Two new species of Hymenoepimecis (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) with notes on their spider hosts and behaviour manipulation

The wasp genera included in the Polysphincta genus-group develop exclusively as koinobiont ectoparasitoids of spiders, an unusual pattern within Hymenoptera. All known species of Hymenoepimecis attack orb-web spiders and Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga was previously described inducing a sudden modification of its host's web-building behaviour. Information on parasitoid–host interactions and even on host identities for most members of the genus-group, however, remain scarce. In this study we describe two new species of Hymenoepimecis and present information on their hosts, spiders of the genera Leucauge (Tetragnathidae) and Manogea (Araneidae). Cocoon webs of both host species are distinct from their normal webs. The modified cocoon web of Leucauge roseosignata constructed under the influence of Hymenoepimecis japi sp. nov. is very similar to the cocoon web described for Leucauge argyra. It is composed of three axes, including several radial threads each, and a hub used by the larva to attach the cocoon's suspension line. Spiral viscous threads, present in normal webs and in webs of parasitized spiders carrying larvae in the initial instars, are absent in cocoon webs. In the cocoon web of Manogea porracea the horizontal sheet is poorly structured and the cocoon is attached far from the spider's normal resting position, in an area composed of a densely tangled structure.     

Review of Loxopus Townes (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with descriptions of six new species

The taxonomic limits of Loxopus Townes are reviewed. The genus is characterized by the lateral margin of the clypeus projecting as subtriangular lobe; lateral lobes of fourth tarsomeres distinctly longer than mesal lobes; fore wing vein 3r-m absent; hind wing vein 2-1A absent or vestigial; and first metasomal tergite with a basolateral tooth. It occurs from Mexico to southern Brazil. Nine species are recognized, of which six are described as new: L. dodecius Santos et Aguiar, L. duckei Santos et Aguiar, L. exius Santos et Aguiar, L. ichilus Santos et Aguiar, L. tenuis Santos et Aguiar, and L. venezuelanus Santos et Aguiar. The type species, L. australis Townes, and L. multicolor Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino are redescribed, and a diagnosis is provided for L. unicolor Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino, not examined. All studied species are illustrated and distribution records are mapped. An identification key for the species of Loxopus is presented.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5B73E8B4-1288-4FD9-AABD-845B5085FFE3     

Phylogenetic implications of ovipositor structure in Eucharitidae and Perilampidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)

The external and cross-sectional morphology of the ovipositor was examined for 21 genera and 28 species of Philomidinae, Perilampidae and Eucharitidae. Eleven characters were scored and either mapped onto existing topologies reflecting the relationships of genera, or included in a larger data set focused on the generic relationships of Eucharitidae and analyzed using parsimony. The presence of a setiform flap in the ventral wall of the dorsal valve supported the monophyly of Perilampinae and possibly Chrysomalla (Chrysolampinae) + Perilampinae. Monophyly of Eucharitidae was supported by a thinning of the dorsal wall of the dorsal valve. One of two islands of most parsimonious trees that have recently been proposed was selected on the basis of fewer step changes as a result of both character mapping and parsimony analysis. Within Eucharitinae, this would support a clade that includes Kapala, Stilbula and Pseudochalcura, with Schizaspidia and Chalcura as its sister group. By mapping characters, an additional hypothesis of monophyly of Anorasema and Gollumiella was preferred, which on the basis of the pruned topologies was a single step shorter than the preferred islands of trees.     

Phylogenetic relationships of millipedes in the subclass Penicillata (Diplopoda) with a key to the genera

Bristly millipedes (subclass Penicillata, order Polyxenida) are minute diplopods characterised by uncalcified cuticle and a body covered with unique tufts of bristles. The order is found worldwide and comprises less than 200 described species divided into three families, with many of the species and genera being poorly known. The first evolutionary analysis of the order presented here utilises both molecular (COI, 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and morphological data to examine monophyly of the families and subfamilies and the evolutionary relationships between them. Maximum likelihood analysis was based on molecular data only, whereas parsimony analyses were based on molecular data as well as combined morphological and molecular data. The results of these analyses with two different optimality criteria were incongruent in many aspects. Unlike parsimony, the likelihood result found strong support for a basal position of the family Synxenidae and separation of the order into two monophyletic clades corresponding to the two superfamilies Synxenoidea, containing the family Synxenidae, and Polyxenoidea, containing the families Polyxenidae and Lophoproctidae. Parsimony results did not support the existence of the two superfamilies. Both analyses resolved the family Synxenidae as monophyletic and Polyxenidae as polyphyletic, whereas the family Lophoproctidae was shown to be paraphyletic in likelihood and monophyletic in parsimony analysis. The subfamilies Monographinae and Polyxeninae were found to be monophyletic in the likelihood tree but parsimony suggested paraphyly of both. The results suggest that further revision of the systematics of the Polyxenida may be necessary. However, a much larger molecular data set will be necessary to clarify and provide stronger nodal support for phylogenetic trees and to confirm the relationships, particularly of the families Polyxenidae and Lophoproctidae. Molecular identification is likely to be an important tool for this taxonomically challenging order in future. A simplified key to the genera is provided.     

