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Many insects have evolved the ability to manipulate plant growth to generate extraordinary structures called galls, in which insect larva can develop while being sheltered and feeding on the plant. In particular, cynipid (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) wasps have evolved to form morphologically complex galls and generate an astonishing array of gall shapes, colors, and sizes. However, the biochemical basis underlying these remarkable cellular and developmental transformations remains poorly understood. A key determinant in plant cellular development is cell wall deposition that dictates the physical form and physiological function of newly developing cells, tissues, and organs. However, it is unclear to what degree cell walls are restructured to initiate and support the formation of new gall tissue. Here, we characterize the molecular alterations underlying gall development using a combination of metabolomic, histological, and biochemical techniques to elucidate how valley oak (Quercus lobata) leaf cells are reprogrammed to form galls. Strikingly, gall development involves an exceptionally coordinated spatial deposition of lignin and xylan to form de novo gall vasculature. Our results highlight how cynipid wasps can radically change the metabolite profile and restructure the cell wall to enable the formation of galls, providing insights into the mechanism of gall induction and the extent to which plants can be entirely reprogrammed to form unique structures and organs.

We present a short review of the biology, diagnostic characteristics, and invasiveness of the Oriental hornet, Vespa orientalis. We also performed an analysis of the shape of the forewings (geometric morphometrics) of different geographic groups along their native distribution and their potential geographical distribution using the MaxEnt entropy modeling. Our results show a wide potential expansion range of the species, including an increase in environmentally suitable areas in Europe, Asia, and Africa but more especially the Western Hemisphere, where the species was recently introduced. The geometric morphometric analysis of the forewings shows that there are three different morphogroups: one distributed along the Mediterranean coast of Europe and the Middle East (MEDI), another along the Arabian Peninsula and Western Asia but excluding the Mediterranean coast (MEAS), and one more in northern Africa north of the Sahara and south of the Mediterranean coast (AFRI), all of which show differences in their potential distribution as a result of the pressure from the different environments and which will also determine the capacity of the different morphogroups to successfully invade new habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, new wasp species and genera of Cynipidae have been described, and their species delimitation and evolutionary relationships have been supported using molecular markers. However, few studies have included comprehensive and extensive sampling of specimens across the complete distribution of a single genus. In this study, we analysed the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Amphibolips throughout its range using ultraconserved elements (UCEs). We collected 520 adult wasps from 401 sites in various geographic locations, predominantly in Mexico, and used 78 wasps for UCE analysis. Our results demonstrate that Amphibolips forms a monophyletic clade. Amphibolips can be further subdivided into four genetically well‐differentiated clades. Each clade had morphological traits that could be collectively characterised. Species delimitation using molecular sequencing highlights the taxonomic complexity involved in separating and assigning species using exclusively morphological criteria. This approach offers an opportunity to refine current morphological taxonomic criteria or propose new criteria to establish more accurate classifications. The rich diversity of host species and geographic regions in Mexico represents a biodiversity hotspot for Amphibolips. The number of undescribed species remains high. This study facilitates the determination of appropriate boundaries for putative new Amphibolips species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caffeic acid is a common phenolic acid found in coffee and numerous fruits and vegetables. Known for its antioxidant properties, it is widely used as a dietary supplement as part of a polyphenol mixture or as an extract in the form of a capsule or powder. It is also available in liquid form as a homeopathic supplement. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis produced by honey bees. Propolis extract is used as a supplement and is available in various forms. The present paper is a comprehensive review of the biomedical literature, showing that caffeic acid effects are hormetic and occur in numerous biological models and cell types for a broad range of endpoints including many aging-related processes. Hormesis is a biphasic dose/concentration response displaying a low concentration/dose stimulation and a high concentration/dose inhibition. Complex alternative search strategies for caffeic acid were used since publications rarely used the terms hormesis or hormetic. Evaluation of the data provides the first assessment of caffeic acid-induced hormetic concentration/dose responses and their quantitative features. Their mechanistic foundations, extrapolative strengths/limitations, and their biomedical, clinical, and public health implications are discussed. Suggestions for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eusocial "paper wasp" Polistes dominula is an invasive species that has successfully established worldwide. In the present study, we investigate the foraging behaviour of P. dominula wasps when revisiting previously gathered resources. We recorded the number of learning flights and food manipulation efficiency performed by a single target wasp during several consecutive collecting visits. Additionally, we analysed P. dominula relocating behaviour when dealing with changes in food position. We assessed whether wasps choose the previously visited dish containing food or opt for a novel baited dish placed 60 cm away. Then, we trained wasps to collect food either once or three times and compared the time taken to find the novel food position when it was displaced 60 cm away. This is the first study to demonstrate relocating behaviour in P. dominula in which wasps rapidly learned to return to certain food sites. A significant reduction in learning flights after only one collecting visit was observed. Likewise, wasps learned to manipulate the resource spending less time after each experience. Moreover, when two food sources were offered, after just one visit, the majority of wasps collected the resource from the previously rewarded dish. Furthermore, when food was displaced, foragers found the new food location more rapidly after one visit than after three consecutive collecting experiences. Our findings contribute to the understanding of P. dominula behavioural plasticity while collecting food sources in anthropized environments, which highlight the importance of considering such learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The life history of the Taiwanese spider wasp Minotocyphus formosanus (Pompilidae: Pepsinae) is reported, including the developmental process of the immature stages. The larva was attached by the spider wasp to the abdomen of the