The Effects of Urban Land Use on Wasps: (Hymenoptera: Apocrita)

For the first time in human history, more than half of the human population lives in urban areas (Pickett et al 2011). It is essential that research occurs in urban ecosystems understanding both the biological and social aspects of urban ecosystems is needed for the sustainable management of urban ecosystems (Angold et al. 2006, Fetridge et al. 2008, Loram et al. 2008, Matteson et al. 2008, McIntyre 2000, Picket et al 2011, Pickett et al 2001, Sumoski et al. 2009) This study examines the role of insects, specifically wasps, in urban gardens and vacant lots in Cleveland, Ohio. This study is intended to (1) provide a broader survey of Hymenoptera in an urban context (2) provide new information on diversity and distribution of parasitoid Hymenoptera (3) assess the potential for parasitoids as providers of bio-control services for urban agriculture in Cleveland, OH (4) determine the extent to which lot or garden area affects the number of wasp species occurring in those habitats and (5) provide useful information for the conservation and urban landscape management strategies that optimize the ecosystem services provided by urban Hymenoptera. I collected 13,339 insects and arachnids via beat net, belonging to 14 different arthropod orders. Nearly twice as many individuals were found at vacant lots versus gardens. The differences in insect community structure at vacant lots and gardens, based on the beat net collections, were highly significant. I collected a total of 5,165 wasps, distributed among 24 families and 369 morphospecies. I found higher wasp abundance at vacant lots (2,703 individuals) versus gardens (2,462 individuals), higher species richness at vacant lots (288 morphospecies) versus gardens (231 morphospecies), and more families at vacant lots (23) versus gardens (21). The average number of morphospecies was higher at lots (93.71) than gardens (63.44), with an overall average of 76.69. Although comparable data from other cities are few, my results indicate that wasp diversity in Clevelan

First record of the genus Scelio (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelionidae, Scelioninae) egg parasitoids in tomato greenhouses of southeastern Algeria

This is the first record of genus Scelio (Latreille, 1805) in Algeria. Two species of Scelio poecilopterus (Priesner, 1951) and Scelio vulgaris (Kieffer, 1908), were collected in tomato greenhouses from El Alia and El Hadjeb regions in the province of Biskra, southeastern Algeria in 2019-2020, using yellow pan traps, yellow bottles and Barber traps for sampling specimens, followed by laboratory methods to preserve and identify the samples.  Photographic material and information on these species are presented and described, on female specimens, in order to expand the knowledge about the distribution and biodiversity of egg parasitoids in our country

Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - Platygastroidea

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The attached file is the published version of the article.NHM Repositor

Primer registro de la avispa parasitoide Synoditella bisulcata (Kieffer, 1904) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Sscelioninae) para Haití

Se reporta por primera vez para Haití la avispa Scelioninae parasitoide de saltamontes Synoditella bisulcata (Kieffer)

On a collection of Hymenoptera in Baltic amber, with the description of a new species of Pantolyta Förster, 1856 (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae)

Two hundred and seventeen specimens of Hymenoptera in Baltic amber were studied. The distribution of taxa is discussed and Pantolyta antiqua sp. n. is described

Life history of the maritime platygastrid Echthrodesis lamorali Masner 1968 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Scelioninae)

Echthrodesis lamorali Masner 1968 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelioninae) is an intertidal parasitoid wasp that uses the eggs of the maritime spider, Desis formidabilis O.P. Cambridge 1890 (Araneae: Desidae), as a host. This species is one of only three known maritime parasitoids globally, and is the only known spider egg parasitoid that attacks its host within the intertidal region in southern Africa. Originally described from ‘The Island’, Kommetjie (Western Cape, South Africa), this shore was the only known locality of the species at the commencement of this thesis. Furthermore, the extent of the parasitism pressure the wasp exerts on D. formidabilis was largely unknown, along with its basic biology (drivers of its broad-scale and fine-scale distribution patterns; parasitism incidence; and sex ratios) and morphological and physiological adaptations for living within the frequently saltwater-inundated environment. This thesis unravelled these aspects, as well as experimentally provided data for many components of the life history of E. lamorali that had only been hypothesized by other authors, at a variety of scales, from the country-wide ecosystem, to single shores, and finally to the scale of the individual. While the distribution of E. lamorali was found to be much wider than previously thought, it remained restricted to the shores of the Cape Peninsula (Western Cape, South Africa). The host spiders were located throughout a much wider distributional range than the wasp, from East London in the east to the Peninsula, but some behavioural and morphological differences were found between those within and outside of the range of the parasitoid, suggesting range-limitation imposed by the host on E. lamorali. This limitation may be strengthened by the general lack of suitable shore types within the close vicinity of the Peninsula. Modelling using macro-climatic conditions suggested that maximum temperatures and humidities were also largely limiting to E. lamorali, although these patterns were not observable in the micro-climates in which the species survives. The wasp populations and spiders within the range of E. lamorali as identified in Chapter 2 were assessed to determine any preferences for local conditions, including location along the Peninsula, nesting sites and intertidal zones within single shores, using AICc modelling, which detected parasitism patterns in D. formidabilis and E. lamorali populations, as well as the sex ratios in the latter species. The models showed that the spider population size and distribution was more influenced by bottom-up factors such as abiotic components of the shore than by parasitism, which only showed density dependence with the host at certain scales. Both host and parasitoid populations illustrated a preference for the middle zone on single shores. Observed spider nest characteristics suggested opportunistic nesting behaviour in the species, although preference was shown for construction along an east-west orientation and in locations with low sun exposure. Along with larger population sizes on the west coast over the east coast (not reflected by E. lamorali), these observations suggest that D. formidabilis prefers cooler environments. Spider brood success was 50% in unparasitized egg-sacs, but this figure halved when E. lamorali gained access to the eggs (of which 100% within a single compartment were parasitized each time). Encapsulation of the embryo was found to be positively correlated with parasitism, indicating some form of host resistance. Resultant parasitoid broods illustrated a strong female bias in the species, as is common for this group of insects. The life history of E. lamorali was then assessed at a smaller scale, that of the individual. Scanning electron microscopy of whole E. lamorali specimens and light microscopy of sectioned specimens demonstrated no morphological adaptations in the trachea and spiracles to cope with saltwater inundation. On the other hand, respirometry experiments categorically demonstrated that the species copes with inundation through the formation of a physical gill over the full habitus, and the induction of a state of torpor to reduce metabolic needs, when submerged. This precludes the need for any further morphological adaptations. Determination of the wasp’s critical thermal tolerance illustrated a wide temperature range with a particularly cold lower limit of -1.1ºC ± 0.16, suggesting the presence of related genera or ancestors in much colder environments. With a much broader distribution than previously thought, and the inclusion of the distributional range of E. lamorali within the Table Mountain National Park, this species is being effectively conserved and managed through the umbrella-conservation of the park. Links to the host proved to vary at differing scales, proving the need for scale considerations to be included in other similar biological and ecological studies. Finally, the species showed physiological adaptation to its intertidal existence. Echthrodesis lamorali, the only discovered maritime spider egg parasitoid in Southern Africa, displayed unusual characteristics at every scale of its life history and as such, warrants further investigation

