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Three subgenera Microchelonus Szpligeti, 1908 s. str., Parachelonus Tobias, 1995 and Stylochelonus Helln, 1958 are newly recorded from China, 21 new species, viz., C. (M.) adiazetos sp. nov., C. (M.) aequus sp. nov., C. (M.) brachykeraiatus sp. nov., C. (M.) bullatus sp. nov., C. (M.) clivus sp. nov., C. (M.) crassitibialis sp. nov., C. (M.) cyclotus sp. nov., C. (M.) erugatus sp. nov., C. (M.) illatus sp. nov., C. (M.) leious sp. nov., C. (M.) linzhiensis sp. nov., C. (M.) maculovittatus sp. nov., C. (M.) melanochromus sp. nov., C. (M.) platyetrus sp. nov., C. (M.) recavus sp. nov., C. (M.) ruficorpus sp. nov., C. (M.) scirpophagae sp. nov., C. (M.) staurorhytis sp. nov., C. (P.) hirsutus sp. nov., C. (S.) acaretrus sp. nov., and C. (S.) punctulosus sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Also, eleven species are reported as new to China: C. (M.) alticinctus (Tobias, 1989), C. (M.) alveatus (Tobias, 1989), C. (M.) calcaratus (Tobias, 1989), C. (M.) flagellaris (Tobias, 1989), C. (M.) insidiatrix (Tobias, 1989), C. (M.) milkoi (Tobias, 2003), C. (M.) moskovitus (Tobias, 1997), C. (M.) semilunaris (Tobias, 2000), C. (M.) temporalis (Tobias, 1986), C. (M.) varus (Tobias, 2000) and C. (M.) zaitzevi (Tobias, 1972). Four new combinations are proposed: C. (P.) compressor (Chen & Ji, 2003) comb. nov., C. (P.) macrocorpus (Ji & Chen, 2003) comb. nov., C. (P.) polycolor (Chen & Ji, 2003) comb. nov. and C. (Baculonus) rubriventris (Tobias, 1988) comb. nov. The following new names are proposed: C. (M.) jiae nom. nov. for C. (M.) bimaculatus (Chen & Ji, 2003) and C. (M.) substernatus nom. nov. for C. (M.) tobiasi (Yuldashev, 2011). Microchelonus (Carinichelonus) cavifrons Tobias, 2000 is synonymized with C. (Ca.) tabonus Sonan, 1932. A key to the Chinese species of the subgenus Microchelonus is provided together with keys to the currently known species of the subgenera Carinichelonus, Stylochelonus and Parachelonus.

An updated key to the currently known species of the subgenus Tarpheion van Achterberg, 1976 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Blacus) in China is provided. Nine new species are proposed, B. (T.) adelphius sp. nov., B. (T.) frontalis sp. nov., B. (T.) gilvus sp. nov., B. (T.) hainanensis sp. nov., B. (T.) parilis sp. nov., B. (T.) reticulatus sp. nov., B. (T.) sculptilis sp. nov., B. (T.) tanae sp. nov., and B. (T.) wuyishanensis sp. nov. Eight species, B. (T.) achterbergi Haeselbarth, 1976, B. (T.) albiventris van Achterberg, 1988, B. (T.) angichorus van Achterberg, 1988, B. (T.) antennalis van Achterberg, 1988, B. (T.) apicalis van Achterberg, 1976, B. (T.) artomandibularis van Achterberg, 1976, B. (T.) bicolor van Achterberg, 1988, and B. (T.) soror van Achterberg, 1988, are newly recorded from China.

The subgenus Contochorus van Achterberg, 1976 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Blacus) is newly recorded from China. Two new species are proposed, B. (C). capillosus sp. nov., B. (C). planus sp. nov., and two species are newly recorded in China, B. (C). mellitarsis van Achterberg, 1988 and B. (C). turbidus Papp, 1985. An updated key to the currently known species of the subgenus Contochorus in the world is provided.

Five species of four rare genera Dolophron Förster, 1869, Genotropis Townes, 1970, Leptocampoplex Horstman, 1970 and Philositus Townes, 1970 of the family Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) are found in China, among which three genera Dolophron, Leptocampoplex and Philositus are firstly reported from China. Three new species D. granulosa sp. nov., G. mauroknema sp. nov., and P. parva sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Redescriptions of Genotropis clara Townes, 1970 and Leptocampoplex cremastoides (Holmgren, 1860) are given. Keys to species of each genus and the distribution map of China are also provided.

Chelonus formosanus Sonan is an important egg-larval parasitoid of noctuid moths and a potential candidate for understanding interactions between host and parasitoid mediated by polydnavirues (PDVs). We sequenced and annotated the mitochondrial genome of C. formosanus, which is 15,466 bp in length and possesses 38 mitochondrial genes. However, unlike most animal mitochondrial genomes, it contains one extra trnF gene. There are five transfer RNA (tRNA) rearrangement events compared with the ancestral gene order, which is a novel rearrangement type in Hymenoptera for all published mitogenomes so far. Phylogenetic trees supported C. formosanus from the subfamily Cheloninae was closely related to the subfamily Cardiochilinae and Microgastrinae., (© 2022 The Authors. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Two rare genera are newly reported for China: the Australasian Picacharops Gauld, 1984 and the Oriental Sliochia Gauld, 1976. A new species of these two monotypic genera (P. granulosus sp. nov. and S. adustifemur sp. nov., respectively) is described from China and illustrated. Keys to species of both genera are also provided.

