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This study characterizes the chromosomal organization of DNA repetitive sequences and the karyotypic evolution in four representatives of the solitary wasp genus Trypoxylon using conventional and molecular cytogenetic techniques. Our findings present the first cytogenetic data for Trypoxylon rogenhoferi (2n = 30) and Trypoxylon albonigrum (2n = 32), while the karyotypes of Trypoxylon nitidum (2n = 30) and Trypoxylon lactitarse (2n = 30) were similar to those previously described. Fluorochrome staining and microsatellite distribution data revealed differences in the constitutive heterochromatin composition among species. Trypoxylon nitidum and T. albonigrum exhibited one major rDNA cluster, potentially representing an ancestral pattern for aculeate Hymenoptera, while T. rogenhoferi and T. lactitarse showed two pericentromeric rRNA gene sites, suggesting amplification events in their ancestral clade. The (TCAGG)n motif hybridized in the terminal regions of the chromosomes in all four Trypoxylon species, which may suggest that this sequence represents DNA telomeric repeat. Notably, the presence of this repetitive sequence in the centromeric regions of certain chromosome pairs in two species supports the hypothesis of chromosomal fusions or inversions in the ancestral karyotype of Trypoxylon. The study expands the chromosomal mapping data of repetitive sequences in wasps and offers insights into the dynamic evolutionary landscape of karyotypes in these insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmorphus declivis Harttig 1932 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) is discovered in two localities in central Italy after 80 years since the first and only Italian record. The global distribution is revised and summarized, and ecological notes and DNA barcoding are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic study on the Afrotropical genera Afrepipona Giordani Soika, 1965 and Afrepsilon gen. nov. is presented. Twenty new species are described, of which 15 are in Afrepipona (Afrepipona anomala sp. nov., Afrepipona cellularis sp. nov., Afrepipona clonata sp. nov., Afrepipona cuprea sp. nov., Afrepipona lamellata sp. nov., Afrepipona lamptula sp. nov., Afrepipona lobulata sp. nov., Afrepipona meridionalis sp. nov., Afrepipona occidentalis sp. nov., Afrepipona orientalis sp. nov., Afrepipona punctatissima sp. nov., Afrepipona scabra sp. nov., Afrepipona segregata sp. nov., Afrepipona ulterior sp. nov., Afrepipona vulcanica sp. nov.) and five are in Afrepsilon (Afrepsilon aterrimum gen. et sp. nov., Afrepsilon ferrugineoaureum gen. et sp. nov., Afrepsilon hybridum gen. et sp. nov., Afrepsilon minor gen. et sp. nov., and Afrepsilon pictum gen. et sp. nov.). Afrepipona lamptoensis Giordani Soika, 1965 is withdrawn from synonymy with A. angusta (de Saussure, 1863) and subsequently revalidated. Afrepipona unifasciata Gusenleitner, 2012 is transferred to the genus Antodynerus de Saussure, 1855 (Antodynerus unifasciatus comb. nov.). Keys to all known species are provided.

