| Aulacus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aulacus sp. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Aulacidae |
| Genus: | Aulacus Jurine, 1807 |
| Synonyms [1] [2] | |
| |
Aulacus is a genus of aulacids, ensigns, and gasteruptiids in the family Aulacidae. There are 77 species of Aulacus. [3] [4]
This genus was originally described in 1807 by Louis Jurine. [5] It is currently one of two extant genera within the family Aulacidae along with its sister genus, Pristaulacus . [6]
As presently defined, the genus Aulacus has been noted by Turrisi et al. in 2009 as not representing a monophyletic group, instead being a paraphyletic assemblage of species with respect to Pristaulacus. Their research also concluded the need for further studies to split the genus into several monophyletic genera. [7]
Aulacus are generally small auladic wasps. The head lacks an occipital carina, and the tarsal claws are simple. [8] The forewing has vein 2r-m present in contrast to the genus Pristaulacus, which lacks this vein. [9]
The genus Aulacus has a nearly worldwide distribution apart from the Afrotropics and Antarctica. [1] [4]
While little is known about the biology of the genus as a whole, many species are known to be koinobiont parasitoids of beetles or wood wasps. [6]
The following are 72 of the described species belong to the genus Aulacus:
Data sources: i = ITIS, [10] c = Catalogue of Life, [11] g = GBIF, [12] b = Bugguide.net, [13] z = Revision of Chinese Aulacidae, [4] j = Revisional Study of Japan, [6] r = Aulacidae in the Russian Far East [14]
There are additionally 4 species names that are considered nomina nuda in Smith's catalog of species. [1]
Alexandr Pavlovich Rasnitsyn is a Russian entomologist, expert in palaeoentomology, and Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation (2001). His scientific interests are centered on the palaeontology, phylogeny, and taxonomy of hymenopteran insects and insects in general. He has also studied broader biological problems such as evolutionary theory, the principles of phylogenetics, taxonomy, nomenclature, and palaeoecology. He has published over 300 articles and books in several languages. In August 2008 he was awarded the Distinguished Research Medal of the International Society of Hymenopterists.
Xiphydriidae are a family of wood wasps that includes around 150 species. They are located all over the world including North and South America, Australia, Europe, and others. Xiphydriidae larvae are wood borers in dead trees or branches of a range of trees. They are characterized as having long and skinny necks with dome-shaped heads. The oldest fossils of the group are from the mid Cretaceous.
The Gasteruptiidae are one of the more distinctive families among the apocritan wasps, with surprisingly little variation in appearance for a group that contains around 500 species in two subfamilies and with 6 genera worldwide. They are members of Evanioidea.
The Aulacidae are a small, cosmopolitan family of wasps, with two extant genera containing some 200 known species. They are primarily endoparasitoids of wood wasps (Xiphydriidae) and xylophagous beetles. They are closely related to the family Gasteruptiidae, sharing the feature of having the first and second metasomal tergites fused, and having the head on a long pronotal "neck", though they are not nearly as slender and elongate as gasteruptiids, nor are their hind legs club-like, and they have more sculptured thoraces. They share the evanioid trait of having the metasoma attached very high above the hind coxae on the propodeum.
Jean-Jacques Kieffer was a French naturalist and entomologist who specialised in the study of parasitic insects. Educated as a priest, Kieffer taught natural science in Bitche, Lorraine while working on the description and classification of insects. His work and publications later became a predominant source of description and classification for entomologists in the early 20th century, in particular with regard to parasitoid wasps, midges, and mosquitos.
The Doryctinae or doryctine wasps are a large subfamily of braconid parasitic wasps (Braconidae). Numerous genera and species formerly unknown to science are being described every year. This subfamily is presumably part of a clade containing otherwise any or all of the Alysiinae, Braconinae, Gnamptodontinae, Opiinae and Ypsistocerinae, and might be most closely related to the last one of these. Whether the Rogadinae are also part of this group is not known.
Episyron is a genus of wasps in the family Pompilidae which prey on spiders. Nine species are found in Europe.
Evagetes is a genus of spider wasps from the family Pompilidae. There are 72 described species, of which 58 are found in the Palaearctic region, 11 in the Nearctic region, with a few penetrating to the Afrotropical, Oriental and Neotropic regions. Evagetes wasps are kleptoparasitic on other pompilid wasps, especially the genera Arachnospila, Anoplius, Episyron and Pompilus, digging into their sealed burrows, eating the host egg and replacing it with an egg of its own. Evagetes wasps are characterised by their very short antennae. Most are species are black with the base of the antennae rufous, several Evagetes species are very metallic bluish insects.
Sphecodes is a genus of cuckoo bees from the family Halictidae, the majority of which are black and red in colour and are colloquially known as blood bees. Sphecodes bees are kleptoparasitic on other bees, especially bees in the genera Lasioglossum, Halictus and Andrena. The adults consume nectar, but because they use other bees' provisions to feed their offspring they do not collect pollen.
Leucospis is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Leucospidae. Most species are brightly coloured with yellow and black patterning and about 2 cm long. They have characteristically enlarged femurs on the hind leg, with the lower margin toothed. The wings have a longitudinal fold and the long ovipositor is bent over their backs above the abdomen or metasoma. They are parasitic on wasps and solitary bees that construct cells and provision food for their offspring. The Leucospis larvae live and grow as ectoparasites of the host larvae. Usually, only one parasite emerges from a single cell. The genus Micrapion from South Africa is very closely related, and phylogenetic studies suggest merging of the two genera. The genus Leucospis is found across the world in the tropical regions.
Gasteruption is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Gasteruptiidae subfamily Gasteruptiinae.
Lymeon is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. There are at least 80 described species in Lymeon.
Periclista is a genus of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. There are at least 20 described species in Periclista.
Spilomicrus is a genus of hymenopterans in the family Diapriidae.
Pristaulacus is a cosmopolitan genus of aulacid wasps in the Hymenopteran family, Aulacidae. There are more than 190 described species in Pristaulacus. Most host records for Pristaulacus are wood-boring beetles.
Hyptia is a genus of ensign wasps in the family Evaniidae. There are at least 50 described species in Hyptia. Most Hyptia can be differentiated from other genera by heavily reduced venation of the forewings, wherein only one closed cell is present.
Evaniella is a genus of ensign wasps in the family Evaniidae. There are more than 70 described species in Evaniella.
Evania is a genus of ensign wasps in the family Evaniidae. Like all members of the family, they are cockroach egg parasitoids. There are more than 60 described species in Evania. Evania appendigaster, the blue-eyed ensign wasp, is a common wasp found through most of the world.
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