Species of the genera Breviterebra Kusigemati, 1982, Charops Holmgren, 1859 and Scenocharops Uchida, 1932 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from China are revised. Of the 13 species recognized, three are described as new species: Breviterebra apicocrinis sp. nov., Charops mauroknemus sp. nov. and Scenocharops yunnanensis sp. nov. The genus Breviterebra Kusigemati and the species Scenocharps montanus Gupta Maheshwary, 1971 are recorded in China for the first time. The distribution area of C. brachypterus (Cameron), C. striatus (Uchida), S. flavipetiolus (Sonan) and S. parasae He in China are updated. DNA barcode fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene of B. apicocrinis sp. nov. is presented. Keys to Breviterebra, Charops and Scenocharops are provided.

A new subgenus of the genus Chelonus Panzer, 1806 (Braconidae: Cheloninae), Mirachelonus subgen. nov. (type species: Chelonus (Mirachelonus) miraventris sp. nov.) with deeply incurved apex of carapace, is described and illustrated from southwest China. A key to the subgenera currently recognized in Chelonus is included to facilitate future identifications.

The genus Campoplex Gravenhorst, 1829 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from China is revised. Thirty-nine new species are proposed (C. absitus sp. nov., C. acarus sp. nov., C. adustantennalis sp. nov., C. angustaulacis sp. nov., C. apacicarinatus sp. nov., C. artivultus sp. nov., C. atricrus sp. nov., C. collucatus sp. nov., C. concretus sp. nov., C. confluentus sp. nov., C. cyclus sp. nov., C. densipunctatus sp. nov., C. exareola sp. nov., C. granalvus sp. nov., C. grandialphus sp. nov., C. grandicella sp. nov., C. granulosus sp. nov., C. galbipedis sp. nov., C. hei sp. nov., C. liuae sp. nov., C. lobatus sp. nov., C. longiclypeus sp. nov., C. maurotrochanter sp. nov., C. medicarinatus sp. nov., C. monochroma sp. nov., C. obtusoclypeus sp. nov., C. parassosae sp. nov., C. perpendicularis sp. nov., C. proportionis sp. nov., C. protenus sp. nov., C. plicopunctatus sp. nov., C. pseudocyclus sp. nov., C. pseudostrigatus sp. nov., C. shanxiensis sp. nov., C. strigatus sp. nov., C. taenius sp. nov., C. tanae sp. nov., C. xizangensis sp. nov., and C. xuthomelonus sp. nov.) and one species is recorded as new to Nepal (C. oriens Gupta Maheshwary). A key to Chinese species of Campoplex is provided.

Five new species of the genus Sinophorus Frster, 1869 (Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) are described and illustrated from China: S. dioryctriae sp. nov., S. latistrigis sp. nov., S. neimengensis sp. nov., S. petilidentis sp. nov. and S. spissus sp. nov. A key to the Chinese species of Sinophorus is provided.

The genus Casinaria Holmgren, 1859 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) from China is revised. Nine new species are proposed (C. albifunda sp. nov., C. artivultis sp. nov., C. exilis sp. nov., C. exiloides sp. nov., C. hei sp. nov., C. melasoma sp. nov., C. partolstoyi sp. nov., C. remota sp. nov., and C. xui sp. nov.) and two species are recorded as new to China (C. ajanta Maheshwary Gupta and C. varuni Maheshwary Gupta). A key to the Chinese species of Casinaria is provided.

Nine new species as well as a known species of Bethylus Latreille (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from China are described and illustrated: B. crassicapitis sp. nov., B. convexus sp. nov., B. gansensis sp. nov., B. glabricarinatus sp. nov., B. hunanensis sp. nov., B. incurvus sp. nov., B. ningxicus sp. nov., B. prolatus sp. nov., B. quadraticapitis sp. nov., and B. sinensis Xu, He Terayama. A key to the known Chinese species is provided.

A checklist of all confirmed species of the family Scoliidae (Hymenoptera) from China is made based on the Chinese specimens in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (RMNH, Leiden) and on additional specimens from the Chinese Academy of Insect Science (IOZ, Beijing), the Zhejiang University (ZJUH, Hangzhou), and the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSUBM, Guangzhou). The Scoliid species from China belong to one subfamily, two tribes, 11 genera and 52 species. Two species are deleted from the fauna of China: Campsomeriella ilanensis (Tsuneki, 1972) and Scolia (Discolia) quadripustulata Fabricius, 1782. One subspecies, i.e., Carinoscolia vittifrons nipponensis Uchida, 1933, status nov., is elevated to species rank. Scolia (Discolia) formosicola Betrem, 1928, status nov. and S. (D.) inouyei Okamoto, 1924 are re-instated valid species.

Ten new species of Odontepyris Kieffer from China are described and illustrated: O. angustus sp. nov., O. ecarinatus sp. nov., O. eminens sp. nov., O. flavipedis sp. nov., O. hirtus sp. nov., O. latifrontalis sp. nov., O. occiputalis sp. nov., O. xiaoi sp. nov., O. xui sp. nov., and O. yunnanensis sp. nov.. A key to the known Chinese species is provided.