Species of the potter wasp genus Allorhynchium van der Vecht (Eumeninae: Odynerini) occurring in Vietnam are presented. Seven species have been recorded from Vietnam. Of them, three species are described as new to science: Allorhynchium latum Nguyen, Tran & MT Nguyen, sp. nov., A. moerum Nguyen & AD Nguyen, sp. nov., and A. setosum Nguyen & Engel, sp. nov., and one species, A. argentatum (Fabricius, 1804), is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. An updated key to the Oriental species of the genus is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common debate on the value of citizen science projects is the accuracy of data collected and the validity of conclusions drawn. Sow Wild! was a hypothesis-driven citizen science project that investigated the benefits of sowing a 4 m2 mini-meadow in private gardens and allotments to attract beneficial insects. The use of researcher-verified specimenbased methods (pan traps, yellow sticky traps) and observational insect watches allowed investigation of potential bias in identification skills and sampling methods conducted by citizen scientists. For bumblebees and honeybees, identification of pan trap insect specimens was similar between researchers and citizen scientists, but solitary bees were possibly misidentified as social wasps or hoverflies. Key results of the Sow Wild! project differed between specimen-based and observation-only data sets, probably due to unconscious bias, such that incorrect conclusions may have been drawn if we had relied solely on observations made by citizen scientists without detailed training. Comparing the efficiency of sampling methods, insect watches produced the most insect observations overall. Yellow sticky traps collected more solitary wasps, social wasps, hoverflies and honeybees than pan traps. There was also variation in the abundance of insects caught according to the four pan trap colours. While all of these sampling methods can be successfully incorporated into citizen science projects to monitor a range of flying insects in urban landscapes, we recommend that verification of data by taxonomic experts is a valuable component of hypothesis-led citizen science projects, and increased training is required if target taxa include less conspicuous insect groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to investigate the taxonomic significance of wing phenotypic variations (size and shape) for classifying potter wasps. This is the first study investigating the wing size and shape variations, as well as wing asymmetry, sexual dimorphism, wing integration, and phylogenetic signal analysis of all known Antodynerus species from the Indian subcontinent: A. flavescens, A. limbatus, and A. punctatipennis. We used forewings and hindwings for geometric morphometric analysis, and we proved that each species’ wing had unique size and shape variations, as well as significant right–left wing asymmetry and sexual dimorphism across the Antodynerus species, as verified by discriminant function analysis. Wings of Vespidae are longitudinally folded; based on that, we tested two alternative wing modular hypotheses for evaluating the wing integration, using two subsets organization, such as anterior–posterior (AP) and proximal-distal (PD) wing modular organization. We proved that Antodynerus species wings are highly integrated units (RV > 0.5), and we rejected our hypothesis at p 0.05) phylogenetic signal in forewing size, hindwing shape, and size. We observed that the Antodynerus species’ forewing shape is evolutionarily more highly constrained than the hindwing. We found that A. limbatus and A. flavescens with distinct geographical distribution share a similar evolutionary history, while A. punctatipennis evolved independently.

Four new species are described: Pseudepipona (Deuterepipona) kostylevi Fateryga, sp. nov. (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan), P. (D.) nikolayi Fateryga, sp. nov. (Kazakhstan), P. (D.) popovi Fateryga, sp. nov. (Turkmenistan), and P. (D.) vladimiri Fateryga, sp. nov. (Kazakhstan). A new synonymy is proposed: Pseudepipona (Deuterepipona) superba (Morawitz, 1867) = P. (D.) tricolor Gusenleitner, 1976, syn. nov. Lectotypes are designated for two species: Pseudepipona (Deuterepipona) herzi (Morawitz, 1895) and P. (D.) superba. Two species, both not occurring in the region under study, are transferred to the subgenus Deuterepipona from the nominotypical one: Pseudepipona (Deuterepipona) priesneri Gusenleitner, 1970 and P. (D.) pseudominuta Gusenleitner, 1971. An identification key to all six species of the subgenus Deuterepipona from Central Asia is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect pollinators are suffering global declines, necessitating the evaluation and development of methods for long-term monitoring and applied field research. Accordingly, this study evaluated the use of trap nests (“bee hotels”) as tools for investigating the ecology of cavity nesting Hymenoptera within Irish agricultural landscapes. Three trap nests consisting of 110 mm diameter plastic pipe containing 100 cardboard nest tubes of varying diameter were placed at eight apple orchards