funnel-web spider Macrothele hungae (Mygalomorphae: Macrothelidae). In terms of mode of life, M. formosanus was established as a koinobiont ectoparasitoid. These biological findings are the first reports for not only the species M. formosanus, but also the genus Minotocyphus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fopius arisanus (Sonan) is an important egg–pupal endoparasitic wasp of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). As traditional method of sorting nonparasitic B. dorsalis from parasitic wasps is labor‐intensive, requires specific equipment and poses the risk of spreading fertile hosts, the development of a more convenient, economical and safe sorting procedure is important. Results: The optimal cyromazine emergence inhibition procedure (CEIP) involved facilitating the pupation of B. dorsalis mature larvae (Bdml) in 3 mg kg−1 cyromazine sand substrate (CSS) for 48 h. When the Bdml that had been exposed to F. arisanus during the egg stage were treated with 3–7 mg kg−1 CSS for 48 h, no negative effects on the emergence parameters of parasitoids were observed. Treatment with 3–4 mg kg−1 CSS had insignificant effects on the biological and behavioral parameters of F. arisanus. However, treatment with 5–6 mg kg−1 CSS adversely affected the fecundity and antennating activity of the wasps; specifically, 6 mg kg−1 CSS negatively affected the lifespan and flight ability of wasps. Fortunately, no transgenerational effects on these parameters were observed in the progeny. Regarding the nutrient reserves of both sexes of F. arisanus, significant dose‐dependent effects were observed. Moreover, 5–6 mg kg−1 CSS significantly reduced the protein and carbohydrate content in F. arisanus; in particular, 6 mg kg−1 CSS notably reduced the lipid content. Conclusion: CEIP provides a more flexible, economical and safe mass‐release program for F. arisanus. In addition, it has profound implications for the biological control of other dipteran pests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomy of the Egyptian species of digger wasps of the genus Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski, 1876 (Crabronidae: Philanthinae) was reviewed. Six species were recorded: Pseudoscolia dewitzi (Kohl, 1889), P. efflatouni (Mochi, 1939), P. pharaonum (Kohl, 1898), P. sinaitica (Mochi, 1939), P. soikae (Mochi, 1939), and P. spinulicollis (Mochi, 1939). Pseudoscolia berlandi (de Beaumont, 1949) was treated as a doubtful record in the present study until otherwise confirmed. The hitherto unknown male of P. efflatouni was described and illustrated. The male P. spinulicollis was also recorded for the second time after being first described by Pulawski (1964). A key to the Egyptian species was provided. Illustrations to all important characters of species under study were also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To detect the natural enemies of Scolytus rugulosus (Muller, 1818) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), which is harmful to cherry trees, parasitoid wasp specimens were collected during field studies in the Kemalpaşa district of Izmir, Türkiye, between 1993 and 1995. This study evaluated 89 bethylid specimens collected in field studies. The wasps were collected by beating branches of cherry trees and reared on S. rugulosus larvae. All collected specimens were identified, and as a result, two previously unreported Bethylidae species, Bethylus mandibularis (Kieffer, 1904) and Goniozus claripennis (Förster, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), were recorded from Türkiye. The newly recorded species are briefly described and illustrated. Additional records are provided for Cephalonomia hypobori Kieffer, 1919, already reported from Türkiye. The number of species now known from the country has increased from 14 to 16, belonging to 14 genera and four subfamilies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nesting and mating behaviours and the development time of Ammophila clavus (Fabricius), Ammophila globifrontalis Q.Li & Ch.Yang, and Ammophila laevigata F.Smith from Vietnam are presented. All three dig their nests in the ground. The nest entrance is round. The nest burrow is nearly vertical and ends with an elliptical cell. The cell contains 1–2 caterpillars. The egg is usually glued on the third abdominal segment of prey. The three wasps temporarily close their nest burrows just below the entrance when provisioning, but permanently close them above or at the nest cells when full provision is complete. As the last stage of nest construction, the nest entrance is camouflaged with small sticks and several pebbles. Males of both Ammophila clavus and Ammophila laevigata patrol nesting areas, pursue females searching for their nest sites, pounce upon them, and mate with them on the ground. The development time from egg to the emergence of adult wasps is more than one month, males always emerging before females. The nesting behaviour of the three Ammophila species is compared and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite significant advances in alpha level taxonomy in the past few decades, the higher‐level phylogeny of flat wasps (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) remains poorly explored. Herein we provide the first phylogenomic assessment of the family based on data from ultraconserved elements for 96 species in 61 genera of the family, with material from 29 countries and all biogeographic regions. Dataset cutoffs including ultraconserved element loci recovered for 50 and 70% of terminals resulted in matrices with 1513 and 451 loci, which were analysed in both parsimony and maximum likelihood frameworks. We also provide the first analyses of divergence dating for the family based on the calibration of 12 nodes. All analyses recovered the Bethylidae as a monophyletic group and estimated the origin of the family at around 143 Ma. The results suggest that all extant subfamilies had already diversified by the Late Cretaceous. All topologies suggest that Glenosema and Chilepyris form a clade separate from other Scleroderminae; owing to the morphological distinctiveness of each genus, we propose that they are accommodated in two new subfamilies, Glenoseminae subf. nov. and Chilepyrinae subf. nov. The monotypic sclerodermine genus Galodoxa was consistently recovered within Epyrinae and is transferred to the latter subfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects have evolved complex sensory systems that are important for feeding, defence and reproduction. Parasitoid wasps often spend much time and effort in searching for concealed hosts with the help of specialized sensilla. However, the early evolution of such behaviour and sensilla is poorly known. We describe two fossil female wasps, †Tichostephanus kachinensis sp. nov. and †Tichostephanus longus sp. nov., from mid‐Cretaceous Kachin amber. Phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data retrieved †Tichostephanus as deeply nested within Evanioidea and closely related to extant Gasteruptiidae and Evaniidae. Both of these Cretaceous wasps possess features, e.g. coronal tubercles and flexible ovipositor sheaths, that indicate that they might have laid eggs in wood where their larvae possibly parasitized insect larvae. They have a peculiar and unique 'bottle brush' of sensilla close to the apex of their ovipositor sheaths, which has not been observed in any extant parasitoid wasps. These sensilla comprise many regularly arranged plate‐shaped setae, attached