The species of the genus Campyloneurus Szépligeti and Iphiaulax Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) from China are revised and 32 species are recognized, including 14 new species (Campyloneurus brachyurus sp. nov., C. lasiofacialis sp. nov., C. longitergum sp. nov., C. longitudinalis sp. nov., C. micromacularis sp. nov., C. nigriventris sp. nov., C. promiscuus sp. nov., C. pachypus sp. nov., C. quadraticeps sp. nov., C. robusticella sp. nov., C. rugifacialis sp. nov., C. stigmosus sp. nov., C. tergipunctatus sp. nov. and Iphiaulax longinervis sp. nov.), which are described and fully illustrated. Campyloneurus kirbyi (Cameron, 1905) is reported from China for the first time. A key to taxonomically similar genera, Campyloneurus, Craspedolcus Enderlein, Cyanopterus Haliday, Iphiaulax and Maculibracon Li, van Achterberg Chen), and a key to the Chinese species of the genera Campyloneurus and Iphiaulax are provided.

The ater-group including subgroup eublemmae of genus Apanteles Foerster from China is revised, in which a total of 97 species are recorded and illustrated. Forty-eight new species are described and illustrated, i.e., A. albummacula Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. altus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. ambultor Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. amotus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. angustus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. annosus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. aphanofossa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. aspersus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. attenuator Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. bialtus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. brevitempus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. bulbus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. cannabis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. carssus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. crassus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. distributa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. expansus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. flavibasalis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. fraxinus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. fundum Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. fuscidentalis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. jasmine Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. lateroglabris Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. limus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. longicoxa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. longidiscus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. magastigma Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. muscosalis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. ocellisublimus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. plureseta Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. prominens Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. quadra Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. radocoxa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. salsala Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. scrobiculatus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. semicarinatus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. stigmaium Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. tenuis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; eublemmae-subgroup: A. alticella Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. aphanoiugum Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. cavitergita Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. impunctus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. lineatella Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. longiala Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. palliditegula Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. rectala Liu Chen, sp. nov.; A. rhombos Liu Chen, sp. nov. and A. setosus Liu Chen, sp. nov. Eleven newly recorded species are redescribed and illustrated, i.e., A. argiope Nixon, 1965; A. brunnistigma Abdinbekova, 1969; A. cerberus Nixon, 1965; A. chloris Nixon, 1965; A. cocotis Wilkinson, 1934; A. demades Nixon, 1965; A. medon Nixon, 1965; A. psenes Nixon, 1965; A. saravus Nixon, 1965; A. sartamus Nixon, 1965 and A. usipetes Nixon, 1965. Three new synonyms are proposed: A. chloris Nixon, 1965 = A. cornicula Chen Song, 2004, A. cavatiptera Chen Song, 2004 = A. glacilipes Song Chen, 2004 = A. opacus (Ashmead, 1905). A key to Chinese species of the ater-group is provided.

The species of the genus Aspicolpus Wesmael, 1838 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) from China are revised. Four new species, namely A. clypeconcavus Yan et Chen, sp. n., A. frontirugatus Yan et Chen sp. n., A. jilinensis Yan et Chen, sp. n., and A. striatus Yan et Chen, sp. n. are described and illustrated. A key to the Chinese species of the genus Aspicolpus is updated.

The ultor-group of the genus Dolichogenidea Viereck from China is revised, which totally 67 species are recorded. Thirty-nine new species are described and illustrated, i.e., D. alophogaster Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. altithoracica Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. anterocava Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. apicurvus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. atarsi Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. breviattenuata Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. carborugosa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. clausa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. conpuncta Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. crassa Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. cucurbita Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. excellentis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. flexitergita Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. fluctisulcus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. flexisulcus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. gleditsia Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. hemituba Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. hexagona Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. infirmus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. latitergita Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. lincostulata Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. lobesia Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. longialba Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. longimagna Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. lunatus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. medicava Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. minuscula Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. multicolor Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. obsoleta Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. opacifinis Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. ovata Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. parallodorsum Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. pentgona Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. punctipila Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. rectivena Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. transcarinata Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. vadosulcus Liu Chen, sp. nov.; D. victoria Liu Chen, sp. nov. and D. wangi Liu Chen, sp. nov. Five new combinations are proposed, i.e., D. acron (Nixon, 1967), comb. nov., D. bambusae (Wilkinson, 1928), comb. nov., D. kurosawai (Watanabe, 1940), comb. nov., D. lissos (Nixon, 1967), comb. nov., D. molestae (Muesebeck, 1933), comb. nov. Four newly recorded species are redescribed and illustrated, i.e., D. acron (Nixon, 1967), rec. nov., D. agilis (Ashmead, 1905), rec. nov., D. bambusae (Wilkinson, 1928), rec. nov., and D. ultima (Kotenko, 1986), rec. nov. One species, D. acutituba Song, Chen Yang, 2006, syn. nov. is synonymized with D. prisca (Nixon, 1967). Fifteen new host are recorded for the following previously described species viz., D. baoris, D. brevicarinata, D. expulse, D. heterusiae, D. hyposidrae, D. kurosawai, D. lacteicolor, and D. prisca and marked by a number sign (#). Eleven new host associations are documented for the following new species: D. alophogaster; D. crassa, D. flexisulcus; D. gleditsia; D. hexagona; D. lincostulata; D. lobesia; D. minuscula; D. multicolor; D. obsolete, and D. rectivena. The hosts of thirty-two species remain unknown. An identification key and distribution maps to the Chinese species of the ultor-group is provided.

The genera Bitomoides van Achterberg, 2004, Neopius Gahan, 1917 and Sternaulopius Fischer, 1965 of the subfamily Opiinae are newly discovered in China and one new species of each genus are described and illustrated, viz. Bitomoides platyaulicis Sheng Chen sp. n., Neopius citrinus Sheng Chen, sp. n. and Sternaulopius macrophthalmos Sheng Chen sp. n. The status of the genus Neopius Gahan is discussed.