and eight oilseed rape sites and left in the field for five months. Sealed nest tubes occurred at 15 of the 16 sites, and in 77% of the 48 nests. However, only 7% of the 4800 individual nest tubes were sealed, and only 4% produced cavitynesting Hymenoptera. Three cavity nesting bee species (Hylaeus communis, Osmia bicornis, Megachile versicolor) and two solitary wasp species (Ancistrocerus trifasciatus, A. parietinus) emerged from nest tubes. There were significant differences among species in terms of emergence date and the diameter of nest tubes from which they emerged, the latter allowing the calculation of niche width and niche overlap, and informing choice of tube size in future studies/conservation efforts. Trap nests, therefore, offer a valuable tool for fundamental ecological research and a model system for investigating interactions between stem-nesting species within their wider ecological networks. The ability of trap nests to actually increase farmland pollinator abundance and diversity as part of agri-environment schemes requires additional investigation. However, used in sufficient numbers, these trap nests provide valuable biogeographical data for cavity nesting Hymenoptera and offer a viable means for long term monitoring of these species in Irish farmland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, our aim was to assess several traits of cavity‐nesting Hymenopteran taxa in a low‐intensity agricultural landscape in Transylvania. The study took place between May and August 2018 at eight study sites in the hilly mountainous central part of Romania, where the majority of the landscape is used for extensive farming or forestry. During the processing of the trap nest material, we recorded several traits regarding the nests of different cavity‐nesting Hymenopteran taxa and the spider prey found inside the nests of the spider‐hunting representatives of these taxa. We also evaluated the relationship between the edge density and proportion of low‐intensity agricultural areas surrounding the study sites and some of these traits. The majority of nests were built by the solitary wasp genus Trypoxylon, followed by the solitary wasp taxa Dipogon and Eumeninae. Solitary bees were much less common, with Hylaeus being the most abundant genus. In the nests of Trypoxylon, we mostly found spider prey from the family of Araneidae, followed by specimens from the families of Linyphiidae and Theridiidae. In the nests of Dipogon, we predominantly encountered spider prey from the family of Thomisidae. We found significant effects of low‐intensity agricultural areas for the genera of Auplopus, Megachile, Osmia, and the Thomisid prey of Dipogon. We also found that the spider prey of Trypoxylon was significantly more diverse at study sites with higher proportions of low‐intensity agricultural areas. Our results indicate that solitary bees seem to be more abundant in areas, where the influence of human activities is stronger, while solitary wasps seem to rather avoid these areas. Therefore, we suggest that future studies not only should put more effort into sampling in low‐intensity agricultural landscapes but also focus more on solitary wasp taxa, when sampling such an area.

Cytogenetic molecular studies involving hymenopterans have improved our knowledge about the composition, organization and evolution of the genomes of these insects. However, few cytogenetic studies have been performed in solitary wasps Eumeninae, which represents the most diverse subfamily of Vespidae. In this study, we describe the karyotype of the wasp Monobia angulosa using conventional and molecular cytogenetic techniques, in order to contribute to the understanding of chromosomal variation in this solitary wasp. The results indicated an odd chromosome number of 2 n  = 27 in females and n  = 14 in males. The heterochromatin was located in centromeric/pericentromeric regions, and also in short arms in females and males. Chromomycin A3 staining revealed four and two bright interstitial bands in females and males, respectively. One of these marks corresponded to 18S rDNA clusters in both females and males. The microsatellite (GA)15 was located exclusively in the euchromatic regions in females and males. These results allowed us to suggest the occurrence of different chromosomal rearrangements, such as duplication/deletion of heterochromatic and euchromatic segments due to unequal crossing-over and Robertsonian rearrangements, to explain the origin of the chromosomal variations detected in the karyotype of this species. The few molecular cytogenetic studies already performed with Eumeninae wasps have revealed extraordinary karyotypic plasticity in this insect group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A morphological study on the cocoon of Bicyrtes variegatus (Oliver, 1789) is presented based on specimens collected in Center-West Brazil. Notes on nesting habitat is provided. Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1798) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is recorded as prey, and Traumatomutilla ocellaris (Klug, 1821) (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) as parasitoid.

