Diversity and Distribution of Braconidae, a Family of Parasitoid Wasps in the Central European Peatbogs of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

An ecological overview of seven years investigation of Braconidae, a family of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) and a tyrpho-classification of parasitoids in peatbog areas of South Bohemia, Czech Republic are given. A total of 350 species were recorded in investigated sites, but only five tyrphobionts (1.4%) are proposed: Microchelonus basalis, Microchelonus koponeni, Coloneura ate, Coloneura danica and Myiocephalus niger. All of these species have a boreal-alpine distribution that, in Central Europe, is associated only with peatbogs. Tyrphophilous behaviour is seen in at least four (1.1%) species: Microchelonus pedator, Microchelonus subpedator, Microchelonus karadagi and Microchelonus gravenhorstii; however, a number of other braconids prefer peatbogs because they were more frequently encountered within, rather than outside, the bog habitat. The rest of the braconids (342 species, 97.5%) are tyrphoneutrals, many of them being eurytopic components of various habitats throughout their current ranges. Lists of tyrphobiontic braconids and a brief commentary on species composition, distributional picture of actual ranges, and parasitoid association to bog landscape are provided. Being true refugial habitats for populations in an ever-changing world, peatbogs play a significant role in harboring insect communities

A NEW GENUS OF THE TRIBE PAMBOLINI FROM AUSTRALIA HYMENOPTERA BRACONIDAE ROGADINAE

Volume: 46Start Page: 86End Page: 8

Systematics of the Australasian endemic wasp genus Syngaster brulk (Hymenoptera : Braconidae : Doryctinae)

The braconid genus Syngaster Brulle´ is revised and nine species are recognized, six of which are new: S. lepidus Brulle´, S. quadricolor (Cameron), S. variegatus (Sze´pligeti), S. crypticus sp. nov., S. hirtus sp. nov., S. neoguineensis sp. nov., S. polychromus sp. nov., S. stevensi sp. nov., and S. tricolor sp. nov. Host data are only available for S. lepidus which is a parasitoid of cerambycid larvae, notably Phoracantha spp. associated with temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean eucalypt forests in eastern and southern Australia. Other than S. lepidus, S. polychromus is the only other species known from Australia (south-east Queensland), the remaining seven species all being restricted to mainland New Guinea. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis indicates the genus comprises two species groups with S. lepidus and S. quadricolor forming a polytomy with these. The two Australian species (S. lepidus and S. polychromus) are not monophyletic, nor are the two species that lack an occipital carina (S. tricolor and S. cryptus)

Systematics, distribution and diversity of the Australasian Doryctine wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae)

Genera of the braconid subfamily Doryctinae are revised for Australasia, a region defined as Australia and its dependencies, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand and the near islands of Indonesia. We present a diagnosis of each genus, descriptions of new genera and species, an illustrated key to genera, and review information on the classification, relationships, biology, species diversity, distribution patterns and likely origins of the Australasian fauna. In total, 12 genera, 35 species and one subspecies are described as new for the region.Sergey A. Belokobylskij; Muhammad Iqbal; Andrew D Austi