The insect order Hymenoptera presents marvelous morphological and ecological diversity. Higher-level hymenopteran relationships remain controversial, even after recent phylogenomic analyses, as their taxon sampling was limited. To shed light on the origin and diversification of Hymenoptera, in particular the poorly studied Parasitica, we undertook phylogenetic analyses of 40 newly and 43 previously sequenced mitochondrial genomes representing all major clades of Hymenoptera. Various Bayesian inferences using different data partitions and phylogenetic methods recovered similar phylogenetic trees with strong statistical support for almost all nodes. Novel findings of the mitogenomic phylogeny mainly affected the three infraorders Ichneumonomorpha, Proctotrupomorpha and Evaniomorpha, the latter of which was split into three clades. Basal relationships of Parasitica recovered Stephanoidea + (Gasteruptiidae + Aulacidae) as the sister group to Ichneumonomorpha + (Trigonalyoidea + Megalyroidea). This entire clade is sister to Proctotrupomorpha, and Ceraphronoidea + Evaniidae is sister to Aculeata (stinging wasps). Our divergence time analysis indicates that major hymenopteran lineages originated in the Mesozoic. The radiation of early apocritans may have been triggered by the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction; all extant families were present by the Cretaceous., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Chinese species of Earinus Wesmael, 1837 (Braconidae, Agathidinae) are revised and eight species are recognized. Three new species, namely, E. longigena sp. nov., E. pallitarsus sp. nov. and E. protinus sp. nov., are described and illustrated, and two species are recorded from China for the first time, i.e., E. brevistigmus van Achterberg et Long, 2010 and E. elator (Fabricius, 1804). A new synonym is proposed, Earinus albopilosus Chen et Yang, 2006, with Therophilus festivus (Muesebeck, 1953). A key to the Chinese species of the genus Earinus is provided.

Chalcidoidea is one of the most diverse group in Hymenoptera by possessing striking mitochondrial gene arrangement. By using next generation sequencing method, the first two nearly complete mitochondrial genomes in the family Aphelinidae (Insecta, Hymenopetra, Chalcidoidea) were obtained in this study. Almost all previously sequenced mitochondrial genome of Chalcidoidea species have a large inversion including six genes (atp6-atp8-trnD-trnK-cox2-trnL2-cox1) as compared with ancestral mitochondrial genome, but these two Encarsia mitochondrial genomes had a large inversion including nine genes (nad3-trnG-atp6-atp8-trnD-trnK-cox2-trnL2-cox1), which was only congruent with the species in the genus Nasonia. Moreover, we found that one shuffling changes (trnD and trnK) happened in the species E. obtusiclava but not in another species E. formosa within the same genus, of which such shuffling within the same genus at this region was only detected in Polisters within Insecta. Phylogenetic analysis displayed that different data matrix (13PCG+ 2 rRNA or 13 PCG) and inference methods (BI or ML) indicate the identical topology with high nodal supports that Aphelinidae formed a sister group with (Trichogrammatidae + Aganoidae) and the monophyly of Pteramalidae. Our results also indicated the validity of assembling and feasibility of next-generation technology to obtain the mitochondrial genomes of parasitic Hymenoptera., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Six new species of Alysia Latreille are described and illustrated from China, i.e., Alysia hebeiensis sp. n., A. macularis sp. n., A. melasoma sp. n., A. polita sp. n., A. sparsa sp. n., and A. stenopos sp. n. Also, six species are reported as new to China: Alysia incongrua Nees, 1834, A. lucia Haliday, 1838, A. lucicola Haliday, 1838, A. sirin Belokobylskij, 1998, A. umbrata Stelfox, 1941 and A. vladik Belokobylskij, 1998. A key to the known species of Alysia Latreille from China is provided.

Five new species of the genus Paramblynotus Cameron, 1908, are herein described from China: Paramblynotus anjiensis, new species, Paramblynotus qingliangfengensis, new species, Paramblynotus longipetiolus, new species, Paramblynotus magnatus, new species and Paramblynotus nigricaputus, new species. Three additional species, Paramblynotus reticulatus (Kieffer, 1910), Paramblynotus nipponensis Liu, Ronquist Nordlander, 2007 and Paramblynotus rufipes Liu, Ronquist Nordlander, 2007 are reported from China for the first time and the distribution of six previously reported species are updated with new collection data. Paramblynotus metatarsis He, 2004 and Paramblynotus tianmushanensis He, 2004 are redescribed. A taxonomic review, distribution map, and a taxonomic key are provided for the 19 known species of Paramblynotus from China.

Four new species of Hylcalosia Fischer are described and illustrated from China, i.e., H. carinata sp. nov., H. melasaraia sp. nov., H. poricrenulata sp. nov., and H. verticalis sp. nov. Hylcalosia sutchanica Belokobylskij, 1992, is a new record for China. A key to the known species of Hylcalosia Fischer is provided.

A new genus of the tribe Praini Mackauer, 1961 (Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from China is described in this paper, Astigmapraon Tian et Chen, gen. nov. (Type species: A. hei Tian et Chen, sp. nov. from Shaanxi and Sichuan). An identification key to the genera of Praini is added.