Increasing biodiversity loss due to human activities may compromise ecosystem functions and services, with serious consequences for human well-being. Pollination and biological control are among the ecosystem services most affected by landscape changes, where cavity-nesting hymenopteran species are important agents of such services. We analyzed how cavity-nesting bee and wasp communities are affected by landscape structure at different scales since a multi-scale perspective is more efficient in detecting landscape effects on species, communities, and ecological processes. The study was carried out in the Cantareira-Mantiqueira Corridor (CCM) located within the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, Brazil. We used trap-nests distributed in 29 sampling points following a nested design of ten regional landscapes with three nested local landscapes. We recorded 25 bee species, 21 wasp species, and 25 species of brood cell parasites. The bee and wasp communities were explained by landscape heterogeneity and forest cover: at the local level, landscape heterogeneity had a positive effect on almost all response variables, while forest cover was also important at the regional level, mainly for bee diversity and wasp abundance. Our results highlight the need to conduct studies at multiple scales to understand how landscape heterogeneity and forest cover affect the diversity of pollinating and predatory insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, our aim was to assess several traits of cavity‐nesting Hymenopteran taxa in a low‐intensity agricultural landscape in Transylvania. The study took place between May and August 2018 at eight study sites in the hilly mountainous central part of Romania, where the majority of the landscape is used for extensive farming or forestry. During the processing of the trap nest material, we recorded several traits regarding the nests of different cavity‐nesting Hymenopteran taxa and the spider prey found inside the nests of the spider‐hunting representatives of these taxa. We also evaluated the relationship between the edge density and proportion of low‐intensity agricultural areas surrounding the study sites and some of these traits. The majority of nests were built by the solitary wasp genus Trypoxylon, followed by the solitary wasp taxa Dipogon and Eumeninae. Solitary bees were much less common, with Hylaeus being the most abundant genus. In the nests of Trypoxylon, we mostly found spider prey from the family of Araneidae, followed by specimens from the families of Linyphiidae and Theridiidae. In the nests of Dipogon, we predominantly encountered spider prey from the family of Thomisidae. We found significant effects of low‐intensity agricultural areas for the genera of Auplopus, Megachile, Osmia, and the Thomisid prey of Dipogon. We also found that the spider prey of Trypoxylon was significantly more diverse at study sites with higher proportions of low‐intensity agricultural areas. Our results indicate that solitary bees seem to be more abundant in areas, where the influence of human activities is stronger, while solitary wasps seem to rather avoid these areas. Therefore, we suggest that future studies not only should put more effort into sampling in low‐intensity agricultural landscapes but also focus more on solitary wasp taxa, when sampling such an area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is based on specimens collected from the Jazan Province (southwestern Saudi Arabia). This material comprises 21 species within 13 genera and three subfamilies (Bembicinae, Crabroninae and Philanthinae). The African species Miscophus chrysis Kohl and Parapiagetia bidens Pulawski are recorded here for the first time for the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Cerceris rubida (Jurine). The genus Oryttus Spinola is recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Six other species are also newly recorded for Saudi Arabia: Liris maidli (Arnold), Oxybelus diphyllus (Costa), Oxybelus phyllophorus Kohl, Parapiagetia erythropoda (Cameron), Pison atrum (Spinola) (Bembicinae), and Tachysphex buyssoni Morice (Crabroninae). Three new species, Bembix arabica Edmardash & Gadallah, Oryttus pulawskii Gadallah & Edmardash, and Oxybelus ecarinatus Gadallah & Edmardash, are described and illustrated. The previously unknown male of Miscophus chrysis is also described and illustrated. A comprehensive faunistic list is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two females of Leptochilus regulus (de Saussure, 1855) were observed nesting in reed stalks of a Fabre's hive serving as a block of trap nests in Crimea, with the timekeeping of all their nesting behaviours. The building material used by the females to separate the nesting cavity into the cells consisted of pellets of dry soil, gravel particles, and small fragments of tree bark, leaves, and thin stems. Females rapidly carried these items collected in 1.0-1.5 m from the nests. They bonded only the last portions of the building material in each "partition" with a very small amount of mud. An additional amount of unbonded building material items was