in relatively large sockets and with rows of longitudinal ridges. Such specialized sensilla perhaps served to enhance the ability to detect hosts inside wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the parasitoid wasp genus Cratichneumon Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) from the Madrean Archipelago of southeastern Arizona and describe 11 new species: C. antichromus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. arussatus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. elongatus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. fossorius Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. igniferus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. luteus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. permagnus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. scabriculus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. symmixtus Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., C. tetragonops Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov., and C. warneri Claridge & Helcoski sp. nov. Cratichneumon russatus (Cresson, 1877) syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of C. astutus (Holmgren, 1868). New distribution records are presented for C. arizonensis (Viereck, 1905), C. astutus (Holmgren, 1868), and C. flaschkai Heinrich, 1973, extending their range far into the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. Despite the present advances, there are still significant unresolved questions. For instance, the females of 3 species remain unidentified, no biological information is known for any of the species, and our knowledge of the distribution of all species is undoubtedly highly fragmentary. The discovery of so many unknown Cratichneumon species in Arizona highlights the paucity of our knowledge of Ichneumoninae in western North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into traditional power grids introduces significant challenges in maintaining system stability, particularly in multi-area power systems. This study proposes a novel approach to load frequency control (LFC) in a two-area power system, where one area is powered by a PV grid and the other by a thermal generator. To enhance system performance, a cascaded control strategy combining a fractional-order proportional–integral (FOPI) controller and a proportional–derivative with filter (PDN) controller, FOPI(1+PDN), is introduced. The controller parameters are optimized using the spider wasp optimizer (SWO). Extensive simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the SWO-tuned FOPI(1+PDN) controller. The proposed method demonstrates superior performance in reducing frequency deviations and tie-line power fluctuations under various disturbances. The results are compared against other advanced optimization algorithms, each applied to the FOPI(1+PDN) controller. Additionally, this study benchmarks the SWO-tuned controller against recently reported control strategies that were optimized using different algorithms. The SWO-tuned FOPI(1+PDN) controller demonstrates superior performance in terms of faster response, reduced overshoot and undershoot, and better error minimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Computer Engineering & Applications is the property of Beijing Journal of Computer Engineering & Applications Journal Co Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Veterans experience higher risks of suicide and mental health disorders due to the traumas of military service, disabilities, and the difficulties of reassimilation into civilian life. Therapeutic interventions using humananimal interactions have shown promising results in reducing many risk factors affecting veterans' quality of life. This quality improvement project sought to consider if veterans participating in a recreational therapy program focused on beekeeping and administered by the Department of Veteran Affairs would experience quality of life improvements using a standardized EQ-5D-5L assessment. Our results indicate significant changes in mobility, anxiety/depression, and overall health for veterans participating in beekeeping as a recreational therapy. Implications for practice and future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of convergent phenotypes is of major interest in biology because of their omnipresence and ability to inform the study of evolutionary novelty and constraint. Convergent phenotypes can be combinations of traits that evolve concertedly, called syndromes, and these can be shaped by a common environmental pressure. Parasitoid wasps which use a wide variety of arthropod hosts have also repeatedly and convergently switched host use across their evolutionary history. They thus represent a natural laboratory for the evolution of trait syndromes that are associated with parasitism of specific hosts and host substrates. In this study, we tested the evolution of co-evolving characters in the highly diverse family Ichneumonidae associated with ovipositing in a specific and well-defined substrate: wood. Using a newly constructed phylogeny and an existing morphological dataset, we identified six traits correlated with the wood-boring lifestyle that demonstrate convergent evolution. At least one trait, the presence of teeth on the ovipositor, typically preceded the evolution of other traits and possibly the switch to parasitism of wood-boring hosts. For each trait, we provide a historical review of their associations with wood-boring parasitoids, reevaluate the function of some characters, and suggest future coding improvements. Overall, we demonstrate the convergent evolution of multiple traits associated with parasitism of woodboring hosts and propose a syndrome in a hyper diverse lineage of parasitoid wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternally-inherited symbionts can induce pre-mating and/or post-mating reproductive isolation between sympatric host lineages, and speciation, by modifying host reproductive phenotypes. The large parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia (Braconidae) includes a diversity of cryptic species, each specialized in parasitizing one to few related Lepidoptera host species. Here, we characterized the infection status of an assemblage of 21 Cotesia species from 15 countries by several microbial symbionts, as a first step toward investigating whether symbionts may provide a barrier to gene flow between these parasitoid host lineages. Results: The symbiotic microbes Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Microsporidium and Spiroplasma were not detected in the Cotesia wasps. However, the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia was present in at least eight Cotesia species, and hence we concentrated on it upon screening additional DNA extracts and SRAs from NCBI. Some of the closely related Cotesia species carry similar Wolbachia strains, but most Wolbachia strains showed patterns of horizontal transfer between phylogenetically distant host lineages. Conclusions: The lack of co-phylogenetic signal between Wolbachia and Cotesia suggests that the symbiont and hosts have not coevolved to an extent that would drive species divergence between the Cotesia host lineages. However, as the most common facultative symbiont of Cotesia species, Wolbachia may still function as a key-player in the biology of the parasitoid wasps. Its precise role in the evolution of this complex clade of cryptic species remains to be experimentally investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitoid larvae consume their hosts to obtain the nutritional resources required for their development. Parasitoid wasps can optimally select the size of their hosts by laying unfertilized and fertilized eggs according to the amount of biomass available for consumption by the larvae. However, parasitoids may eventually experience low host availability within the optimal range of body sizes, affecting the survival of their offspring. In this study, we identified a situation in which all available hosts (Leucauge volupis) were smaller than those previously observed to be parasitized by Hymenoepimecis pinheirensis at the same study site. Therefore, we investigated how these parasitoids can bypass the scarcity of ideal hosts. Female wasps biased their oviposition toward the largest L. volupis females available. In this suboptimal scenario, they did not oviposit only unfertilized eggs, which developed into relatively small offspring (males). In this situation, they lay fertilized eggs mainly on larger spiders. Larval mortality was high, but the larvae attached to the larger spiders were more likely to complete their development. In general, H. pinheirensis females managed to target the best hosts available but could not delay the oviposition of fertilized eggs or avoid offspring mortality. Here, we discuss the potential causes of asynchronies in the life cycles of parasitoid wasps and their hosts, the availability of optimal hosts, and how these factors may affect their populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Batesian mimicry often eliciting predator avoidance, many Batesian mimics, such as some species of hoverfly (Syrphidae), are considered to have an "imperfect" resemblance to their model. One possible explanation for the persistence of apparently imperfect mimicry is that human perceptions of mimicry are different from those of natural predators. Natural predators of hoverflies have different visual and cognitive systems from humans, and they may encounter mimics in a different way. For example, whilst humans often encounter hoverflies at rest on vegetation, or in photographs or textbooks, where they are typically viewed from above, natural predators may approach hoverflies from the side or below. To test how viewing angle affects the perception of mimicry, images of mimetic hoverflies and their models (wasps and bees) were shown from different angles in an online survey. Participants were asked to distinguish between the images of models and mimics. The results show that the viewing angle does affect perceived mimicry in some species, although it does not provide a complete explanation for the persistence of imperfect mimicry in nature. The effect is also highly species-specific. This suggests that to understand better how selection has shaped mimetic accuracy in hoverflies and other taxa, further study is required of the viewing angles that predators utilize most commonly in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caste plasticity is an essential trait in social insects, and it facilitates the allocation of individuals in different tasks according to population demands in the colony (e.g. workers can become queens upon loss or death of their "original queen"). The process of caste determination can take place in immature stages (preimaginal) or through adult stages (imaginal). Neotropical social wasp tribe Epiponini has both types of caste determination process and is thus a fascinating group to study caste plasticity. We performed queen removal tests in five Epiponini species with preimaginal and imaginal caste determination to better understand caste plasticity and queen selection processes. Queen absence stimulates the establishment of new reproductive females in Chartergellus and Metapolybia (imaginal), while females in Protopolybia (preimaginal) attempt to lay eggs even in the presence of their "original queen". Contrary to what has been hypothesized, we found that age is not a predictive factor in the female's potential to become a queen. Caste flexibility seems to be a crucial trait which aids Epiponini tropical colonies to survive, as it allows the colony to replace lost workers and queens promptly until a new generation of wasps can emerge. Highlights: Epiponini wasps presented caste flexibility since workers of different ages could replace queens in the case of they lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis, is a serious maize pest in Southeast Asia, responsible for substantial economic losses to the maize crop every year. To establish insect biocontrol programmes, it is crucial to determine the ideal numbers and developmental stage of natural enemies to release. The purpose of the present study was to assess the parasitism ability of Trichogramma dendrolimi and Trichogramma ostriniae, which are the most promising biocontrol agents of the ACB, under two different methods of inundative release in maize fields. A total of 10,000 wasps of both species were released using two different methods, i.e. wasps at the same developmental stage (SDS) and wasps at different developmental stages (DDS). The results showed that T. dendrolimi wasps exhibited significantly higher parasitism of ACB eggs when they were released with the DDS method than when they were released with the SDS method. In the SDS release method, T. dendrolimi parasitized ACB eggs for only 3 days after release, while in the DDS release method, parasitism of ACB eggs occurred for 6 days. However, the two release methods had no significant impact on the performance of T. ostriniae in maize fields. In both release methods, T. ostriniae parasitized a high percentage of ACB eggs. The results of the present study clearly indicate that the poor field performance of T. dendrolimi due to the host-age factor can be improved using the DDS release method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2023 several primary nests of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax Buysson, 1905 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) were found in Landen, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant. Later, during October and November, secondary nests were found 300 m from the primary nests, the larvae and pupae of which were examined microscopically. A part of their anatomical structure, in particular the head, is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcidid wasps are a diverse group of insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera and family Chalcididae. They are natural biocontrol agents for many agricultural and forestry pests. The present study was undertaken from 2021 to 2023. The objective of this study was to document the Chalcididae diversity from the Chhattisgarh region. Based on this study, the first checklist of chalcidid wasps from Chhattisgarh state is prepared. In total, 71 species of chalcidid wasps were collected from 11 genera falling under four subfamilies. The chalcidid wasps identified belonged to the subfamilies, Chalcidinae, Dirhininae, Epitraninae and Haltichellinae of which, subfamily Haltichellinae was found to be most predominant. The results of this preliminary study shed light on the hidden biodiversity of chalcidid wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most bee stings are not life-threatening. Bee venom often causes local, mild allergic reactions in people, but even a single bee sting may induce a fatal anaphylactic reaction. Usually, anaphylactic reaction is the cause of death, but, when