Venoms secreted by the venom gland (VG) of parasitoid wasp help ensure successful parasitism by host immune suppression and developmental regulation. Cotesia vestalis, a larval endoparasitoid, and Diadromus collaris, a pupal endoparasitoid, parasitize the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella. To explore and compare the venom components of two endoparasitoids, we sequenced transcriptomes of the VGs and wasp bodies without VGs (BWVGs) of the two endoparasitoids. Statistically enriched GO terms and KEGG pathways of the two VGs compared to respective whole-body background were similar and reflected active protein biosynthesis activities in the two VGs. 1,595 VG specific genes of the D. collaris VG and 1,461 VG specific genes of the C. vestalis VG were identified by comparative transcript profiling. A total of 444 and 513 genes encoding potential secretory proteins were identified and defined as putative venom genes in D. collaris VG and C. vestalis VG, respectively. The putative venom genes of the two wasps showed no significant similarity or convergence. More venom genes were predicted in D. collaris VG than C. vestalis VG, especially hydrolase-coding genes. Differences in the types and quantities of putative venom genes shed light on different venom functions.

The mitochondrial genome sequence of Tenthredo tienmushana (Takeuchi, 1940) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) (GenBank accession KR703581) was reported. The length of the sequenced region of this mitochondrial genome is 14,943 bp, with 13 protein-coding, two rRNA, 19 tRNA (the trnI, trnQ, and trnM were failed to sequence) genes and a partial A + T-rich region. As in most other sequenced mitochondrial genomes of the suborder "Symphyta", there is no gene rearrangement in the sequenced region compared with the pupative ancestral gene arrangement of insects. All protein-coding genes start with ATN codons. Eleven, one, and one protein-coding genes stop with termination codon TAA, TA, and T, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian method based on all codon positions of the 13 protein-coding genes supports the monophyly of Tenthredinoidea. Two families of the Tenthredinoidea, i.e. Tenthredinidae and Pergidae, form the basal lineage of the Hymenoptera. Within the Tenthredinidae, the subfamily Tenthrediniinae and Allantinae form a sister lineage and then sister to the Nematinae. The Orussidae was recovered to be a sister group to the Apocrita, which contains Ichneumonidae and Vespidae in our analysis. The Cephoidea is sister to the lineage of Orussoidea + Apocrita.

The mitochondrial genome sequence of Polistes jokahamae (Radoszkowski, 1887) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) (GenBank accession no. KR052468) was sequenced. The current length with partial A + T-rich region of this mitochondrial genome is 16,616 bp. All the typical mitochondrial genes were sequenced except for three tRNAs (trnI, trnQ, and trnY) located between the A + T-rich region and nad2. At least three rearrangement events occurred in the sequenced region compared with the pupative ancestral arrangement of insects, corresponding to the shuffling of trnK and trnD, translocation or remote inversion of tnnY and translocation of trnL1. All protein-coding genes start with ATN codons. Eleven, one, and another one protein-coding genes stop with termination codon TAA, TA, and T, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian method based on all codon positions of the 13 protein-coding genes supports the monophyly of Vespidae and Formicidae. Within the Formicidae, the Myrmicinae and Formicinae form a sister lineage and then sister to the Dolichoderinae, while within the Vespidae, the Eumeninae is sister to the lineage of Vespinae + Polistinae.

The morphology and ultrastructure of the female reproductive system were examined for a larval-pupal parasitoid Trichomalopsis shirakii Crawford of Oulema oryzae Kuwayama using light and electron microscopes. The reproductive system includes two ovaries, two pairs of accessory glands, an unbranched venom gland, a large venom reservoir and a Dufour gland. Each ovariole contains follicles and oocytes at different stages of maturation. A fibrous layer covers the surface of mature egg. The accessory glands are made up of a layer of secretory cells surrounded by muscle fibers. In these secretory cells, numerous mitochondria, electron-dense secretory granules and vesicles filled with dense granular particles are present. These granular particles appear as virus-like particles (VLPs). The venom gland consists of a single layer of secretory cells which are organelle rich with abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and vesicular organelles, a layer of duct cells and an inner intima. The reservoir consists of a muscular sheath, epidermal cells with few organelles and an intima layer. The Dufour gland has a relatively large lumen surrounded by a single layer of columnar epithelial cells which are characterized by clusters of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets. Aside from the venom, the fibrous layer coating the egg and the granular particles which may be VLPs have been discovered in our study. They may serve as one of the parasitoid-associated factors in their host-parasitoid relationship and play a role in host immune suppression. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:625-636, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The Symphyta is traditionally accepted as a paraphyletic group located in a basal position of the order Hymenoptera. Herein, we conducted a comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genomes in the Symphyta by describing two newly sequenced ones, from Trichiosoma anthracinum, representing the first mitochondrial genome in family Cimbicidae, and Asiemphytus rufocephalus, from family Tenthredinidae. The sequenced lengths of these two mitochondrial genomes were 15,392 and 14,864 bp, respectively. Within the sequenced region, trnC and trnY were rearranged to the upstream of trnI-nad2 in T. anthracinum, while in A. rufocephalus all sequenced genes were arranged in the putative insect ancestral gene arrangement. Rearrangement of the tRNA genes is common in the Symphyta. The rearranged genes are mainly from trnL1 and two tRNA clusters of trnI-trnQ-trnM and trnW-trnC-trnY. The mitochondrial genomes of Symphyta show a biased usage of A and T rather than G and C. Protein-coding genes in Symphyta species show a lower evolutionary rate than those of Apocrita. The Ka/Ks ratios were all less than 1, indicating purifying selection of Symphyta species. Phylogenetic analyses supported the paraphyly and basal position of Symphyta in Hymenoptera. The well-supported phylogenetic relationship in the study is Tenthredinoidea + (Cephoidea + (Orussoidea + Apocrita)).