deposited into the nest after sealing the last nest cell. Females hunted exclusively for small larvae of an anobiid beetle (Coleoptera, Anobiidae); they stored 19-37 prey items per cell. Hunting and provisioning occupied the largest portion of the females' time budget. Duration of hunting flights was different between the females. The nests of both females contained three brood cells. Cocoons of Chrysis ragusae De Stefani, 1888 (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) were found in the nests; females of this cuckoo wasp species were also recorded entering the host nests at the stage of provisioning, acting apparently as inquilines. The cocoon ultrastructure of L. regulus is illustrated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eumeninae represents the largest subfamily within Vespidae, with 3,600 species described. Of these, only 18 have been cytogenetically analysed. In the present study, we used both classical and molecular techniques to characterise and compare the karyotypes of 3 Eumeninae species, namely, Ancistrocerus sp., Pachodynerus grandis, and Pachodynerus nasidens. Ancistrocerus sp. presented a haploid chromosome number of n = 12, with the first 2 chromosomes of the karyotype being almost entirely heterochromatic and much larger than the remaining chromosomes. The 2 Pachodynerus species presented the same chromosome number (n = 11 and 2n = 22) but displayed different karyotypic formulae. Additionally, chromosomal polymorphisms were observed in the analysed P. nasidens female. In the 3 species, heterochromatin was located in one of the chromosome arms. Fluorochrome staining revealed a balanced composition of AT and GC bases within the chromatin for each of the 3 species, except for few regions that were visibly GC-rich. All species had a single 18S rDNA site that co-localised with GC-rich regions; however, this localisation varied from species to species and not all GC-rich regions corresponded to ribosomal genes. Based on the cytogenetic data obtained here, we discuss the possible numerical/structural rearrangements that may be involved in the karyotypic evolution of the 3 studied species. In addition to the first description of the molecular cytogenetic characteristics of the Eumeninae subfamily and the genus Pachodynerus, this study also provides a relevant contribution towards the discussion of chromosomal evolution in Eumeninae wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Podium denticulatum occurs from Mexico to southern Brazil, including northeastern Argentina. Females use pre-existing cavities to build nests, consisting of cells separated by walls of mud and resin and massively provisioned with paralyzed cockroaches. Trap nests were disposed in three localities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (Araras, São Carlos, Rifaina), resulting in the collection of 201 nests from December/2003 to June/2007. The founding nests were brought to the laboratory, opened and the pupae transferred to identified vials until the emergence of the adults, when they were then weighed, sexed and stored at -20ºC. The nesting activity was seasonal, with a higher number of nests in the warm and rainy season of the year. The number of constructed cells ranged from one to nine per nest. The emergence rate of adults in the 716 brood cells was 74%, with homogeneous distribution of mortality by egg, larva and pupa stages. This mortality was partly due to parasitism observed in 39% of nests, predominantly by Melittobia sp. and rarely by Diptera (Tachinidae). A 1:1 sex ratio was observed among the newly emerged adults of each locality analyzed. Strong sexual dimorphism was characterized by linear measurements of wings and body mass, with females and males showing a mass between 27-116 mg and 14-70 mg, respectively. The geometric morphometry confirmed this dimorphism and revealed significant variation of wing size and shape among individuals of the analyzed populations, a result that deserves subsequent studies to point out the factors that account for this differentiation.

Ikh Nart Nature Reserve remains poorly studied for invertebrates, especially for vespid wasps. A total of 14 vespid species belonging to seven genera of the subfamily Eumeninae were recorded from diff erent habitats (rocky outcrops, springs, tall vegetation habitats, shrub-lands and short grass steppes) in the nature reserve during three-year studies (2015-2017). These species represent 27 percent of the vespid fauna of the desert-steppe zone of Mongolia. We found the highest species richness in areas where water was available (near springs and wells), and the lowest richness in habitats with tall vegetation. Among the diff erent habitat types, vespid species composition was most similar (91% shared species) between rocky outcrops and spring habitats. Six vespid species range from Kazakhstan to Mongolian, and one species is sub-endemic to Mongolia. Availability of water sources and nesting sites were possibly the main factors infl uencing the distribution of vespid wasps. It is necessary to conduct comprehensive research into the insect community of Ikh Nart Nature Reserve.