a child suffers multiple stings (more than 30), direct toxicity of venom can also be fatal. A three-year-old male child was brought to the hospital with pain, swelling and redness at the sting sites. He had more than 35 stings at various sites over his face, on his tongue and over his body. He died 10 hours after the incidence of the honey bee stings and was maintaining oxygen saturation until the terminal stage of his life. At autopsy, the honey bee sting sites showed redness, swelling and a small effusion of blood surrounding the stinger tracks. On the tongue two stingers were found in situ. Facial puffiness and eyelid swelling, along with congested organs, were also found, but features suggestive of anaphylactic death like airway oedema, mucous plug or cyanosis were absent. Hospital treatment records show that blood pressure remained low with tachycardia despite treatment. Having regard for all the evidence it was concluded that death was due to multiple honey bee stings that caused direct venom toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host selection behaviour plays a pivotal role in determining the success of parasitoids, especially in environments where host quality varies. In heterogeneous environments, parasitoids frequently encounter hosts that are infected.We conducted experiments to ascertain whether the ecto‐parasitoid Bracon brevicornis can differentiate between healthy caterpillars and those infected with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and examined the implications of this host selection behaviour.In an olfactometer choice assay, B. brevicornis avoided Bt‐infected Spodoptera litura hosts. In a no‐choice assay, the female parasitoid displayed a lower paralysis rate on infected hosts, indicating a strong selection behaviour. Furthermore, we explored the impact of infection duration by exposing female wasps to larvae infected for 24, 48 and 72 h with Bt. Both choice and no‐choice assays demonstrated that female B. brevicornis refrains from ovipositing on infected larvae, regardless of the infection duration.Direct exposure to Bt through consumption did not affect the fitness of the tested parasitoid wasp. However, post‐24‐h Bt infection, host larvae showed an increased total hemocyte density, particularly high phagocytic cell numbers, and enhanced melanization, rendering the host larva unsuitable for parasitoid development.Taken together, our study underscores that parasitoids exhibit robust host selection behaviour by actively avoiding infected hosts. This insight is valuable for devising new pest control strategies in agriculture that safeguard beneficial parasitoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Indonesia, the rapid expansion of oil palm and rubber plantations replaces large areas of tropical rainforest. Rainforest transformation alters the diversity and composition of parasitoid wasp communities, but appropriate management strategies to buffer their decline in rainforest transformation landscapes are not yet developed.Here, we studied the effects of rainforest conversion to smallholder rubber and oil palm plantations on parasitoid wasp species richness, abundance and species composition. We also conducted a flowering vegetation enrichment experiment using the flowering weed Asystasia gangetica in all land‐uses to investigate potential mitigation effects on parasitoid wasp diversity and composition.Rainforest transformation to rubber plantations caused a large decrease in species richness (46%) and abundance (59%) of parasitoid wasps. Community structure of parasitoid wasps differed between forest and monoculture habitats with more habitat‐specialised species in forest and a higher proportion of common species in the monoculture.The experimental flowering vegetation enrichment increased parasitoid wasp species richness by 18% and abundance by 127%. Enrichment also enhanced the presence of unique parasitoid species in plantation and furthermore increased differences in community composition between rainforest and plantations. However, the enrichment experiment was confounded by time, meaning that a multi‐year experiment with targeted controls is necessary for statistically more reliable statements.Our study shows the effect of rainforest transformation to oil palm and rubber plantations on parasitoid wasp communities. Although providing additional flowering vegetation in plantations seems to potentially mitigate diversity loss, further research is needed to confirm and to investigate the mechanisms how flowering plants alleviate negative effects of rainforest transformation on parasitoid communities. Thereby, efficient conservation strategies for parasitoids wasps and their biological control services can be developed for rapidly changing tropical landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have highlighted the significant role of complement activation in kidney injuries induced by rhabdomyolysis, intravascular hemolysis, sepsis, and ischemia-reperfusion. Nevertheless, the specific role and mechanism of complement activation in acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by wasp venom remain unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the specific complement pathway activated and investigate complement activation in AKI induced by wasp venom. In this study, a complement-depleted mouse model was used to investigate the role of complement in wasp venom-induced AKI. Mice were randomly categorized into control, cobra venom factor (CVF), AKI, and CVF + AKI groups. Compared to the AKI group, the CVF + AKI group showed improved pathological changes in kidneys and reduced blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The expression levels of renal complement 3 (C3), complement 5 (C5), complement 1q (C1q), factor B (FB), mannose-binding lectin (MBL), and C5b-9 in AKI group were upregulated compared with the control group. Conversely, the renal tissue expression levels of C3, C5, C1q, FB, MBL, and C5b-9 were decreased in the CVF + AKI group compared to those in the AKI group. Complement activation occurs through all three pathways in AKI induced by wasp venom. Furthermore, complement depletion by CVF attenuates wasp venom-induced nephrotoxicity, suggesting that complement activation plays a primary role in the pathogenesis of wasp venom-induced AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Although China has a long history of using insects as food and medicine and has developed numerous associated knowledge and practices, especially in its rural and mountainous areas, systematic surveys concerning this subject are limited. In-depth ethnobiological research is needed to compile a comprehensive database of edible and medicinal insects and record the associated knowledge of these food and medicinal resources. Methods Data on edible and medicinal insects and associated knowledge about them were collected by interviewing 216 local villagers in a mountainous territory in southeast Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Results Local villagers used at least 16 edible and 9 medicinal insects, of which 4 wasp species were used in both entomophagy and medicinal practices. Parapolybia varia, Polistes olivaceus, and Anomala chamaeleon were newly recorded edible insects in China. The wasps, Euconocephalus sp., Gryllotalpa orientalis, and Cyrtotrachelus longimanus, were preferred and culturally important edible insects. Populations of Euconocephalus sp. and G. orientalis were reported to have substantially decreased in recent years. Wasps and a bamboo bee were used to treat rheumatism, while cockroaches and antlions were used to treat common cold symptoms in infants. Insect-related knowledge was positively correlated with the interviewees’ age. Conclusions Villagers have accumulated considerable local and traditional knowledge of entomophagy and entomo-therapeutic practices. However, this knowledge is in danger of being lost, which highlights the urgent need to document this information. Edible insects enrich local diets, and a more sustainable supply (such as through insect farming) could maintain local entomophagy practices. Medicinal insects are a part of local folk medicine, and pharmacological and chemical techniques could be applied to identify various biologically active substances in these insects.