We sequenced the nearly complete mitochondrial genome of the parasitic wasps Diadromus collaris, the fourth sequenced mitogenome in the family Ichneumonidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). The sequenced segment is 14,621 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes, 19 transfer RNA genes and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. Four tRNAs are rearranged comparing to the ancestral insect mitochondrial gene arrangements, which coincides with the fact that the most rearranged genes are tRNA genes in the Ichneumonidae, and trnI-trnQ-trnM is a hot-spot of gene rearrangement. The lrRNA secondary structure was predicted, containing six domains (I-VI) and 49 helics.

The species of the genus Cystomutilla André, 1896 are reviewed. A new genus Hemutilla Lelej, Tu et Chen, gen. nov. (type species Hemutilla granulata Tu, Lelej et Chen, sp. nov.) and four new species: H. tuberculata Tu, Lelej et Chen, sp. nov. (China: Henan, Shaanxi), H. ferrugineipes Tu, Lelej et Chen, sp. nov. (China: Hunan), H. granulata Tu, Lelej et Chen, sp. nov. (China: Zhejiang), and H. cheni Tu et Lelej, sp. nov. (China: Fujian) are described and illustrated. New combinations are proposed for Hemutilla hoozana (Zavattari, 1913), comb. nov. and H. bifurcata (Chen, 1957), comb. nov. A key to males and females of two species of Cystomutilla André and six species of Hemutilla gen. nov. is given.

In animal mitochondrial genomes, gene arrangements are usually conserved across major lineages but might be rearranged within derived groups, and might provide valuable phylogenetic characters. Here, we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of Cephalonomia gallicola (Chrysidoidea: Bethylidae) and Wallacidia oculata (Vespoidea: Mutillidae). In Cephalonomia at least 11 tRNA and 2 protein-coding genes were rearranged, which is the first report of protein-coding gene rearrangements in the Aculeata. In the Hymenoptera, three types of protein-coding gene rearrangement events occur, i.e. reversal, transposition and reverse transposition. Venturia (Ichneumonidae) had the greatest number of common intervals with the ancestral gene arrangement pattern, whereas Philotrypesis (Agaonidae) had the fewest. The most similar rearrangement patterns are shared between Nasonia (Pteromalidae) and Philotrypesis, whereas the most differentiated rearrangements occur between Cotesia (Braconidae) and Philotrypesis. It is clear that protein-coding gene rearrangements in the Hymenoptera are evolutionarily independent across the major lineages but are conserved within groups such as the Chalcidoidea. Phylogenetic analyses supported the sister-group relationship of Orrussoidea and Apocrita, Ichneumonoidea and Aculeata, Vespidae and Apoidea, and the paraphyly of Vespoidea. The Evaniomorpha and phylogenetic relationships within Aculeata remain controversial, with discrepancy between analyses using protein-coding and RNA genes., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The family Trigonalyidae is considered to be one of the most basal lineages in the suborder Apocrita of Hymenoptera. Here, we determine the first complete mitochondrial genome of the Trigonalyidae, from the species Taeniogonalos taihorina (Bischoff, 1914). This mitochondrial genome is 15,927bp long, with a high A+T-content of 84.60%. It contains all of the 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and an A+T-rich region. The orders and directions of all genes are different from those of previously reported hymenopteran mitochondrial genomes. Eight tRNA genes, three protein-coding genes and the A+T-rich region were rearranged, with the dominant gene rearrangement events being translocation and local inversion. The arrangements of three tRNA clusters, trnY-trnM-trnI-trnQ, trnW-trnL2-trnC, and trnH-trnA-trnR-trnN-trnS-trnE-trnF, and the position of the cox1 gene, are novel to the Hymenoptera, even the insects. Six long intergenic spacers are present in the genome. The secondary structures of the RNA genes are normal, except for trnS2, in which the D-stem pairing is absent., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The species of Polystenus Foerster, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) from China are revised, and four species are recognized. Two new species, P. brevitergum sp nov. and P. taiwanus sp nov., are described and illustrated. A key to all species of the genus Polystenus is provided., (This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.)

The Chinese species of the subgenus Gyrostoma Kirby, 1828 of the polistine genus Polistes are reviewed. An illustrated key to the seven species of the subgenus known from China is given. New synonymy are proposed for Polistes rothneyi Cameron, 1900 =P. rothneyi grahami van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.; =P. r. hainanensis van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.; =P. r. iwatai van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.; =P. r. gressitti van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.; =P. r. tibetanus van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.; = P. r. yayeyamae Matsumura, 1908, syn. nov.; =P. r. koreanus van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.; =P. r. sikkimensis van der Vecht, 1968, syn. nov.. P. (Gyrostoma) tenuispuntia Kim, 2001 is newly recorded from China. Its nest is described for the first time. Compared with the sympatric and similar species P. rothneyi f. grahami the nest is concealed in a hollow space instead of having the nest directly exposed under an eave as in P. rothneyi. The differences in nest architecture are briefly discussed.

Two species groups (the grandiculus- and the metacarpalis-group) of genus Apanteles Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from China are revised and keyed, with eight new species, namely, A. muticiculus Liu & Chen, sp. n., A. parvus Liu & Chen, sp. n. and A. flavicapus Liu & Chen, sp. n. of the grandiculus-group; A. transtergum Liu & Chen, sp. n., A. malleus Liu & Chen, sp. n., A. dumosus Liu & Chen, sp. n. A. cosmopterygivorus Liu & Chen, sp. n. and A. incurvus Liu & Chen, sp. n. of the metacarpalis-group, and two newly recorded species of the metacarpalis-group described and illustrated. Keys to the Chinese species of these two species-groups are provided.

