Annotated check-list of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Morocco. Part II.

In this second part, we present the subfamily Pteromalinae in Morocco, which includes 86 species belonging to 50 genera. Fifteen genera and 37 species are listed for the first time in the Moroccan fauna, among which 9 have been newly identified, 24 have been found in the bibliography and 4 deposited in natural history museums. An updated list of Moroccan species is given, including their distribution by regions, their general distribution and their hosts.En esta segunda parte, presentamos la subfamilia Pteromalinae en Marruecos, que incluye 86 especies pertenecientes a 50 géneros. Quince géneros y 37 especies se enumeran por primera vez en la fauna marroquí, de las cuales 9 han sido recientemente identificadas, 24 se han encontrado en la bibliografía y 4 están depositadas en museos de historia natural. Se proporciona una lista actualizada de especies marroquíes, incluida su distribución por regiones, su distribución general y sus huéspedes

A new species of Platygaster (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea) from India with an unusual antenna

A new species, Platygaster harpagoceras Popovici & Veenakumari, is described from India. The most unusual features of this species are the acuminate shape of the last antennomere and the 9-merous antenna in both sexes. The male and female are described and illustrated with brightfield and scanning electron microscopy. We provide a comparative analysis of the acuminate distal antennomere in the superfamily Chalcidoidea, including several genera of Pteromalidae (Callitula Spinola, Homoporus Thomson, Norbanus Walker, Rhaphitelus Walker)

The subfamily Pteromalinae (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) in South-Eastern Iran

A faunistic survey on the parasitic wasps of the subfamily Pteromalinae Dalman, 1820 (Hym., Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae) of South-Eastern Iran (Kerman province) was done. In total 46 specimens representing 10 genera and 16 species are identified, among them, Dinarmus altifrons (Walker, 1862) and Syntomopus incurvus Walker, 1833 are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Iran. Previously recorded species of Pteromalinae from this area are also reviewed and listed. Faunistic analysis of the known species according to their distribution both in Iran and in a broader biogeographical sense is also discussed

Torymus sinensis and its close relatives in Europe: a multilocus phylogeny, detailed morphological analysis, and identification key

The introduction of the biological control agent Torymus sinensis Kamijo (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Torymidae) to control the populations of the chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) is considered one of the successful programs in biological control. The species was involved in interspecific hybridisation in Japan and the specimens imported into Europe were derived from this hybrid lineage, showing signs of introgression. The discovery of mitochondrial haplotypes or possible Enolase haplotypes from T. beneficus or of specimens with shorter ovipositor does not necessarily imply that T. beneficus is present in Europe, only that the European specimens are of hybrid origin. Of the native European Torymus species associated with D. kuriphilus, the molecular and morphometric results indicate Torymus notatus (Walker) as the closest species to T. sinensis. The two are part of the same species-group (cyaneus group), are nested together in the multivariate ratio analysis and are the closest genetically based on all three nuclear markers: Enolase (1.5% divergence), Wingless (2%) and ITS2 (13%). However, on the mitochondrial marker COI the closest species is Torymus rubi (Schrank) at 9.9% divergence. As such, T. notatus is the most likely candidate for accidental interspecific hybridisation if this is to happen in Europe. We provide an illustrated identification key for the European species of Torymus associated with D. kuriphilus, an important but lacking tool for biological control programs

The Chalcidoidea bush of life: evolutionary history of a massive radiation of minute wasps.

Chalcidoidea are mostly parasitoid wasps that include as many as 500 000 estimated species. Capturing phylogenetic signal from such a massive radiation can be daunting. Chalcidoidea is an excellent example of a hyperdiverse group that has remained recalcitrant to phylogenetic resolution. We combined 1007 exons obtained with Anchored Hybrid Enrichment with 1048 ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) for 433 taxa including all extant families, >95% of all subfamilies, and 356 genera chosen to represent the vast diversity of the superfamily. Going back and forth between the molecular results and our collective knowledge of morphology and biology, we detected bias in the analyses that was driven by the saturation of nucleotide data. Our final results are based on a concatenated analysis of the least saturated exons and UCE datasets (2054 loci, 284 106 sites). Our analyses support an expected sister relationship with Mymarommatoidea. Seven previously recognized families were not monophyletic, so support for a new classification is discussed. Natural history in some cases would appear to be more informative than morphology, as illustrated by the elucidation of a clade of plant gall associates and a clade of taxa with planidial first-instar larvae. The phylogeny suggests a transition from smaller soft-bodied wasps to larger and more heavily sclerotized wasps, with egg parasitism as potentially ancestral for the entire superfamily. Deep divergences in Chalcidoidea coincide with an increase in insect families in the fossil record, and an early shift to phytophagy corresponds with the beginning of the "Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution". Our dating analyses suggest a middle Jurassic origin of 174 Ma (167.3-180.5 Ma) and a crown age of 162.2 Ma (153.9-169.8 Ma) for Chalcidoidea. During the Cretaceous, Chalcidoidea may have undergone a rapid radiation in southern Gondwana with subsequent dispersals to the Northern Hemisphere. This scenario is discussed with regard to knowledge about the host taxa of chalcid wasps, their fossil record and Earth's palaeogeographic history

Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation

Peer reviewe

First record of Spalangiopelta Masi, 1922 (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae, Ceinae) in Norway

Pteromalidae is a relatively poor known group, and there are many species yet to discover. We here report two new species to Norway, Spalangiopelta alata Bouček, 1953 and Spalangiopelta procera Graham, 1966 (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae). Some additional records on Cea pulicaris Walker, 1837 are also included.publishedVersio

Review of world genera of Ceinae, with the description of two new Palaearctic species of Spalangiopelta Masi (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae)

The paper provides the first illustrated key to all described genera of Ceinae, i.e., Bohpa Darling, 1991, Cea Walker, 1837, and Spalangiopelta Masi, 1922. Based on the study of the original material, the genus Diparisca Hedqvist, 1964 stat. nov. is removed from the synonymy with Spalangiopelta and its higher classification is discussed. Spalangiopelta rameli sp. nov. and S. viridis sp. nov. are described from Greece and the Canary Islands, respectively

Revision of Netomocera Bouček (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), excluding the Oriental species

The world species of Netomocera Bouček, 1954 (Hymenoptera Linnaeus, 1758: Pteromalidae Dalman, 1820), excluding those from the Oriental region, are revised. The Oriental species are excluded because their types could not be examined, the species limits could not be reliably assessed based on original descriptions and available Oriental material was scarce. Eighteen species, including 11 species described as new, are recognized: N. africana Hedqvist, 1971; N. alboscapus Hedqvist, 1971; N. amethysta sp. nov.; N. celebensis sp. nov.; N. cyanocephala sp. nov.; N. desaegeri sp. nov.; N. formiciformis sp. nov.; N. gloriosa sp. nov.; N. irregularis sp. nov.; N. masneri sp. nov.; N. merida sp. nov.; N. meridionalis sp. nov.; N. nearctica Yoshimoto, 1977; N. ramakrishnai Sureshan, 2010; N. rufa Hedqvist, 1971; N. sedlaceki Bouček, 1988; N. setifera Bouček, 1954; N. virgata sp. nov. The female brachypterous form of N. nearctica and the male of N. alboscapus are described for the first time. A key to both sexes is provided, as well as diagnoses, descriptions and illustrations for all treated species. The genus is reported for the first time in the Neotropical region. For several species, new distributional records are also given