Scoliidae

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Scoliidae
Scoliid wasp (Megascolia bidens) male Cap Bon 2.jpg
Megascolia bidens, Tunisia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Infraorder: Aculeata
Superfamily: Scolioidea
Family: Scoliidae
Latreille, 1802
Subfamilies

Scoliinae
Proscoliinae

The Scoliidae, the scoliid wasps, are a family of wasps comprising about 560 species worldwide. They tend to be black, often marked with yellow or orange, and their wing tips are distinctively corrugated. Males are more slender and elongated than females, with significantly longer antennae, but the sexual dimorphism is not as apparent as in many of the Tiphiidae and Thynnidae.

Contents

Biology

Scoliid wasps are solitary parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae. Female scoliids burrow into the ground in search of these larvae and then use their sting to paralyze them. They sometimes excavate a chamber and move the paralyzed beetle larva into it before depositing an egg. Scoliid wasps act as important biocontrol agents, as many of the beetles they parasitize are pests, including the Japanese beetle. Male scoliids patrol territories, ready to mate with females emerging from the ground. Adult wasps may be minor pollinators of some plants and can be found on many wildflowers in the late summer. [1]

Scoliidae has at least one species known to engage in pseudocopulation with an orchid. Flowers of the orchid Bipinnula penicillata in subtropical South America resemble females of Pygodasis bistrimaculata , tricking male wasps into attempting to mate and, in the process, provide pollination. [2] Scoliids include some of the largest wasps in the world, such as Megascolia procer. [3]

Taxonomy

Face of a scoliid wasp in coded color, illustrating the main features: .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} ocellar pits ocellar furrow three simple eyes two compound eyes vertex, above curved carina frontalis frons, below curved carina frontalis and bisected by fissura frontalis scrobe area frontalis clypeus anterior margin of clypeus mandibles antennal scapes lamina frontalis spatium frontale or frontal space Adapted from K. V. Krombein (1978) Scoliidae-wespe, gesig, gewysig van Karl V Krombein (1978).jpg
Face of a scoliid wasp in coded color, illustrating the main features:
  ocellar pits
  ocellar furrow
  three simple eyes
  two compound eyes
  vertex, above curved carina frontalis
  frons, below curved carina frontalis and bisected by fissura frontalis
  scrobe
  area frontalis
  clypeus
  anterior margin of clypeus
  mandibles
  antennal scapes
  lamina frontalis
  spatium frontale or frontal space
Adapted from K. V. Krombein (1978)
Scolia bicincta female, Pennsylvania Scolia bicincta. female.jpg
Scolia bicincta female, Pennsylvania
Megascolia procer, Indonesia Megascolia procer MHNT dos.jpg
Megascolia procer , Indonesia

Living scoliidae genera are classified as follows: [5] [6] [7]

Subfamily: Proscoliinae

Subfamily: Scoliinae

Tribe: Campsomerini

Tribe: Scoliini

Subfamily †Archaeoscoliinae

The subfamily Archaeoscoliinae is known exclusively from the fossil record, with the largest diversity having lived during the Cretaceous (Barremian) before going extinct by the late Eocene (Priabonian).

Three additional undescribed specimens from the Ypresian Eocene Okanagan Highlands were referred to the subfamily by S. Bruce Archibald et al. (2018). The two fossils from the Klondike Mountain Formation of Northeastern Washington state, and one fossil from the Allenby Formation of South central British Columbia were mentioned briefly but no specific commentary on placement or finer taxonomic detail was presented in the paper. [14]

History

In 1847 and 1849 Eduard Eversmann published his "Fauna Hymenopterologica Volgo-Uralensis—exhibiting the species of Hymenoptera which he observed and described in the provinces situated between the Volga river and the Ural mountains." He placed the Scoliadae LATR. as a subfamily of the Sphegidae LATR. He mentions the genus ScoliaFABR. with 13 species, the genus TiphiaFABR. with 3 species, and the genus MeriaILL, with only the species Meria sexpunctata. [15]

North American species list

There are 36 species of Scoliidae reported to occur in North America. Two additional species, Campsomeriella annulata (Fabricius, 1793) and Micromeriella marginella (Klug, 1810), were introduced to the United States but failed to become established. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandr Rasnitsyn</span> Russian entomologist (born 1936)

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.