An essential adaptive strategy in insects is the evolution of olfactory receptors (ORs) to recognize important volatile environmental chemical cues. Our model species, Ceratosolen fusciceps, a specialist wasp pollinator of Ficus racemosa, likely possesses an OR repertoire that allows it to distinguish fig‐specific volatiles in highly variable environments. Using a newly assembled genome‐guided transcriptome, we annotated 63 ORs in the species and reconstructed the phylogeny of Ceratosolen ORs in conjunction with other hymenopteran species. Expression analysis showed that though ORs were mainly expressed in the female antennae, 20% were also expressed in nonantennal tissues such as the head, thorax, abdomen, legs, wings, and ovipositor. Specific upregulated expression was observed in OR30C in the head and OR60C in the wings. We identified OR expression from all major body parts of female C. fusciceps, suggesting novel roles of ORs throughout the body. Further examination of the OR expression of C. fusciceps in widely separated geographical locations, that is, South (urban) and Northeast (rural) India, revealed distinct OR expression levels in different locations. This discrepancy likely parallels the observed variation in fig volatiles between these regions and provides new insights into the evolution of insect ORs and their expression across geographical locations and tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild biodiversity is usually larger in semi-natural habitats than in croplands, but this pattern is not ubiquitous because it varies among taxa and geographic regions. Knowing how the diversity of natural enemies is structured at the landscape level is important to better understand when semi-natural habitats promote the conservation of natural enemies and ultimately enhance biocontrol. We explore the relative influence of agricultural abandonment and the proportion of semi-natural habitats at the landscape level on the diversity and abundance of parasitoid wasps in the Ichneumonidae family. We studied changes in parasitoid diversity both at local and regional scales (i.e. alpha vs beta diversity), and both at the taxonomic and functional level (i.e. species vs guild identities). We extracted landscape features in circular buffers of varying radii to perform a multi-scale analysis, and to assess at which scale landscape-level effects influenced parasitoid assemblages. We found that parasitoid alpha and beta diversity decreased with an increasing proportion of semi-natural habitats. The multi-scale analysis revealed that for this group of natural enemies, landscape-level effects occur at mid to low distances (i.e. less than 500m). Our results provide insights into the origin of pest natural enemies, their spillover to croplands, and may help to understand under which circumstances semi-natural habitats fail at promoting biocontrol services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Venoms have repeatedly evolved over 100 occasions throughout the animal tree of life, making them excellent systems for exploring convergent evolutionary novelty. Growing evidence supports that venom evolution is predominantly driven by prey or host-related selection pressures, and the expression patterns of venom glands reflect adaptive evolution. However, it remains elusive whether the evolution of expression patterns in venom glands is likewise a convergent evolution driven by their prey/host species. Results: We utilized parasitoid wasps that had independently adapted to Drosophila hosts as models to investigate the convergent evolution of venom gland transcriptomes in 19 hymenopteran species spanning ~ 200 million years of evolution. Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals that the global expression patterns among the venom glands of Drosophila parasitoid wasps do not achieve higher similarity compared to non-Drosophila parasitoid wasps. Further evolutionary analyses of expression patterns at the single gene, orthogroup, and Gene Ontology (GO) term levels indicate that some orthogroups/GO terms show correlation with the Drosophila parasitoid wasps. However, these groups rarely include genes highly expressed in venom glands or putative venom genes in the Drosophila parasitoid wasps. Conclusions: Our study suggests that convergent evolution may not play a predominant force shaping gene expression levels in the venom gland of the Drosophila parasitoid wasps, offering novel insights into the co-evolution between venom and prey/host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibiofilm and antimicrobial properties of tropical honey types including Malaysian stingless bee honey remain explicitly unexplored when compared with Apies honey. The antibiofilm and antimicrobial activities of the Malaysian Trigona honey were characterized with two stinging bee honey types (Centaurea hyalolepis and Citrus honeys) from Jordan. The antibiofilm and antimicrobial investigations were conducted on a set of seven microbial strains; five bacterial species of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883, and two fungal strains Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Candida krusei ATCC 14243. The antimicrobial investigations revealed a broad spectrum activity for Trigona honey against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains over the two honey types. One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference (p < 0.001) in the zone of inhibition ranging from 9 to 25 mm and minimum inhibition activity (MIC) ranged from 9.4–29.6% (w/v) against the microbial strains. Moreover, the addition of honey to established biofilms has induced a degradation activity in the biofilm mass. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant biofilm degradation proportion (p < 0.001) ranging from 1.3% to 91.3% following treatment with Trigona honey and the other honey types in relevance to the concentration ranging from 10% to 50% (w/v). Moreover, the antibiofilm activity was highly consistent with MIC affecting bacterial growth inhibition. In conclusion, a robust antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity for Trigona stingless bee honey over the stinging bee Centaurea hyalolepis and Citrus honeys is noticed which endows the usage of Trigona honey in the antimicrobial industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Death feigning, a state of immobility observed in many animals in response to external stimuli, is an anti-predator behaviour. Although previous studies showed that death-feigning behaviours are quantitative genetic traits, the knowledge of the heritable basis of death-feigning behaviour is lacking. To investigate the heritable basis of death-feigning behaviour, we used 3 laboratory strains of a braconid parasitoid wasp, Heterospilus prosopidis. The heritable basis using half-sib analysis, and the effects of different geographical backgrounds, rearing conditions in the laboratory, and host age were evaluated. The results of the half-sib analysis showed that the frequency of death feigning varied among sires, suggesting a certain extent of additive genetic variance. Also, the frequency of death feigning varied between geographical backgrounds and among strains. Death-feigning frequency was not affected by the age of the host. Our findings highlight the importance of genetic factors underlying the basis of the death-feigning behaviour and provide support for the genetic alterations of traits from the perspective of evolution in various animal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to collect Chalcidoidea in Bingöl province in eastern Türkiye between 2019 and 2023. Four additional records were found in three families within the superfamily Chalcidoidea: Eurytoma rosae Nees, 1834 (Eurytomidae); Ormyrus gratiosus (Förster, 1860) and O. orientalis Walker, 1871 (Ormyridae) and Perilampus ruficornis (Fabricius, 1793) (Perilampidae). Furthermore, distribution maps, collecting locations, and images of the species that have been documented were provided. Finally, a revised checklist is given for Turkish Eurytomidae, Ormyridae, and Perilampidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued use and development of new insecticides are seen as a necessary part of modern agriculture, but insecticides, even at sublethal levels, may also affect beneficial non‐target species, such as pollinators, predators, and parasitic wasps. Here, we studied sublethal effects of four insecticides – acetamiprid, dimethoate, flupyradifurone, and sulfoxaflor – all targeting cholinergic neurons in insects, on sexual communication and olfactory host finding in the parasitic wasp Lariophagus distinguendus (Förster) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). We found that all four insecticides reduced, at least at one of the tested sublethal doses, pheromone‐mediated courtship behaviour (wing fanning) in males and the mating frequency of treated wasps. Treated females no longer preferred host‐associated kairomones. This suggests that the olfactory sense of the wasps is hampered by sublethal insecticide doses. The lowest bioactive doses tested in the bioassays were 0.021 ng for sulfoxaflor and 0.105 ng for acetamiprid, dimethoate, and flupyradifurone. These low amounts are field realistic and might be taken up by the wasps, e.g., by feeding contaminated plant nectar. Exposure to these compounds likely compromises the important ecosystem service provided by parasitic wasps as natural enemies in terrestrial ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sampling nests of yellow jackets, Vespula spp. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), represent a particular challenge due to the danger involved in working with live colonies of a potentially aggressive venomous super‐organism. Here, we report on sampling methods using a petrol‐driven leaf blower/vacuum and a battery‐powered vacuum to sample returning Vespula germanica (Fabricius) foragers at their nest entrance. These methods make the sampling of returning foragers at the nest more efficient and convenient and represent a low‐risk approach to sampling. Applications include prey analysis and genetic sampling that can be done destructively or non‐destructively depending on the geographic location. We sampled 15 nests using the two‐stroke vacuum apparatus and collected on average (±SD) 454 ± 271 wasps per nest. We believe that the petrol‐driven vacuum collection apparatus we designed is a useful method for collecting a large number of social wasp foragers returning to a single‐nest entrance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 2024, the ficus whitefly Singhiella simplex (Singh, 1931) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was first reported in a tropical greenhouse and inside a private house in Northern Italy (Vertemate con Minoprio and Monza, respectively – Lombardy Region). The observed ficus whiteflies caused severe defoliation on different Ficus species including Ficus benjamina and Ficus retusa. Several third and fourth larval instars of Singhiella simplex were associated with the parasitoid wasp Encarsia hispida De Santis, 1948 (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Morphological and molecular analyses were performed to identify both S. simplex and E. hispida. Based on current knowledge, this is the first report of the ficus whitefly in Northern Italy as well as the first observation of its association with the parasitoid wasp E. hispida in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social insects have developed different nest defence strategies; for example, social wasps use nonaggressive mechanisms or aggressiveness, including stinging. This subject has been widely examined in the literature, and it may help improve our understanding of wasps' ecology. The nesting behaviour of some genera is still poorly known. In this paper, we report new information on the nesting behaviour of the species Clypearia in different Brazilian biomes. We observed six nesting events in natural and anthropic environments of the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic forest, and Cerrado domains, sporadically from 2004 to 2022. From our observations, we suggest that Clypearia nest defence includes (i) preference for nest camouflage rather than aggressive behaviour; (ii) selection of nesting sites close to water sources in natural or anthropic environments, and eventually obtaining food from the substrate; (iii) nesting association with ants for mutual protection against predators; and (iv) variations in the nests' height. Our records suggest nest camouflage and association with ants are strategies for nest defence. These may have influenced nest height in relation to the ground, which may also vary according to the environment explored by the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex pheromones are considered to play critical roles in partner communication of most parasitic Hymenoptera. However, the identification of sex pheromone components remains limited to a few families of parasitoid wasps. In this study, we functionally characterized a candidate sex pheromone component in Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a solitary parasitoid of Noctuidae insects. We found that the body surface extract from female wasps could significantly stimulate courtship behavior of males. Gas chromatography‐electroantennographic detection (GC‐EAD) analysis revealed that a candidate semiochemical from extract triggered significant electrophysiological response of antennae of males. By performing gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) measurement, GC‐EAD active compound was identified as n‐octyl acrylate, a candidate sex pheromone component in female M. mediator. In electroantennogram (EAG) tests, antennae of male wasps showed significantly higher electrophysiological responses to n‐octyl acrylate than those of females. Y‐tube olfactometer assays indicated that male wasps significantly chose n‐octyl acrylate compared with the control. Furthermore, male wasps showed a remarkable preference for n‐octyl acrylate in a simulated field condition behavioral trial; simultaneously, n‐octyl acrylate standard could also trigger significant