New additions to the knowledge of the subfamily Eumeninae in Russia are provided. Stenodynerus rossicus Fateryga & Kochetkov, sp. nov. is described from Amurskaya Province and Altai Republic. Three species of eumenine wasps are reported from Russia for the first time: Onychopterocheilus kiritshenkoi (Kostylev, 1940), Pterocheilus quaesitus (Morawitz, 1895), and Stenodynerus chitgarensis Giordani Soika, 1970. Ancistrocerus dusmetiolus (Strand, 1914) is excluded from the fauna of Russia; the previous records of this species were based on a misidentification of another similar species, i. e., A. raddei (Kostylev, 1940). The taxonomic status of A. raddei, however, is unclear: its differences from A. dusmetiolus, including the material from Central Asia described as A. alius (Kostylev, 1935), are mainly in the color pattern but not in the structure (including the structure of the male genitalia). New and confirmative regional records for 20 species are reported. The known fauna of Russia currently numbers 34 genera and 165 species of Eumeninae s. l. (including Raphiglossinae and Zethinae). In addition, Eumenes tripunctatus (Christ, 1791) is reported for the first time from Afghanistan; the first data on the nesting of this species are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Taxonomy of the potter wasps of the genus Labus from Vietnam is reviewed, with six species recorded. Of them, one species previously identified as L. clypeatus van der Vecht, 1935 is described as new, namely L. angulus, sp. nov. Another new species, Labus obtusus sp. nov., is also described. In addition, a key to all species of the genus occurring in Vietnam is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary transitions in social behavior are often associated with changes in species' brain architecture. A recent comparative analysis showed that the structure of brains of wasps in the family Vespidae differed between solitary and social species: the mushroom bodies, a major integrative brain region, were larger relative to brain size in the solitary species. However, the earlier study did not account for body size effects, and species' relative mushroom body size increases with body size in social Vespidae. Here we extend the previous analysis by measuring the effects of body size variation on brain structure differences between social and solitary vespid wasps. We asked whether total brain volume was greater relative to body size in the solitary species, and whether relative mushroom body size was greater in solitary species, after accounting for body size effects. Both total brain volume and relative mushroom body volume were significantly greater in the solitary species after accounting for body size differences. Therefore, body size allometry did not explain the solitary versus social species differences in brain structure. The evolutionary transition from solitary to social behavior in Vespidae was accompanied by decreases in total brain size and in relative mushroom body size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitoid wasps represent the plurality of venomous animals, but have received extremely little research in proportion to this taxonomic diversity. The lion’s share of investigation into insect venoms has focused on eusocial hymenopterans, but even this small sampling shows great promise for the development of new active substances. The family Pompilidae is known as the spider wasps because of their reproductive habits which include hunting for spiders, delivering a paralyzing sting, and entombing them in burrows with one of the wasp’s eggs to serve as food for the developing larva. The largest members of this family, especially the tarantula hawks of the genus Pepsis, have attained notoriety for their large size, dramatic coloration, long-term paralysis of their prey, and incredibly painful defensive stings. In this paper we review the existing research regarding the composition and function of pompilid venoms, discuss parallels from other venom literatures, identify possible avenues for the adaptation of pompilid toxins towards human purposes, and future directions of inquiry for the field.

Four species of the genus Stenodyneriellus Giordani Soika, 1962 are recorded from Vietnam. Of them, S. capillus Nguyen, new species from Back Kan province is described and illustrated. In addition, one species, S. similiguttulatus Li & Chen, 2016 is newly recorded from Vietnam. A key to species from Vietnam is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spider wasps had long been proposed to originate in the mid-Cretaceous based on the Burmese amber fossil Bryopompilus interfector Engel and Grimaldi, 2006. We performed a morphological examination of this fossil and determined it does not belong to Pompilidae or any other described hymenopteran family. Instead, we place it in the new family Bryopompilidae. The oldest verifiable member of the Pompilidae is from Baltic amber, which suggests the family probably originated in the Eocene, not in the mid-Cretaceous as previously proposed. The origin of spider wasps appears to be correlated with an increase in spider familial diversity in the Cenozoic. We also we add two genera to the extinct pompilid fauna: Tainopompilus gen. nov., and Paleogenia gen. nov., and describe three new species of fossil spider wasps: Anoplius planeta sp. nov., from Dominican amber (Burdigalian to Langhian); Paleogenia wahisi sp. nov., from Baltic amber (Lutetian to Priabonian); and Tainopompilus argentum sp. nov, from Dominican amber (Chattian to Langhian).