Three new genera of Banchinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Central and South America

Three new genera and four new species of Banchinae are described from Central and South America: Terrylee gen. n., is described from Peru and Honduras to accommodate Terrylee olearius sp. n. and Terrylee peruensis sp. n. (type species: Terrylee peruensis sp. n.); Valdiviglypta gen. n. and Pristiboea gen. n. are described from Chile (type species: Valdiviglypta nimbus sp. n. and Pristiboea leiomano sp. n.). Terrylee and Pristiboea are placed in the tribe Atrophini, Valdiviglypta tentatively in the tribe Glyptini. All the three new genera are morphologically very distinctive and two have such character suites that they may not immediately be recognizable as banchines. By describing these three Neotropical genera from Chile, Honduras and Peru we aim to draw further attention to the considerable morphological variation within the ichneumonid subfamily Banchinae.     

The parasitic wasp genera Skiapus,Hellwigia, Nonnus,Chriodes, and Klutiana (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae): Recognition of the Nesomesochorinae stat. rev. and Nonninae stat. nov. and transfer of Skiapus and Hellwigia to the Ophioninae

The ichneumonid wasp genera Skiapus Morley, Hellwigia Gravenhorst, Nonnus Cresson, Chriodes Förster, and Klutiana Betrem are each formally removed from the Campopleginae on the basis of morphological, molecular, and simultaneous analyses using PAUP* and the optimization alignment program POY. Skiapus and Hellwigia are shown to form a monophyletic group with the Ophioninae to which they are transferred. Nonnus is treated as comprising the Nonninae stat. nov. and Chriodes and Klutiana (sometimes treated as a junior synonym of Chriodes) are treated as comprising the Nesomesochorinae stat. rev. The status of Nesomesochorinae and Nonninae is not fully resolved as they are not consistently recovered as separate groups, forming a single clade in some analyses. We keep them separate because of this uncertainty. Molecular synapomorphies within the D2–3 expansion region of the 28S rDNA gene show the utility of this gene region in determining subfamily‐level placement within the higher Ophioniformes.     

A review of the genus Geraldus Fitton (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Banchinae), with description of a new species

An undescribed species of Banchinae from Chile in the Natural History Museum collections is described as Geraldus fittoni Broad, sp. nov. Four more specimens of Geraldus cambrensis have been found, from Chile and Argentina. The monophyly of Geraldus and of Philogalleria are supported.     

New species of Megastylus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae) reared from larvae of Keroplatidae fungus gnats (Diptera) in a Dutch orchid greenhouse

A new parasitoid wasp species belonging to the genus Megastylus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae) found in an orchid nursery in The Netherlands is described and illustrated: Megastylus woelkei sp. nov. It was reared from parasitized larvae of fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae). The biology of this new species and the possibility to use it in biological pest control are briefly discussed.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7E405813-67C6-44CD-B068-97B79523592E     

The biology and immature stages of Thrybius togashii Kusigemati (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae), with a description of the male

Thrybius togashii Kusigemati is found to be an ectoparasitoid of larvae of a phytophagous eurytomid, Tetramesa sp. (Hymenoptera), growing gregariously in internodal cavities of reeds (Phragmites japonica Steud.), in Japan. The female of T. togashii oviposits into reed canes and its predaceous larva consumes almost all eurytomid larvae in an internodal cavity. This species is bivoltine. The mode of parasitism of this species is unique in some respects. First, when the female oviposits, no food resources are available in the reed. Second, the parasitoid allows part of the host larvae to grow and exploits increasing food resources. The egg, pupa and first to final instar larvae and adult male are described and figured for the first time. Colour dimorphism in both sexes and adult morphology adapted to habitat and ovipositional substrate are also discussed.     

Description of Torymus lasallei,sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Torymidae), a species with an unusual ovipositor

ABSTRACT

Torymus lasallei, sp. nov., a species with an unusual ovipositor, reared from galls of Amphibolips spp. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) on Quercus spp. (Lobatae section) from Mexico, is described. The placement of this new species within the genus Torymus, and the morphology and function of its ovipositor, are discussed.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0B9F9B11-DD95-465D-A98C-53742A8099CC     

Casinaria,a paraphyletic ichneumonid genus (Hymenoptera), and a revision of the Australian species

The Australian species of the campoplegine ichneumonid genus Casinaria are revised and an illustrated key is provided for their identification. Eleven species are recognized, but one is not formally named. The Australian species are referable to two morphologically and biologically distinct groups, the meridionalis species-group (containing amarilla sp. nov., hesperiophaga sp. nov. and meridionalis (Turner)) which are parasitoids of hesperiid larvae, and the siccata species-group (containing eremica sp. nov., micra sp. nov., mythologica sp. nov., pavlova sp. nov., siccata sp. nov., virgata sp. nov., woowonga sp. nov. and species A) which parasitize the larvae of a variety of smaller moths. The holophyly of each of the two species-groups is demonstrated, but characters supporting the holophyly of the genus could not be found, suggesting that Casinaria, as currently recognized, may either be paraphyletic or polyphyletic.     

