Megarhyssa

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Megarhyssa
Megarhyssa greenei female.jpg
Female Megarhyssa greenei
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Ichneumonidae
Subfamily: Rhyssinae
Genus: Megarhyssa
Ashmead, 1900
Synonyms
  • Thalessa Holmgren, 1859 (Preocc.)
  • Megalorhyssa Schulz, 1906
  • Eurhyssa Derksen, 1941
Female Megarhyssa praecellens in China Megarhyssa praecellens 1.jpg
Female Megarhyssa praecellens in China

Megarhyssa, also known as giant ichneumonid wasps, giant ichneumons, or stump stabbers, [1] is a genus of large ichneumon wasps, with some species known for having the longest ovipositors of any insects. They are idiobiont endoparasitoids of the larvae of wood-boring horntail wasps. The ovipositor can be mistaken for a large stinger. [2] This is a genus of holometabolous insects within subfamily Rhyssinae that includes 37 species and belongs to Ichneumonidae, the family of wasps with the highest biodiversity in the world. [3]

Contents

Geographical range and habitat

Megarhyssa species occur all over the world. [4] These are the only four Megarhyssa species known to inhabit the paleartic region inhabiting decidious forests. [5] They are widespread across the United States, and Canada. [6] [7]  The species M. macrurus , M. atrata , and M. greenei are known to be sympatric in the northeastern United States.  M. macrurus is known to inhabit further southern regions as well, reaching Mexico. M. nortori has been introduced to South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand as a biological control agent. [6] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Description and identification

Megarhyssa male adults reach body lengths going from 2.3 to 3.8 cm (0.9 to 1.6 inches), while female adults can measure from 3.5 to 7.5 cm (1.5 to 3 inches). [3]  Both sexes can be distinguished because females have an extremely slender, and long organ to lay eggs called the ovipositor. This organ is much longer than the body itself, its length can range from 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches). [3]  Megarhyssa adults show variation in coloration, including dark brown, bluish black, reddish brown and/or bright yellow.

Species of the United States and Canada

The species M. atrata (Fabricius) shows a bright yellow head, and an almost completely black body. [3]  The wings are black as well. It can be easily distinguished from the species M. macrurus , M. greenei , and M. nortori , which show yellow and brown striped color patterns that resemble much, reason for which these other species require identification by specialists. [3]

Ecology

Family Ichneumonidae is composed of parasitoid wasps. The adults do not often feed. When they do so, they feed on water droplets found on leaves that often contain nectar. [13] The larvae feed on flesh from hosts the adults locate. In the Neartic, Paleartic, and Australian regions, some Megarhyssa species such as M. emarginatoria, M. jezoensis, and M. nortori are known to parasitize Siricidae. [4]  The species M. atrata , M. macrurus , and M. greenei show diurnal activity and have undergone allopatric speciation and parasitize the larvae of one species of woodwasp: Tremex columba . [13] These three species are capable of coexisting with each other because their ovipositors have different lengths. [14] As a result, they find their host at different depths within trees, or logs. The distance the larva is within the bark is equal to the length of the ovipositor of each species. The ovipositor of M. atrata is known to puncture up to 14 cm inside the wood, and such length makes this wasp the largest species in Hymenoptera order. [15]

Reproduction

Reproductive Cycle

The reproductive cycle of Megarhyssa begins with the female locating a larva of Tremex columba inside the bark of a tree. She lays an egg close by or on the larva, the Megarhyssa larva devours it, it pupates under the bark, and emerges the following year as an adult. [16] Males often emerge first. The species M. atrata , M. macrurus , and M. greenei share their territory, and habitat, showing the same behavior: males emerge, and remain close by the trees where more wasps from these species emerge. [17]

Megarhyssa males often try to squeeze inside the holes of the bark of trees even before females emerge because preemergence mating is easier to carry out than postemergence mating. [18] In females the genital opening is oriented anteriorly; in males, posteriorly. In preemergence mating, the male inserts his abdomen inside the hole and inside the genital opening of the female. In postemergence mating, the male must be on the abdomen of the female, and bend his abdomen all around it to reach her genitalia properly. [17]  Afterward, females look for a spot in the same area where the host they need to feed their larvae is found. Once they locate a host, females must pierce the bark of trees using the ovipositor to reach the larva. The exact movements of the ovipositor remain unclear, although it is known females carry out a series of movements with it: she puts the ovipositor as vertically as possible relative to the wood. [15]  The intersegmentary segments must be fully unfolded and coupled to the rotation of the last abdominal segment. Then, the stylus can start penetrating the wood. The wasps always follow a very straight line without deviating to reach the chamber where the larva lies. [15]

