and forestry trades remains. The co‐occurrence of mature individuals of both host Quercus species does appear to have increased their rates of colonization in A. lignicola and A. corruptrix. There is no evidence, however, to suggest that interspecific competition between the three alien gall formers is an important factor in determining their distributions and abundance within their invaded ranges. All three species have recruited parasitoids and inquilines rapidly from the native fauna; attack rates were highly variable, but showed no evidence of density dependence across sites.     

The influence of prior ovipositional experience on host selection in four species of aphidiid wasps (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae)

We evaluated the influence of prior ovipositional experience on host selection in four solitary parasitoids, Aphidius erviHaliday, A. pisivorusSmith, A. smithiSharma & Subba Rao, and Praon pequodorumViereck (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae). When provided simultaneously with equal numbers of two species of aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum(Harris) and Macrosiphum creeliiDavis (Homoptera: Aphididae), all four parasitoids showed a moderate to strong preference for A. pisum.This preference did not increase after sampling, except in P. pequodorum.Learning did not alter host selection behavior in A. erviand P. pequodorum.However, females of A. pisivorusconditioned on A. pisumselected fewer M. creeliithan unconditioned wasps and wasps conditioned on M. creelii.It is suggested that prior ovipositional experience influences a parasitoid's expectations of the kinds of hosts available, but it does not alter the (innate) rank order of hosts.     

Distribution of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in New Zealand in 1987

Abstract

More than 50 000 social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) were collected between March and August 1987 from throughout New Zealand. The most widespread species is the German wasp (Vespula germanica). The common wasp (V. vulgaris) has colonised about half the country and appears to be still spreading. It tends to appear in urban areas first, presumably because it is transported there with people and/or their belongings. The Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) and Australian paper wasp (P. humilis), are confined to the northern half of the North Island, but the former species is spreading south.     

对叶榕隐头果内佩妃延腹小蜂属两种非传粉榕小蜂的繁殖特点

2005年8-11月,在西双版纳热带植物园对寄生对叶榕的佩妃延腹小蜂的产卵行为进行了观察,并解剖雄花前期的隐头果观察小蜂利用瘿花资源情况;对不同年份（2003、2004、2005）,不同批次的隐头果内榕小蜂数量进行了统计。结果表明： 对叶榕Ficus hispida隐头果内寄生的佩妃延腹小蜂属Philotrypesis的两种榕小蜂——短尾佩妃延腹小蜂P. pilosa和长尾佩妃延腹小蜂Philotrypesis sp.,都是在果外利用长的产卵器刺穿隐头果果壁将卵产于果中雌花子房内。它们不能为寄主榕树传粉,为非传粉小蜂。短尾佩妃延腹小蜂的产卵时间与传粉榕小蜂接近,几乎与传粉榕小蜂同时到达隐头果产卵,该时期隐头果可供其产卵2天;而长尾佩妃延腹小蜂的产卵时间较晚,在传粉榕小蜂产卵后的第6天开始到果外产卵,并可持续产卵约一周时间。对叶榕雄花期雄果中的瘿花子房由于花梗长度不同而明显分为3层：果壁层（具短花梗）,中间层和果腔层（具长花梗）。短尾佩妃延腹小蜂和长尾佩妃延腹小蜂在紧靠果壁的子房果壁层中分布最多,而很少存在于果腔层的瘿花子房内。在自然情况下,短尾佩妃延腹小蜂和长尾佩妃延腹小蜂寄生榕果的比率因季节和植株个体不同而变化。但无论是对榕果的寄生比率还是单果内寄生的数量,长尾佩妃延腹小蜂一般均比短尾佩妃延腹小蜂高,这可能与长尾佩妃延腹小蜂群体在隐头果上产卵时间比后者更长有关系。     

Variation in colour markings of German wasps Vespula germanica (F.) and common wasps Vespula vulgaris (L.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in New Zealand

Abstract

German wasps (Vespula germanica F.) and common wasps (V. vulgaris L.) both show variations in colour markings in New Zealand. Overlap in the ranges of markings of the head and thorax is limited enough for ready distinction of queens and workers of the two species. Abdominal markings overlap considerably between the species. Colour markings of males were too similar to identify the species, which were completely separated by the shape of their genitalia. The frequency of occurrence of “intermediate” markings in V. germanica populations did not increase in areas where the two species overlap. This suggests there is little or no genetic exchange between the two species.