Biology and immature stages of Panteles schnetzeanus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a parasitoid of Lampronia fuscatella (Lepidoptera: Incurvariidae)

Panteles schnetzeanus (Roman), a parasitoid of the gall‐forming incurvariid moth Lampronia fuscatella (Tengström) and currently placed in the Stilbopinae, is shown to be a solitary koinobiont larval endoparasitoid. The large dark‐pigmented eggs possess a hook‐like tail which is embedded in host tissue, typically at the posterior or anterior end of the host. In cases of superparasitism, which represented 70% of cases, only a single egg hatches. The first instar, prepupa and final larval instar head capsules are described and illustrated. Many differences between the biology of Panteles and of Stilbops are discussed. Circumstantial evidence that suggests that Panteles may have an alternative host is also presented based on the emergence dates for it and the Lampronia together with the size, number and placement of the Panteles eggs. DNA sequence data additionally provide the first record of a eupelmid as attacking a gall‐forming incurvariid/parasitoid system, though it is not clear whether this was an hyperparasitoid on the Panteles or a primary on the incurvariid.     

A key to Neodohrniphora (Diptera: Phoridae), parasites of leaf-cutter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A key to the females of Neodohrniphora Malloch is provided. A species referred to as Apocephalus sp. by Eibl-Eibesfeldt and Eibl-Eibesfeldt (1967) is assigned to N. attae sp. nov., and to a newly designated subgenus Eibesfeldtphora for the N. curvinervis (Malloch) group of species. Neodohrniphora frontalis (Curran) is confirmed as a synonym of N. (E). curvinervis. The paratype of N. (N.) acromyrmecis Borgmeier differs from the lectotype, and is reassigned to N. (N.) similis Prado. A new subgenus, Wallerphora, is designated for N. (W.) mexicanae sp. nov. from Mexico.     

Review of the leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with a key to genera

The leafhopper tribe Scaphytopiini is reviewed, and a key to genera given. The following taxonomic changes are made: Masiripius lugubris (Distant) comb. nov. (from Mahalana); Mahalana Distant, junior synonym of Platymetopius Burmeister syn. nov. (Athysanini); Hododoecus bunyensis Evans comb. nov. (from Stenometopius) (Stenometopiini). In addition, the monotypic genus Nesothamnus Linnavuori is transferred from Athysanini to Scaphytopiini and its characters discussed.     

The species of four genera of Metopiinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in Britain,with new host records and descriptions of four new species

Two genera of Metopiinae are recorded for the first time from the British Isles, Ischyrocnemis Holmgren and Synosis Townes. An account is also given of a further two genera, Apolophus Townes and Stethoncus Townes, that have been recently recorded from Britain but remain little known. Apolophus and Synosis are shown to be koinobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae of the families Schreckensteiniidae and Yponomeutidae, respectively. Four species are described as new: Stethoncus monopicida sp. nov., Synosis caesiellae sp. nov., Synosis fieldi sp. nov., and Synosis parenthesellae sp. nov. A key to the Western Palaearctic species of Synosis is provided.     

The taxonomy and biology of the British Adelognathinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Summary

The known biology of Adelognathus, including new findings, is summarized. An illustrated key is given to the 15 species found in the British Isles. One species, A. stelfoxi, is described as new.     

The occurrence and phylogenetic implications of the ovipositor clip within the Figitidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea)

The presence of the ovipositor clip is surveyed throughout Figitidae. This morphological structure is postulated to restrain the parasitoid host during oviposition. All Figitinae and Eucoilinae that attack semi‐concealed dipterous hosts were found to possess the clip. Figitids that attack fully concealed hosts all lacked the ovipositor clip. It is hypothesized here that two subfamilies, the Anacharitinae and Aspicerinae, attack fully exposed hosts yet lack the clip in order to quickly oviposit and prevent fighting with the host. Mapping of the presence/absence of the ovipositor clip on to two competing phylogenies suggests this structure evolved in parallel in Figitinae and Eucoilinae. The evolution of the ovipositor clip is probably responsible for the successful colonization of semi‐concealed dipterous larvae by Eucoilinae.     

A revision of the European species of Baeoneurella Dodd (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

ABSTRACT

The genus Baeoneurella Dodd, is resurrected, and Eumicrosoma Gahan, is treated as a junior synonym. A comparison between Baeoneurella and Telenomus Haliday, with emphasis on the T. floridanus group, is made to evaluate the generic limits of Baeoneurella, and synapomorphies for this genus are presented. The European species of Baeoneurella, including a new species, B. maceki Popovici, Masner and Polaszek, are described and illustrated, with new data concerning their distribution and habitats. Keys to the European species of this genus for females and for males are provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3F3ECAB2-FBF9-40BB-8447-06CEF1073038