Keeping in view the agricultural importance, Vespidae is an important family of the order Hymenoptera (Insecta). The objective of the study was to find out the number of species of the family and to mark the distribution of the species of the family Vespidae in various locations of the study area. The wasps were collected with the help of hand net through active search, killed with insecticide and preserved in insect boxes having naphthalene balls as preservatives. Species richness were calculated using Margalef and Menhinick indices while species diversity was calculated using Simpson diversity index. The most abundant subfamily was Polistinae with 65% abundance while the least abundant was the Eumeninae with 2% abundance. However, the most diverse and species rich subfamily is Eumeninae with a Simpson (1-D) value of 0.803, Menhinick and Margalef indices values of 1.540 and 2.543, respectively. Among the seven tehsils, Kabal is the most species rich and diverse having Margalef value 2.408, Menhinick Value 0.514 and Simpson (1-D) value 0.777 while Bahrain is the least species rich and having no diversity. The Margalef, Menhinick and Simpson (1-D) values for tehsil Bahrain are 0, 0.333, and 0, respectively. The Polistinae is the dominant subfamily in the area and can be used as biocontrol agent for various pests of agricultural importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of solitary wasps belonging to subfamily Eumeninae (Vespidae: Hymenoptera) in Huu Lien and Na Hang Nature Reserves has been surveyed. These are two study sites representing two sub-ecological zones, Cao Bang-Lang Son and Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang, which are at altitude below 300 m. As the results, a total of 29 species in 20 genera was recorded in both study sites, of them, 23 species in 16 genera were recorded in Huu Lien, and 23 species in 18 genera were recorded in Na Hang. Among them, one species Allorhynchium lugubrinum (Cameron, 1990) has been recorded only in Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang sub-ecological zone. Among the recorded taxa, the genus Antodynerus was newly recorded in Vietnam, and represented by one species Antodynerus limbatus (de Saussure, 1852). Another two species, Allorhynchium lugubrinum (Cameron, 1990) and Stenodyneriellua guttulatus (de Saussure, 1852) were recorded in Vietnam for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are several possible causes of aggregated nesting in solitary Aculeata, one being joint defense against parasites. We tested whether females prefer nesting in aggregations, even if they consist of heterospecifics. We compared the colonization and nesting parasitism of trap-nests with and without a red mason bee aggregation. The results did not support our hypothesis that females prefer nesting in aggregations. The numbers of wild Aculeata nests did not differ between trap-nests with and without an aggregation. Unexpectedly, parasitism rates were higher in trap-nests with aggregations. When analyzing only nests of wild insects (mostly wasps), the differences in parasitism disappeared. Natural nesting sites may be such a limited resource that females nested in the first trap-nest they encountered and did not discriminate between our treatments, or wasps might share too few parasites species with bees to benefit from joint nest defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sown wildflower strips can support insects that collect pollen for their larvae. How these strips affect flower visitors with carnivorous larvae, however, is almost unknown. We studied the impact of wildflower strips and their surroundings on two common solitary wasps: the caterpillar-hunting Ancistrocerus nigricornis Curtis and the spider-hunting Trypoxylon figulus Linnaeus., Trap-nest locations at 22 semi-natural habitats in central Germany formed independent gradients in landscape complexity and distance to either one or several wildflower strips in their surroundings. For each brood cell, we recorded the number of prey items, total caterpillar weight and spider species richness., Ancistrocerus nigricornis built more cells in proximity to wildflower strips and with increasing amount of surrounding grassland. Fewer prey items provided in landscapes with large shares of semi-natural habitats suggest that in these landscapes high-quality prey is available. In contrast, T. figulus built more cells with increasing distance of nests to wildflower strips. If there were few strips, T. figulus built more cells in grassland-rich landscapes, whereas low shares of grassland were compensated when several wildflower strips were present. Benefits of flowering strips for T. figulus seem related to flower resources for adults, rather than through prey provisioning., In conclusion, wildflower strips promote prey-hunting wasps through species-specific effects on adult and larval food provisioning. Considering the differential effects of wasps on crop pests (caterpillars) and natural enemies (spiders), the functional role of wildflower strips in agroecosystems may be much greater than assumed when solely focusing on pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceropales bipunctata Say (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) is a cleptoparasitic spider wasp that has declined significantly in parts of its range. New survey work has revealed that the