Mate Choice and Competition

Megarhyssa males have been known to detect other individuals to emerge before the emergence happened. Males of the three species aggregate around the hole to find out the sex of the individual. [18]  Males do so hearing how the females bite, and chew through the wood to find their way out. If the individual is a male, many males often show little interest, and fly away. In case it is a female, males try to mate with her as soon as possible. The sensory organs that allow the wasps to detect their mates, and hosts is close to the antennae. [18]

Evolution of flight

The movement that flight makes possible for parasitoids is crucial to reproduce, so it is related directly with fitness. [19]  In M. nortori , it is known females perform longer single flights and overall longer flights than males. It is thought this is because females are the individuals that reach new habitats, redistribute the progeny, and locate hosts. These activities require longer-range flights. [19]  Males of M. nortori spend most of their time in aggregations around sites from which females are about to emerge. [17] [20] [21]  Even if males are disturbed and fly away from the site, they return and regroup around the same point of the tree. They have been known to be flying around a specific tree and patrolling it over time. Such features lead to the evolution of shorter-range flights. [19]

Species

Species within the genus: [22] [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ovipositor</span> Anatomical structure for laying eggs

The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typically its form is adapted to functions such as preparing a place for the egg, transmitting the egg, and then placing it properly. For most insects, the organ is used merely to attach the egg to some surface, but for many parasitic species, it is a piercing organ as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawfly</span> Suborder of insects

Sawflies are wasp-like insects that are in the suborder Symphyta within the order Hymenoptera, alongside ants, bees, and wasps. The common name comes from the saw-like appearance of the ovipositor, which the females use to cut into the plants where they lay their eggs. The name is associated especially with the Tenthredinoidea, by far the largest superfamily in the suborder, with about 7,000 known species; in the entire suborder, there are 8,000 described species in more than 800 genera. Symphyta is paraphyletic, consisting of several basal groups within the order Hymenoptera, each one rooted inside the previous group, ending with the Apocrita which are not sawflies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ichneumonoidea</span> Superfamily of wasps

The superfamily Ichneumonoidea contains one extinct and three extant families, including the two largest families within Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae and Braconidae. The group is thought to contain as many as 100,000 species, many of which have not yet been described. Like other parasitoid wasps, they were long placed in the "Parasitica", variously considered as an infraorder or an unranked clade, now known to be paraphyletic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ichneumonidae</span> Family of wasps

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horntail</span> Family of sawflies

Horntail or wood wasp are any of the 150 non-social species of the hymenopteran family Siricidae, a type of wood-eating sawfly. The common name "horntail" derives from the stout, spine-like structure at the end of the adult's abdomen which is present in both sexes. The ovipositor in females is typically longer and also projects posteriorly, but it is not the source of the name. Though they are not wasps, they are sometimes called wood wasps as the appearance of some species resembles one due to mimicry. A typical adult horntail is brown, blue, or black with yellow or red parts, and may often reach up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long. The pigeon horntail can grow up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long, among the longest of all Hymenoptera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasp</span> Group of insects

A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. The wasps do not constitute a clade, a complete natural group with a single ancestor, as bees and ants are deeply nested within the wasps, having evolved from wasp ancestors. Wasps that are members of the clade Aculeata can sting their prey.

<i>Xanthocryptus novozealandicus</i> Species of wasp

Xanthocryptus novozealandicus, the lemon tree borer parasite, is a wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It is a native insect of New Zealand. It is also found in Australia and New Guinea. Females hunt for larvae of wood-boring beetles around March, including the lemon tree borer, a native cerambycid that tunnels into citrus trees, grapes and many native species. When a suitable host is found, the female pushes her ovipositor through the wood and injects her eggs into the grub. This has the incidental benefit of helping to control some pests. X. novozealandicus prefers to prey on second year lemon tree borer larvae. This specific parasite prefers to prey on larger second year larvae due to its larger size.

<i>Tremex columba</i> Species of sawfly

Tremex columba, also known as the pigeon tremex or pigeon horntail, is a species of horntail that is native to eastern and western North America.

