Nature's Swiss Army Knives: Ovipositor Structure Mirrors Ecology in a Multitrophic Fig Wasp Community

Resource partitioning is facilitated by adaptations along niche dimensions that range from morphology to behaviour. The exploitation of hidden resources may require specially adapted morphological or sensory tools for resource location and utilisation. Differences in tool diversity and complexity can determine not only how many species can utilize these hidden resources but also how they do so.The sclerotisation, gross morphology and ultrastructure of the ovipositors of a seven-member community of parasitic wasps comprising of gallers and parasitoids developing within the globular syconia (closed inflorescences) of Ficus racemosa (Moraceae) was investigated. These wasps also differ in their parasitism mode (external versus internal oviposition) and their timing of oviposition into the expanding syconium during its development. The number and diversity of sensilla, as well as ovipositor teeth, increased from internally ovipositing to externally ovipositing species and from gallers to parasitoids. The extent of sclerotisation of the ovipositor tip matched the force required to penetrate the syconium at the time of oviposition of each species. The internally ovipositing pollinator had only one type of sensillum and a single notch on the ovipositor tip. Externally ovipositing species had multiple sensilla types and teeth on their ovipositors. Chemosensilla were most concentrated at ovipositor tips while mechanoreceptors were more widely distributed, facilitating the precise location of hidden hosts in these wasps which lack larval host-seeking behaviour. Ovipositor traits of one parasitoid differed from those of its syntopic galler congeners and clustered with those of parasitoids within a different wasp subfamily. Thus ovipositor tools can show lability based on adaptive necessity, and are not constrained by phylogeny.Ovipositor structure mirrored the increasingly complex trophic ecology and requirements for host accessibility in this parasite community. Ovipositor structure could be a useful surrogate for predicting the biology of parasites in other communities

First Possible Host Record for the Braconid Wasp Genus Diamblomera Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Braconinae)

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Suspended mummies in Aleiodes species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) with descriptions of six new species from western Uganda based largely on DNA sequence data

A group of species of the rogadine braconid genus Aleiodes are shown to produce a distinctive mummy, which is “J”-shaped and is formed after the host larva, in all cases an ennomine geometrid moth, has dropped from a plant suspended in midair by a silk thread. The group includes one described species, A. buzurae He & Chen from China, and a species complex from tropical Africa (W. Uganda). All the African specimens reared from suspended mummies looked morphologically virtually indistinguishable, though there was considerable colour variation that segregated the specimens into five groups. Three gene fragments (nuclear 28S D2-3 rDNA, the nuclear ITS2 region and part of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 gene (CO1)) were sequenced to assess if these specimens represented a single variable species or a complex of morphologically cryptic species. Results show variation in all three gene fragments, with strong signal in the CO1 gene, parsimony analysis of which revealed six well supported groups corresponding to the colour variants, except that two specimens with nearly identical colour differed considerably in their CO1 sequences. Large, and difficult to align, variation was found in the ITS2 fragments, which by eye also supported the same six groupings. Limited variation was found in the 28S fragment, but one position supported monophyly of the two specimens belonging to one of the species circumscribed by the other genes. These groups are considered to correspond to separate species, which are described as new: A. barnardae Quicke & Shaw, A. basutai Quicke & Shaw, A. kanyawarensis Quicke & Shaw, A. kasenenei Quicke & Shaw, A. mubfsi Quicke & Shaw and A. trevelyanae Quicke & Shaw. The possible function of the specialised mummification behaviour is discussed and some observations on rates of hyperparasitism are presented

Transport system architecture for on board wireless secured A/V surveillance and sensing

International audienceThis paper describes the system architecture set up by the consortium of the EUREKA CELTIC BOSS project for enhancing the security of passengers inside commuter trains. The functional approach, together with obtained technical improvements in the three domains of wireless communications, abnormal events detection and video compression and robustness enhancement are presented. The demonstrator set up in the project, which was installed in a real commuter train in commercial operation, is also reported as proof-of-concept