Related Research Articles
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasitism, distinguished by the fatal prognosis for the host, which makes the strategy close to predation.
The Ichneumonidae, also known as ichneumon wasps, ichneumonid wasps, ichneumonids, or Darwin wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps of the insect order Hymenoptera. They are one of the most diverse groups within the Hymenoptera with roughly 25,000 species described as of 2016. However, this likely represents less than a quarter of their true richness as reliable estimates are lacking, along with much of the most basic knowledge about their ecology, distribution, and evolution. It is estimated that there are more species in this family than there are species of birds and mammals combined. Ichneumonid wasps, with very few exceptions, attack the immature stages of holometabolous insects and spiders, eventually killing their hosts. They thus fulfill an important role as regulators of insect populations, both in natural and semi-natural systems, making them promising agents for biological control.
The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis estimated a total between 30,000 and 50,000, and another provided a narrower estimate between 42,000 and 43,000 species.
The hymenopteran family Platygastridae is a large group of exclusively parasitoid wasps, mostly very small (1–2 mm), black, and shining, with geniculate (elbowed) antennae that have an eight-segmented flagellum. The wings sometimes lack venation, though they may have slight fringes of setae.
Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causing the death of these hosts. Different species specialise in hosts from different insect orders, most often Lepidoptera, though some select beetles, flies, or bugs; the spider wasps (Pompilidae) exclusively attack spiders.
The banded sugar ant, also known as the sugar ant, is a species of ant native to Australia. A member of the genus Camponotus in the subfamily Formicinae, it was described by German entomologist Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842. Its common name refers to the ant's liking for sugar and sweet food, as well as the distinctive orange-brown band that wraps around its gaster.
Amegilla is a large genus of bees in the tribe Anthophorini.
The Labeninae is a subfamily within the parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae. The family is divided into 12 extant genera grouped within four tribes.
Leptocybe invasa, the blue gum chalcid wasp or eucalyptus gall wasp, is a chalcid wasp which is the only species in the monotypic genus Leptocybe in the subfamily Tetrastichinae, of the family Eulophidae. It is a gall wasp which causes the formation of galls on a number of species of Eucalyptus, it was described in 2004 after galls were found in river red gums in the Mediterranean and Middle East and has since been found to be a widespread species where its host trees are planted. It is indigenous to Australia.
Thyreus caeruleopunctatus, commonly known as the chequered cuckoo bee, is a parasitic bee of the genus Thyreus, also called cuckoo bees. It is a stocky bee, notable for its brilliant metallic blue and black banded colors. Like other Thyreus, they are kleptoparasites of Amegilla species. They are found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Epipompilus is a genus of spider wasps in the subfamily Pepsinae, part of the widespread family Pompilidae. Representatives of Epipompilus can be found in Australasia and North and South America. This distribution may indicate that Epipompilus evolved in Gondwana and is similar to other Gondwanan taxa such as the southern beech Nothofagus and Auracaria.
Ropalidia revolutionalis, the stick-nest brown paper wasp, is a diurnal social wasp of the family Vespidae. They are known for the distinctive combs they make for their nests, and they have been found in Queensland, Australia in the areas of Brisbane and Townsville. They are an independent founding wasp species, and they build new nests each spring. They can be helpful because they control insect pests in gardens.
Anaphes nitens is a species of fairyfly, a chalcid wasp in the family Mymaridae. Native to Australia, it is an egg parasitoid of the gum tree snout beetle, a pest of Eucalyptus trees, and has been used in biological pest control of that species.
Mikeius hartigi is a species of wasp found in Australia, the type species of its genus. Species of Mikeius are thought to be associated with hosts that induce galls on Acacia and Eucalyptus species.
Inopus rubriceps, known generally as the sugarcane soldier fly or Australian soldier fly, is a species of soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae. The fly acts as a host for the parasitoid wasps Neurogalesus carinatus and Neurogalesus militis. The species causes damage to pasture, as well as oat and maize crops, however the degree of damage it causes means it is not considered a major pest.
Trissolcus oenone is a parasitoid wasp in the family Platygastridae, native to Australia and New Zealand. It parasitises the eggs of stink bugs (Pentatomidae), but little is known about its biology.
Cuspicona simplex, commonly known as the green potato bug, is a herbivorous species of stink bug native to Australia and introduced to New Zealand. It feeds on nightshades. It is primarily known as a pest of potatoes, tomatoes, and other crops in the nightshade family.
Netelia producta is a species of ichneumonid wasp in the subfamily Tryphoninae found in Australia.
Megischus is a genus of crown-wasps in the parasitoid family Stephanidae. There are over 90 species globally distributed throughout the Neotropical, Palearctic, Afrotropical, Oriental, Australasian, and Oceanian zoogeographical regions.
Plutarchia is a genus of chalcid wasp in the subfamily Eurytominae. Alexandre Arsène Girault first circumscribed the genus in 1925; its name honors Plutarch. The genus initially only comprised its type species, P. bicarinativentris, found in Australia. Subsequent species from South Asia and Nigeria have been described and transferred to Plutarchia.
References
- 1 2 Valerio, Alejandro A. (2013). Systematics of Old World Odontacolus Kieffer s.l. (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.): parasitoids of spider eggs. Pensoft Publishers Ltd. pp. 31–32.
- ↑ Cardale, Josephine Christine (1 January 1967). The biology of amegilla friese (hymenoptera, apoidea) / by Josephine Christine Cardale (Thesis). Brisbane: Thesis MSc - University of Queensland, Brisbane.
- ↑ Upton, Murray S. (1997). A rich and diverse fauna: the history of the Australian National Insect Collection 1926-1991. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing. p. 237. ISBN 978-0643063228.
- ↑ Smithers, C. N. (1995). "Psocoptera (Insecta) of Christmas Island". Invertebrate Taxonomy. 9 (3): 529–61. doi:10.1071/IT9950529.
- ↑ Eardley, C.D. (1994). "Book reviews: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 10. Hymenoptera: Apoidea" (PDF). African Entomology. 2 (1): 77.
- ↑ G. V. Maynard (May 1997). "Revision of Leioproctus (Anacolletes) Michener and Description of a New Subgenus Leioproctus (Odontocolletes) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae)" (PDF). Australian Journal of Entomology. 36 (2): 141–143. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1997.tb01446.x . Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ↑ Berry, Jocelyn Asha (1994). The systematics of the Australasian Eunotinae (Hymenoptera: pteromalidae). Canberra. pp. 207–209. doi:10.25911/5d7785e9db067.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|agency=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ Bohart, Richard M. (March 1988). "A key to species of the genus Primeuchroeus and descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae)". Insecta Mundi. 2 (1): 24–25.
- ↑ Gauld, Ian (1984). Introduction to the Ichneumonidae of Australia. p. 235.
- ↑ Cardale, Josephine (1 June 1968). "Immature Stages of Australian Anthophorinae (hymenoptera: Apoidea)". Australian Journal of Entomology. 7 (1): 35–41. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1968.tb00698.x . ISSN 1440-6055.
- ↑ "Australian Society of Indexers Medal Award (1992)" (PDF). InCite: 13. 14 December 1992.
- ↑ CSIRO Division of Entomology (1991). Insects of Australia: A Textbook for Students and Research Workers (2nd ed.). University of Melbourne Press.
- ↑ "Highly Commended indexes". www.anzsi.org. Retrieved 8 May 2017.