<i>Rhyssa persuasoria</i> Species of wasp

Rhyssa persuasoria, also known as the sabre wasp, is a species belonging to the family Ichneumonidae subfamily Rhyssinae. Members of this subfamily, including those of Rhyssa and the allied Megarhyssa, are also known collectively as giant ichneumonid wasps or giant ichneumons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirex woodwasp</span> Species of sawfly

The sirex woodwasp is a species of horntail, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Adults vary in length from 9 to 36 mm.

<i>Megarhyssa nortoni</i> Species of wasp

Megarhyssa nortoni, also known as Norton's giant ichneumonid wasp or the western giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibaliidae</span> Family of wasps

The Ibaliidae are a small family of the hymenopteran superfamily Cynipoidea. Ibaliidae differ from most of the cynipoids by the larvae being parasitoids on other wasp larvae in the group Siricidae. The Ibaliidae comprise three extant genera of fairly large wasps, with a total of 20 species, and is a sister group to the rest of the cynipoids except the small subfamily Austrocynipidae.

<i>Megarhyssa greenei</i> Species of wasp

Megarhyssa greenei, also known as Greene's giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is known from the United States and Canada.

<i>Megarhyssa atrata</i> Species of wasp

Megarhyssa atrata, also known as the black giant ichneumonid wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is known from North America, where it is found from Quebec, Michigan, Ohio and North and South Carolina to Florida.

<i>Megarhyssa macrurus</i> Species of wasp

Megarhyssa macrurus, also known as the long-tailed giant ichneumonid wasp or long-tailed giant ichneumon wasp, is a species of large ichneumon wasp. It is a parasitoid, notable for its extremely long ovipositor which it uses to deposit an egg into a tunnel in dead wood bored by its host, the larva of a similarly large species of horntail.

<i>Pimpla rufipes</i> Species of wasp

Pimpla rufipes, the black slip wasp, is a species of wasp belonging to the family Ichneumonidae. It is distributed across Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhyssinae</span> Subfamily of wasps

Rhyssinae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. It contains eight genera and 259 described species, but there are likely many undiscovered species.

<i>Ibalia leucospoides</i> Species of wasp

Ibalia leucospoides, the knife-shaped ibalia, is a species of ibaliid wasp in the family Ibaliidae.

<i>Megischus</i> Genus of insects

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.