species is common and widespread in dune habitat along the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in New Brunswick, Canada. Its host was determined as Anoplius cleora (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), with Arctosa littoralis (Hentz) (Araneae: Lycosidae) as prey, the first host record for this species. The relative abundance of C. bipunctata in coastal New Brunswick sharply contrasts with a decline in Ontario, Canada, where it was thought to be extirpated. Based on body size, habitat, and locality overlap we postulate that the primary host of C. bipunctata in Ontario and western Québec, Canada, is a different species, Anoplius aethiops (Cresson), with A. atrox (Dahlbom) as a likely secondary host in southwestern Ontario. Both species are closely related to A. cleora and have undergone a decline in eastern Canada. Based on these new findings, we reassess the conservation status of C. bipunctata in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A taxonomic review of the genus Zethus from Vietnam is presented, including eight species. Four species, Z. tumidus sp. nov., Z. tansoneus sp. nov., Z. angulatus sp. nov. and Z. propodeus sp. nov. are described. Two species, Z.malayanus and Z. trimaculatus, are recorded from Vietnam for the first time. Redescriptions of Z. dolosus and Z. trimaculatus are also provided with figures. A key to species is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The genus Indodynerus Gusenleitner, 2008, is newly recorded from Vietnam. Indodynerus caikinh, new species is described from northern Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic review of the genus Zethus from Vietnam is presented, including eight species. Four species, Z. tumidus sp. nov., Z. tansoneus sp. nov., Z. angulatus sp. nov. and Z. propodeus sp. nov. are described. Two species, Z.malayanus and Z. trimaculatus, are recorded from Vietnam for the first time. Redescriptions of Z. dolosus and Z. trimaculatus are also provided with figures. A key to species is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of the potter wasp genus Allorhynchium van der Vecht (Eumeninae: Odynerini) occurring in Vietnam are presented. Seven species have been recorded from Vietnam. Of them, three species are described as new to science: Allorhynchiumlatum Nguyen, Tran & MT Nguyen, sp. nov. , A.moerum Nguyen & AD Nguyen, sp. nov. , and A.setosum Nguyen & Engel, sp. nov. , and one species, A.argentatum (Fabricius, 1804), is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. An updated key to the Oriental species of the genus is presented., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest was declared.

The solitary wasp Trypoxylon nitidum F. Smith nests in a variety of existing cavities. Nesting success -- the fraction of completed, provisioned cells that produced adult offspring -- can be estimated by examination of old cells. We estimated nesting success of T. nitidum in new and old (previously utilized by T. nitidum) bamboo traps nests, old nests of solitary wasps (Sceliphron fistularium (Dahlbom), Trypoxylon albitarse Fabr. and Zeta argillaceum (L.)) and social wasps (Polistes lanio (Fabr.) and P. versicolor (Olivier)) in Trinidad, West Indies. Success was markedly higher (61.4%) in new trap nests and significantly lower (5.6%) in old trap nests than in other substrates. Mean success in old nests of other wasps varied from 10.0% to 28.8%, with no general difference between those of solitary and social wasps. We infer that a) rented (reutilized) nests are more easily located by parasites than are new trap nests, and b) old trap nests have a higher load of parasites and disease organisms than substrates not previously utilized by T. nitidum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the nesting biology of Liris are restricted to a few notes and observations on ground-nesting species. There are no studies of this kind about Brazilian species. We investigated and described the nesting biology of Liris sp. obtained by trap-nests that were installed at an area of Atlantic Forest vegetation (25°10'S, 48°18'W) in southern Brazil. The nests of Liris sp. are built with a variety of plant debris. They usually have one cell, but may have up to two. Nests do not show vestibular or intercalary cells. Immatures have a hard cocoon made with the silk they produce, mixed with the fine sand and sawdust left by the adult female at the bottom of the cell. No nest parasites were observed. The wasps did not go through diapause at the prepupal stage, and emerged within 36 to 46 days after nests were collected from the field. There was no emergence of male wasps. Even though Liris sp. nest in preexisting cavities, they resemble ground-nesting species of the same genus in their habits, nest architecture, and development characteristics. The absence of males in our samples might be related to nest diameter. The eggs from which males hatch can be laid in smaller burrows than those available at the present study. We believe that the hardiness of the cocoon is the species' main strategy against parasites, although it is complemented by the camouflage provided by the nest closure. We suggest that a broader comparison of the nesting biology of Liris Fabricius, 1804 should be carried out, leading to a better understanding of the evolution of nests in the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]