<i>Megascolia procer</i> Species of wasp

Megascolia procer, the giant scoliid wasp, is a solitary wasp in the family Scoliidae found across Asia. It is one of the largest wasps in the world, with a wingspan of 11.6 cm (4.6 in).

<i>Scolia dubia</i> Species of wasp

Scolia dubia, also known as the two-spotted scoliid wasp or a blue-winged scoliid wasp, is a species in the family Scoliidae.

<i>Campsomeriella</i> Genus of wasps

Campsomeriella is a genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. They are generally parasites of beetle larvae, most often of Scarabaeidae.

<i>Scolia</i> (wasp) Genus of wasps

Scolia is a genus of scoliid wasps in the subfamily Scoliinae. There are over 200 described species in Scolia.

<i>Campsomeris</i> Genus of wasps

Campsomeris is a Neotropical genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps. They are generally parasites of beetle larvae, most often of Scarabaeidae.

<i>Dielis trifasciata</i> Species of wasp

Dielis trifasciata, also known as the three-banded scoliid wasp, is a species in the family Scoliidae.

<i>Megascolia</i> Genus of wasps

Megascolia is a genus of large solitary pollinating insect from the family Scoliidae, the species classified under Megascolia include some of the world's largest insects. They are parasitoids of large Scarabeid beetles such as the European rhinoceros beetle Oryctes nasicornis and Atlas beetle Chalcosoma atlas.

<i>Scolia nobilitata</i> Species of wasp

Scolia nobilitata, also known as the noble scoliid wasp, is a species of scoliid wasp in the family Scoliidae.

<i>Dielis</i> Genus of wasps

Dielis is a New World genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps, formerly treated as a subgenus within Campsomeris.

<i>Pygodasis</i> Genus of wasps

Pygodasis is a New World genus of wasps in the family Scoliidae, formerly treated as a subgenus within Campsomeris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xanthocampsomeris</span> Genus of wasps

Xanthocampsomeris is a New World genus of the family Scoliidae, also known as the scoliid wasps, formerly treated as a subgenus within Campsomeris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campsomerini</span> Tribe of wasps

Campsomerini is a cosmopolitan tribe of the family Scoliidae. An older, alternative representation of this group is as a subfamily, Campsomerinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoliini</span> Tribe of wasps

Scoliini is a cosmopolitan tribe of the family Scoliidae.

<i>Megascolia azurea</i> Species of wasp

Megacolia azurea is a species of scoliid wasp found in parts of tropical Asia. These are among the largest wasps and several subspecies have been described. Their larvae are parasitoids mainly of Scarabeoid larvae. It is a member of the subgenus Megascolia (Regiscolia).

<i>Austroscolia</i> Genus of wasps

Austroscolia is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Scoliidae, subfamily Scoliinae. It was formerly classified as a subgenus of Scolia.

<i>Dielis plumipes</i> Species of scoliid wasp

Dielis plumipes, the feather-legged scoliid wasp, is a species of scoliid wasp in the family Scoliidae.

<i>Dielis pilipes</i> Species of scoliid wasp

Dielis pilipes, the hairy-footed scoliid wasp, is a species of scoliid wasp in the family Scoliidae.

<i>Dielis tolteca</i> Species of wasp

Dielis tolteca, the Toltec scoliid wasp, is a species of hymenopteran in the family Scoliidae. It is commonly found on plants in the genus Solidago.

<i>Colpa</i> Genus of wasps

Colpa is a genus of scoliid wasp.