The genus Spasskia Belokobylskij, 1989 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Helconinae) is reported for the first time from China. Two species, namely Spasskia brevicarinata Yan et Chen sp. n.and Spasskia indica Singh, Belokobylskij et Chauhan, 2005 are described and illustrated. A key to the species of this genus is updated to include the new species., (This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.)

The genus Guaygata Marsh, 1993 is recorded from China for the first time. Two species, i.e. G. mariae (Belokobylskij, 1993) and G. fujianensis sp. nov., are recognized. The new species is fully described and illustrated. A key to Asian species of Guaygata is provided.

The genus Fredegunda Fitton, Shaw & Gauld (Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) is newly reported both from China and the Oriental region. A new species, Fredegunda sinica sp. nov. from Fujian, China is described and illustrated. A key to the known species of Fredegunda is provided.

In Pakistan, the three days of Islamic festival of Eid ul Azha (Eid) are characterized by millions of livestock sacrifices and availability of countless breeding resources for insects of forensic importance. Thus during Eid, December, 2008, in a Pakistani village observing 70 sacrifices, we examined postmortem insect attractions on various sacrificial products (from 23 animals), i.e., blood pools, meat, hides/skins, bones, offal and real time insect succession on goats' offal at five dump sites. Thirty five insect species were collected from 14 indoor and outdoor sites. Offal at the dump sites attracted most insect species both by taxa and in numbers, followed by hides in the court yards, meat (40-70 kg/animal) in kitchens and blood pools in the court yards. Synanthropic calliphorids and muscids were found to be exclusive indoor "first and only arrivals" in comparison to a diverse array of first day insect arrivals at dump sites including calliphorids, sarcophagids, muscids, sphaerocerids, sepsids, empidids, gryllids and formicids. Though burial is usually considered as a barricade between most insect species and carrion yet dump site A with an early burial but also earliest insect colonization showed the fastest rate of decomposition. No vertebrate scavenging at any of the offal dump sites perhaps showed their private feeding inclination, thus implying that in times of mass slaughters most of the dumped winter carrion products in human vicinities are either consumed by insects and/or are buried. Here we also suggest a high rate of fly dispersal during Eid which if true has consequences for forensic investigations in Muslim populace areas especially during the Eid., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Animal mitochondrial genomes are potential models for molecular evolution and markers for phylogenetic and population studies. Previous research has shown interesting features in hymenopteran mitochondrial genomes. Here, we conducted a comparative study of mitochondrial genomes of the family Braconidae, one of the largest families of Hymenoptera, and assessed the utility of mitochondrial genomic data for phylogenetic inference at three different hierarchical levels, i.e., Braconidae, Hymenoptera, and Holometabola., Results: Seven mitochondrial genomes from seven subfamilies of Braconidae were sequenced. Three of the four sequenced A+T-rich regions are shown to be inverted. Furthermore, all species showed reversal of strand asymmetry, suggesting that inversion of the A+T-rich region might be a synapomorphy of the Braconidae. Gene rearrangement events occurred in all braconid species, but gene rearrangement rates were not taxonomically correlated. Most rearranged genes were tRNAs, except those of Cotesia vestalis, in which 13 protein-coding genes and 14 tRNA genes changed positions or/and directions through three kinds of gene rearrangement events. Remote inversion is posited to be the result of two independent recombination events. Evolutionary rates were lower in species of the cyclostome group than those of noncyclostomes. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genomes and secondary structure of rrnS supported a sister-group relationship between Aphidiinae and cyclostomes. Many well accepted relationships within Hymenoptera, such as paraphyly of Symphyta and Evaniomorpha, a sister-group relationship between Orussoidea and Apocrita, and monophyly of Proctotrupomorpha, Ichneumonoidea and Aculeata were robustly confirmed. New hypotheses, such as a sister-group relationship between Evanioidea and Aculeata, were generated. Among holometabolous insects, Hymenoptera was shown to be the sister to all other orders. Mecoptera was recovered as the sister-group of Diptera. Neuropterida (Neuroptera + Megaloptera), and a sister-group relationship with (Diptera + Mecoptera) were supported across all analyses., Conclusions: Our comparative studies indicate that mitochondrial genomes are a useful phylogenetic tool at the ordinal level within Holometabola, at the superfamily within Hymenoptera and at the subfamily level within Braconidae. Variation at all of these hierarchical levels suggests that the utility of mitochondrial genomes is likely to be a valuable tool for systematics in other groups of arthropods.

The apocritan Hymenoptera show extraordinary features in mitochondrial genomes, but no complete sequence has been reported for the basal lineage, Evanioidea. Here, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Evania appendigaster. This genome is 17,817 bp long; with low A+T content, 77.8%, compared with other hymenopteran species. Four tRNA genes were rearranged, among which remote inversion is the dominant gene rearrangement event. Gene shuffling is caused by tandem duplication-random loss while remote inversion is best explained by recombination. The start codon of nad1 was found as TTG, which might be common across Hymenoptera. trnS2 and trnK use abnormal anticodons TCT and TTT, respectively, and the D-stem pairings in trnS2 are absent. The secondary structure of two rRNA genes are predicted and compared with those in other insects. Five long intergenic spacers were present, including a long intergenic spacer between atp8 and atp6, where these two genes overlap in the previously reported animal genomes. A conserved motif was found between trnS1 and nad1, which is proposed to be associated with mtTERM. The A+T-rich region is 2,325 bp long, among the longest in insects, and contains a tandem repeat region.