courtship behavior in males. We propose that n‐octyl acrylate, as a candidate vital sex pheromone component, could be utilized to design behavioral regulators of M. mediator to implement the protection and utilization of natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wasps are understudied in their contribution to pollination services. In order to better understand the ecological contribution of wasp communities to plant pollination, we conducted three studies to compare bees and wasps by (1) the plant communities visited in agricultural and prairie environments, (2) body pollen composition as an indirect measure of pollination and (3) a single‐visit deposition study as a direct measure of pollination in the plant species complex Solidago canadensis.We found wasps visit a distinct early‐blooming exotic plant community from bees but have overlapping use of late‐blooming native plants and similar network interaction metrics. This suggests wasps may fill an ecological niche distinct from bees, while also serving as common native plant visitors. We also found that body pollen density and pollen fidelity in four and five (out of six) wasp families, respectively, were comparable to or greater than the bee family Colletidae. Three wasp families also showed comparable to or greater visit fidelity than two (out of five) bee families examined. These results suggest wasps may carry and potentially deliver substantial pollen to specific plants. In addition, controlled single‐visit deposition revealed the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus deposits a similar amount of pollen grains as the bumble bee Bombus impatiens, suggesting surprisingly high pollination efficiency that warrants further investigation.Our multi‐pronged study shows the importance of investigating the role of wasps as pollinators, especially by focusing on direct plant‐pollination metrics to determine wasp pollination efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinating fig wasps are believed to adjust their sex ratios according to standard local mate competition (LMC) theory.Standard LMC theory assumes that all mothers ovipositing in a patch or fig does so simultaneously. However, it has been shown that fig wasps can oviposit sequentially.We counted the number of figs containing dead and living mothers in figs where mothers entered naturally to estimate the incidence of sequential and simultaneous oviposition.Single mothers were the norm in two wasp species, and multiple mothers the norm in the other two. However, contrary to LMC theory, in all four species, when multiple mothers occurred, sequential oviposition seems to occur more frequently than simultaneous oviposition.The sex allocation problem fig wasp mothers face is thus more complicated than the widely assumed simultaneous ovipositing situation, and it leads to several expectations. Single mother's sex ratios should increase as the probability of additional mothers increases. Naturally founded multi‐mother figs should have more female‐biased sex ratios than the standard LMC model predicts for the final number of mothers. This is because early‐arriving mothers underestimate the number of mothers and lay more daughters than the final number of mothers would require and later‐arriving mothers can lay fewer sons to be competitive against the first mothers' too female‐biased clutches.Mothers must produce sex ratios that are optimised across a probabilistic range of foundress densities they experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social wasps play an important role in controlling agricultural pests. The present study aimed to investigate the differences in abundance, species richness and composition of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) between a Cerrado legal reserve, edge and agricultural matrix in an agricultural farm in Mato Grosso, Brazil. We delimited three transects and used Malaise traps which remained active for 48 hours, and were distributed equidistant over five distances from the edge to the legal reserve and agricultural matrix. In total, we collected 618 individuals and 31 species of social wasps. Our results showed that social wasp abundance was similar between the legal reserve and agricultural matrix during three stages and species richness only non-cropping stage. A similar pattern was observed for composition similarity, which presented a lower value between the legal reserve and agricultural matrix during the non-cropping stage. Our results indicate that although monoculture areas can offer food resources and be attractive to social wasps during the active cropping stages, these areas cannot host and conserve the diversity of social wasps. Legal reserve areas, for maintaining the diversity and ecosystem services provided by social wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amber captures a snapshot of life and death from millions of years in the past. Here, the fate of three fossil Darwin wasps in Baltic amber is virtually dissected with the help of micro-CT scanning, to better understand the taphonomic processes that affected their preservation. The states of the fossils range from nearly perfect preservation, including remains of internal organs, to empty casts that were strongly affected by decomposition. We describe the three specimens as new taxa, Osparvis aurorae gen. et sp. nov., Grana harveydenti gen. et sp. nov. and Xorides? romeo sp. nov. Based on the taphonomic and morphological interpretations, we conclude that two specimens were trapped alive, and the third ended up in resin post-mortem. The morphology and classification of the specimens provide clues regarding their ecology, and we discuss their likely hosts and parasitation modes. Taken together, our three wasp fossils showcase how an integrative analysis of amber taphonomy, taxonomic association and morphology can shed light onto past biodiversity and offer valuable insights for interpreting their evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species richness is one of the fundamental metrics of biodiversity. Estimating species richness helps spotlight taxonomic groups that are particularly under-studied, such as the highly diverse Darwin wasps. The only available estimate of the number of Darwin wasps in the Afrotropics proposed almost 11,000 species, compared to the 2,322 recorded species. However, it relied exclusively on the ratio of morphospecies to described species in Henry Townes' personal collection. We provide an updated estimate of the Afrotropical Darwin wasp species, using empirical data from multiple sources, including the increase in species numbers following generic revisions, morphospecies sorting in natural history collections, and diversity patterns of better-studied insects (butterflies) for extrapolation. Our analyses suggest that our knowledge of Darwin wasps is highly incomplete, with only 13–22% of species known in the five most extensively studied countries in the Afrotropics. We estimate 9,206–15,577 species of Darwin wasps within the entire Afrotropics, with the highest concentration expected in the Equatorial Afrotropics and Madagascar. Due to data constraints, our approach tends to underestimate diversity at each step, rendering the upper estimate (15,577 species) more realistic. We highlight reasons contributing to the gap between recorded and estimated species richness, including logistical and financial factors, as well as post-colonial influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]