References

  1. ↑ Liu, Z; Yang, SJ; Wang, YY; Peng, YQ; Chen, HY; Luo, SX (1 October 2021). "Tackling the Taxonomic Challenges in the Family Scoliidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera) Using an Integrative Approach: A Case Study from Southern China". Insects. 12 (10): 892. doi: 10.3390/insects12100892 . PMC   8539399 . PMID   34680660.
  2. ↑ Ciotek, Liliana; Giorgis, Pablo; Benitez-Vieyra, Santiago; Cocucci, Andrea A. (2005). "First Confirmed Case of Pseudocopulation in Terrestrial Orchids of South America". Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 201 (5): 365–369. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2005.07.012.
  3. ↑ Sarrazin, Michaël; Vigneron, Jean Pol; Welch, Victoria; Rassart, Marie (2008-11-05). "Nanomorphology of the blue iridescent wings of a giant tropical wasp Megascolia procer javanensis (Hymenoptera)". Physical Review E. 78 (5): 051902. arXiv: 0710.2692 . Bibcode:2008PhRvE..78e1902S. doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.78.051902. PMID   19113150. S2CID   30936410.
  4. ↑ Krombein, Karl V. (1978). "Biosystematic Studies of Ceylonese Wasps, II: A Monograph of the Scoliidae (Hymenoptera: Scolioidea)" (PDF). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology (283): 6–7. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  5. ↑ Osten, T. (2005). "Checkliste der Dolchwespen der Welt (Insecta: Hymenoptera, Scoliidae). Teil 1: Proscoliinae und Scoliinae: Campsomerini. Teil 2: Scoliinae: Scoliini. Teil 3: Literatur" [Checklist of the Scoliidae of the World. Part 1: Proscoliinae and Scoliinae: Campsomerini. Part 2: Scoliinae: Scoliini. Part 3: Literature](PDF). Bericht der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Augsburg (in German). 62 (220–221): 1–62. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
  6. ↑ "Classification and checklist of Afrotropical mammoth wasps". Archived from the original on 2022-01-17. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  7. ↑ "BugGuide - Family Scoliidae" . Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  8. ↑ "Fauna Europaea". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rasnitsyn, A. (1993). "Archaescoliinae, an extinct subfamily of scoliid wasps (Insecta: Vespida = Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)". Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 2: 85–96.
  10. 1 2 3 Rasnitsyn, A.; Martínez-Delclòs, X. (1999). "New Cretaceous Scoliidae (Vespida=Hymenoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain and Brazil". Cretaceous Research. 20 (6): 767–772. Bibcode:1999CrRes..20..767R. doi:10.1006/cres.1999.0181.
  11. ↑ Osten, T. (2007). "Hymenoptera: bees, wasps and ants". The Crato Fossil Beds of Brazil: Window into an Ancient World. pp. 350–365.
  12. 1 2 3 Zhang, J. (2004). "New representatives of Cretoscolia (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) from eastern China". Cretaceous Research. 25 (2): 229–234. Bibcode:2004CrRes..25..229Z. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2003.12.003.
  13. ↑ Zhang, H.; Rasnitsyn, A.; Zhang, J. (2002). "The oldest known scoliid wasps (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Scoliidae) from the Jehol biota of western Liaoning, China". Cretaceous Research. 23 (1): 77–86. Bibcode:2002CrRes..23...77H. doi:10.1006/cres.2001.0302.
  14. ↑ Archibald, S. B.; Rasnitsyn, A. P.; Brothers, D. J.; Mathewes, R. W. (2018). "Modernisation of the Hymenoptera: ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies of the early Eocene Okanagan Highlands of western North America". The Canadian Entomologist. 150 (2): 205–257. doi:10.4039/tce.2017.59. ISSN   0008-347X. S2CID   90017208.
  15. ↑ Eversmann, Eduard (1847). "Fauna Hymenopterologica Volgo-Uralensis I". Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou (in Latin). 20 (1): 3–68. (families Tenthredinidae and Uroceratae) and Eversmann, Eduard (1849). "Fauna Hymenopterologica Volgo-Uralensis II". Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou (in Latin). 22 (3): 359–436.(family Sphegidae)
  16. ↑ Poole, R.W.; Gentili, P. (1996). "Hymenoptera" (PDF). Nomina Insecta: A Check List of the Insects of North America Nearctica. 2: 309–375. ISBN   1-889002-02-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
  17. ↑ Ramírez-Guillén, Luis Damián; Falcon-Brindis, Armando; Gómez, Benigno (2022). "The Scoliidae wasps (Hymenoptera: Scolioidea) of Mexico: taxonomy and biogeography". Zootaxa. 5214 (1): 47–88. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5214.1.2. PMID   37044915.
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