PRESENCE OF MANTIBARIA SEEFELDERIANA (DE STEFANI) (HYMENOPTERA: SCELIONIDAE) IN CROATIA: A PSEUDOPARASITOID OF PRAYING MANTIS

Herein we present the first record of a very rare species of parasitoid wasp, Mantibaria seefelderiana, in Croatia, with the basic elements of its unusual biology. The most precise categorization of its trophic interaction would be pseudoparasitoid, because the larva of this species feeds on a larger number of mantis embryos in the ootheca in a way that is more representative of predatory diet and behavior, without any regulation by its host’s behavior. Additionally, adult females of this pseudoparasitoid live as ectoparasites attached to the body of female mantises, where they feed on hemolymph. The combination of an unusual predatory and parasitic lifestyle is extremely atypical for the predominantly parasitoid character of most other members of the family Scelionidae

The composition of the egg-parasitoid guild of the golden egg bug, Phyllomorpha laciniata (Heteroptera: Coreidae), in Spain

The golden egg bug (Phyllomorpha laciniata (Villers)) is a phytophagous insect with an unusual reproductive system. Females use the bodies of conspecifics, both males and females, as oviposition substrates. In addition, a varying fraction of the eggs is laid on the food plant. Egg carrying on conspecifics increases offspring survival. Predators and, especially, hymenopteran parasitoids are themain cause of egg mortality. So far, only the wasp Gryon bolivari (Giard) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) has been reported as an egg parasitoid of P. laciniata in several Mediterranean populations. In this study, three new egg-parasitoid species are recorded from P. laciniata: the primary solitary parasitoids Gryon monspeliense (Picard) and Telenomus sp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), and the facultative hyperparasitoid Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). All of these parasitoids have been reared from host eggs being carried by conspecific bugs. We discuss the taxonomy and biology of the individual parasitoid species, as well as ecological and evolutionary aspects of the interactions in this host-parasitoid system

Widespread Occurrence of Black-Orange-Black Color Pattern in Hymenoptera

Certain color patterns in insects show convergent evolution reflecting potentially important biological functions, for example, aposematism and mimicry. This phenomenon has been most frequently documented in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, but has been less well investigated in Hymenoptera. It has long been recognized that many hymenopterans, especially scelionids (Platygastridae), show a recurring pattern of black head, orange/red mesosoma, and black metasoma (BOB coloration). However, the taxonomic distribution of this striking color pattern has never been documented across the entire order. The main objective of our research was to provide a preliminary tabulation of this color pattern in Hymenoptera, through examination of museum specimens and relevant literature. We included 11 variations of the typical BOB color pattern but did not include all possible variations. These color patterns were found in species belonging to 23 families of Hymenoptera, and was most frequently observed in scelionids, evaniids, and mutillids, but was relatively infrequent in Cynipoids, Diaprioids, Chalcidoids, and Apoids. The widespread occurrence of this color pattern in Hymenoptera strongly suggests convergent evolution and a potentially important function. The BOB color pattern was found in species from all biogeographic regions and within a species it was usually present in both sexes (with a few notable exceptions). In better studied tropical regions, such as Costa Rica, this color pattern was more common in species occurring at lower elevations (below 2,000 m). The biology of the tabulated taxa encompasses both ecto- and endoparasitoids, idiobionts and koinobionts, from a diversity of hosts, as well as phytophagous sawflies.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales (CICIMA

Gryon vitripenne Masner (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), new host-parasitoid association with Leptoglossus zonatus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Coreidae) in corn crop and extension of geographic range.

The purpose of this publication is to report a new parasitoid association of Gryon vitripenne Masner, 1983 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Scelioninae) and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus (Dallas, 1852) (Heteroptera: Coreidae) in corn crop in Brazil as well as the extension of the geographic range of G. vitripenne to Sete Lagoas municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, about 7,600 km SE from Brownsville and Harlingen, Texas, EUA, the types localities, and about 1,200 km SE from Campo Verde municipality, Mato Grosso State and 1,400 km NE from Porto Alegre municipality, Rio Grande do Sul State, the previously known records in Brazil