References

  1. ↑ Bug of the Month July 2014: Female Stump Stabbers laying eggs!!!, What's That Bug. Accessed 2015-06-07
  2. ↑ "Giant Ichneumon Wasp - M. atrata". www.insectidentification.org. InsectIdentification. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Ilgoo Kang; Huval, Forest; Carlton, Christopher E. (28 March 2023). "Megarhyssa spp., The Giant Ichneumons (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)".
  4. 1 2 Pham, Thi Nhi (2018-06-28). "A review of the genus Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Rhyssinae) from Vietnam, with three new country records". Journal of Vietnamese Environment. 9 (1): 22–25. doi: 10.13141/jve.vol9.no1.pp22-25 . ISSN   2193-6471.
  5. ↑ Pook, Victoria; Sharkey, Michael; Wahl, David (2016-04-01). "Key to the species of Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Rhyssinae) in America, north of Mexico". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 63 (1): 137–148. doi: 10.3897/dez.63.7619 . ISSN   1860-1324.
  6. 1 2 Townes, Henry; Townes, Marjorie (1960). Ichneumon-flies of America North of Mexico pt. 2: Subfamilies Ephialtinae, Xoridinae, and Acaenitinae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. pp. 1–676.
  7. ↑ Königsmann, E. (1981-05-15). "KROMBEIN, K. V., HURD, P. D., SMITH, D. R. & BURKS, B. D.: Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexiko. — Vol. 1, Symphyta and Apocrita (Parasitica) S. 1–1198, 1979. Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, D.C., US $ 30,00. Vol. 2, Apocrita (Aculeata), S. 1199–2209, 1979. Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, D.C., US $ 28,00". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (in German). 28 (1–3): 183. doi:10.1002/mmnd.4800280117.
  8. ↑ Taylor, K. L. (1976-12-01). "The introduction and establishment of insect parasitoids to controlSirex noctilio in Australia". Entomophaga. 21 (4): 429–440. doi:10.1007/BF02371642. ISSN   1573-8248.
  9. ↑ Taylor, K. L. (1978-01-01). "Evaluation of the insect parasitoids of Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in Tasmania". Oecologia. 32 (1): 1–10. Bibcode:1978Oecol..32....1T. doi:10.1007/BF00344686. ISSN   1432-1939. PMID   28308663.
  10. ↑ Haugen, D. A.; Underdown, M. G. (January 1990). "Sirex noctilio control program in response to the 1987 Green Triangle outbreak". Australian Forestry. 53 (1): 33–40. Bibcode:1990AuFor..53...33H. doi:10.1080/00049158.1990.10676058. ISSN   0004-9158.
  11. ↑ Hurley, Brett P.; Slippers, Bernard; Wingfield, Michael J. (August 2007). "A comparison of control results for the alien invasive woodwasp, Sirex noctilio , in the southern hemisphere". Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 9 (3): 159–171. doi:10.1111/j.1461-9563.2007.00340.x. hdl: 2263/3444 . ISSN   1461-9555.
  12. ↑ Tribe GD, Cillié JJ (2004). "The spread of Sirex noctilio Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in South African pine plantations and the introduction and establishment of its biological control agents". African Entomology. 12 (1): 9–17.
  13. 1 2 Heatwole, Harold; Davis, Donald M. (January 1965). "Ecology of Three Sympatric Species of Parasitic Insects of the Genus Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)". Ecology. 46 (1–2): 140–150. Bibcode:1965Ecol...46..140H. doi:10.2307/1935265. ISSN   0012-9658. JSTOR   1935265.
  14. ↑ Pook, Victoria; Sharkey, Michael; Wahl, David (2016-04-01). "Key to the species of Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Rhyssinae) in America, north of Mexico". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 63 (1): 137–148. doi: 10.3897/dez.63.7619 . ISSN   1860-1324.
  15. 1 2 3 Le Lannic, Joseph; Nénon, J.-P. (1999-10-18). "Functional morphology of the ovipositor in Megarhyssa atrata (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) and its penetration into wood". Zoomorphology. 119 (2): 73–79. doi:10.1007/s004350050082. ISSN   0720-213X.
  16. ↑ Stillwell, M. A. (July 1967). "THE PIGEON TREMEX, TREMEX COLUMBA (HYMENOPTERA: SIRICIDAE), IN NEW BRUNSWICK". The Canadian Entomologist. 99 (7): 685–689. doi:10.4039/Ent99685-7. ISSN   0008-347X.
  17. 1 2 3 Crankshaw, O. S.; Matthews, R. W. (1981). "Sexual behavior among parasitic Megarhyssa wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 9: 1–7. doi:10.1007/BF00299846.
  18. 1 2 3 Heatwole, H.; Davis, D. M.; Wenner, A. M. (1964). "Detection of mates and hosts by parasitic insects of the genus Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)". American Midland Naturalist. 71 (2): 374–381. doi:10.2307/2423295. JSTOR   2423295.
  19. 1 2 3 Fischbein, Deborah; Villacide, José M.; De La Vega, Gerardo; Corley, Juan C. (February 2018). "Sex, life history and morphology drive individual variation in flight performance of an insect parasitoid". Ecological Entomology. 43 (1): 60–68. Bibcode:2018EcoEn..43...60F. doi:10.1111/een.12469. hdl: 11336/71768 . ISSN   0307-6946.
  20. ↑ Nuttall, M. J. (January 1973). "PRE-EMERGENCE FERTILISATION OF MEGARHYSSA NORTONI NORTONI (HYMENOPTERA : ICHNEUMONIDAE)". New Zealand Entomologist. 5 (2): 112–117. Bibcode:1973NZEnt...5..112N. doi:10.1080/00779962.1973.9722978. ISSN   0077-9962.
  21. ↑ Matthews, R. W.; Matthews, J. R.; Crankshaw, O. (March 1979). "Aggregation in Male Parasitic Wasps of the Genus Megarhyssa: I. Sexual Discrimination, Tergal Stroking Behavior, and Description of Associated Anal Structures Behavior". The Florida Entomologist. 62 (1): 3. doi:10.2307/3494037. JSTOR   3494037.
  22. ↑ Pook, Victoria; Sharkey, Michael; Wahl, David (2016-01-04). "Key to the species of Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Rhyssinae) in America, north of Mexico". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 63 (1): 137–148. doi: 10.3897/dez.63.7619 . ISSN   1860-1324.
  23. ↑ Yu, Dicky Sick Ki. "Home". Home of Ichneumonoidea. Taxapad. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018.
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