Few complete mitochondrial genomes representing limited families in the order Hymenoptera have been sequenced. Here, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Diadegma semiclausum (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). This genome is 18 728 bp long, the second largest hexapod mitochondrial genome sequenced in its entirety and that with the highest A+T content at 87.4%. Four tRNAs are rearranged compared with the ancestral arrangement. Gene rearrangement mechanisms are different among all three rearranged regions. Six tRNAs have a large variable loop, which is not found in other metazoan mitochondrial genomes. trnS(AGY) uses the abnormal anticodon TCT but trnK uses the normal CTT. The A+T-rich region is very long (2161 bp). An extremely A+T-rich (99.1%) 1515 bp tandem repeat region with three types of repeat elements is located between cox1 and cox2, and the most likely ancestral element originated from the 3' end of cox1. Independent tandem duplications followed by mutation-insertion-deletion is the best model to explain the formation of this region. These results indicate that independent evolutionary events occurred extensively, such as gene rearrangement events, gene rearrangement mechanisms, derivation of tRNA variable loops, and tandem repeat region evolutionary processes, all of which likely contribute to the diversified features of hymenopteran mitochondrial genomes.

We examined the changes of hemocytes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), due to parasitism by the endoparasitoid Diadegma semiclausum (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Necrosis of prohemocytes in different stages was observed while cell death was absent in the mature hemocytes in the parasitized larvae, which was related to the declined total hemocyte count per microliter (THC). THC in the host hemolymph declined sharply by 12 h post-parasitization and then remained at a low level. When hemocytes of the parasitized larvae were cultured in vitro, encapsulation ability was suppressed coincidently with the inhibited spreading ability; however, such effects were transient. Simultaneously, activation of the prophenoloxidae from the hemocytes was inhibited. Unlike the results of previous studies, the decrease in hemocytes, which was due to the necrosis of the prohemocytes instead of the mature hemocytes in our study, was not responsible for the impaired encapsulation. Our studies suggest that parasitism by D. semiclausum have some effects on hematopoietic regulation and on hemocyte immune reaction of P. xylostella larvae., ((c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Cotesia vestalis is an endoparasitoid of larval stages of Plutella xylostella, the diamondback moth. For successful parasitization, this parasitoid injects a polydnavirus into its host during oviposition. Here we isolated two genes, which we named CvBV1 and CvBV2. CvBV1 was located on segment CvBV-S5 with a size of 790 bp, while CvBV2 was located on segment CvBV-S51 with a size of 459 bp. A gene copy of CvBV2 was found on segment CvBV-S48, which we name CvBV2'. Gene duplication occurred in both genes, tandem gene duplication for CvBV1 and segmental duplication for CvBV2. Gene transcripts of the two genes were detected in hosts as early as 0.5 h post-parasitization (p.p.) and continued to be detected for six days, and tissue-specific expression patterns showed that they could be detected in the haemolymph and brain at 2 h p.p., suggesting that they could participate in early protection of parasitoid eggs from host cellular encapsulation.

The morphology and ultrastructure of testes and accessory glands along with the characterization of their secretions were investigated for a braconid species Cotesia vestalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) using light and electron microscopes. The male internal reproductive system of this species is distinguished by a pair of testes, one vas deferens, and a pair of male accessory glands. The testes are separate, and the accessory glands are oval and not fused. It was observed that the secretory cells of testes have characteristic smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and that the cytoplasm is filled with an array of granule droplets usually of two to three types. The secretory cells in the case of accessory glands are typified by the presence of microvilli on their apical cell surfaces and numerous mitochondria in their cytoplasm. SDS-PAGE profile when performed depicted a similarity in most bands of the secretions from both testes and accessory glands, except for four proteins of which two were present only in testes, while the other two only appeared in accessory glands. Their molecular weights were 117 and 55 kDa for testes and 196 and 30 kDa for accessory glands, respectively. This study gives new insights into the intriguing features of male internal reproductive system and it especially constitutes the first report of its kind about the secretion properties of these organs in C. vestalis.

The East Palaearctic species of the adeliine genus Paradelius De Saeger, 1942 are reviewed. The genus Sculptomyriola Belokobylskij, 1988 is synonymised with Paradelius and treated as its subgenus. The following species are transferred to subgenus Paradelius (Sculptomyriola): P. (Sc.) extremiorientalis (Belokobylskij, 1988), comb. nov. ; P. (Sc.) ghilarovi (Belokobylskij, 1988), comb. nov. ; P. (Sc.) neotropicalis Shimbori & Shaw, 2019; P. (Sc.) nigrus Whitfield, 1988; P. (Sc.) rubrus Whitfield, 1988; P. (Sc.) sinevi (Belokobylskij, 1998), comb. nov. A new species Paradelius (Sculptomyriola) koreanus sp. nov. from Korean Peninsula is described. The genus Sinadelius He & Chen, 2000 is synonymised with Paradelius De Saeger and also treated as its subgenus. The species Sinadelius guangxiensis He & Chen, 2000 and S. nigricans He & Chen, 2000 are transferred to Paradelius (Sinadelius) (comb. nov.). A key for determination of the World known Paradelius species from three its subgenera, Paradelius s.str., Sculptomyriola Belokobylskij and Sinadelius He & Chen, and illustrated redescriptions of the type of genus and its Asian species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]