By mechanisms that are still unknown, gall wasps (Cynipidae) induce plants to form complex galls, inside which their larvae develop. The family also includes inquilines (phytophagous forms that live inside the galls of other gall inducers) and possibly also parasitoids of gall inducers. The origin of cynipids is shrouded in mystery, but it has been clear for some time that a key group in making progress on this question is the ‘figitoid inquilines’. They are gall-associated relatives of cynipids, whose biology is poorly known. Here, we report the first detailed data on the life history of a figitoid inquiline, the genus Parnips . Dissections of mature galls show that Parnipsnigripes is a parasitoid of Barbotiniaoraniensis , a cynipid that induces single-chambered galls inside the seed capsules of annual poppies ( Papaverrhoeas and P.dubium ). Galls with pupae of Parnipsnigripes always contain the remains of a terminal-instar larva of B.oraniensis . The mandibles of the terminal-instar larva of P.nigripes are small and equipped with a single sharp tooth, a shape that is characteristic of carnivorous larvae. The weight of P.nigripes pupae closely match that of the same sex of B.oraniensis pupae, indicating that Parnips makes efficient use of its host and suggesting that ovipositing Parnips females lay eggs that match the sex of the host larva. Dissection of young galls show that another species of Parnips , hitherto undescribed, spends its late larval life as an ectoparasitoid of Iraellahispanica , a cynipid that induces galls in flowers of annual poppies. These and other observations suggest that Parnips shares the early endoparasitic-late ectoparasitic life history described for all other cynipoid parasitoids. Our findings imply that gall wasps evolved from parasitoids of gall insects. The original hosts could not have been cynipids but possibly chalcidoids, which appear to be the hosts of several extant figitoid inquilines. It is still unclear whether the gall inducers evolved rapidly from these ancestral parasitoids, or whether they were preceded by a long series of intermediate forms that were phytophagous inquilines.
A new genus and species of Stereomerini, Cheleion malayanum gen. n. and sp. n., are described based on a single specimen from the Malacca peninsula in Malaysia. It is the first stereomerine found on the mainland of the Asian continent. A key to genera of Stereomerini and a phylogenetic estimate of the stereomerines using 24 species representing 7 tribes of Aphodiinae based on 53 morphological characters. The phylogenetic analysis places the new species within the tribe Stereomerini as a sister to the monophyletic group including Adebrattia, Austaloxenella, Bruneixenus, Pseudostereomera and Stereomera. A survey is given of the various taxa of Aphodiinae that are termite and/or ant inquilines, or have been presumed to be so based on morphology, and their phylogeny is discussed.
Fourteen Hoplocampa species have been recorded in the West Palaearctic. We provide an illustrated key to these species, together with H. tadshikistanica, which is so far only known from Tadshikistan, but could occur in the West Palaearctic. The suitability of genetic sequencing for identification, particularly of larvae, is discussed. COI barcoding reliably distinguishes all European species which have been sampled (only H. phantoma lacks data), except for H. fulvicornis and H. minuta, which can be identified using nuclear sequences. Distributions in the Fennoscandian countries are outlined, with particular reference to Sweden. Hoplocampa chrysorrhoea is recorded for the first time in Scandinavia, from southern Sweden. Lectotypes are designated for twelve nominal taxa: Allantus ferrugineus Panzer, 1802, Hoplocampa chrysorrhoea var. nigrita Enslin, 1914, H. fabricii W. F. Kirby, 1882, H. oertzeni Konow, 1888, H. pectoralis Thomson, 1871, Hylotoma ferruginea Fabricius, 1804, Tenthredo alpina Zetterstedt, 1838, T. brevis Klug, 1816, T. chrysorrhoea Klug, 1816, T. crataegi Klug, 1816, T. plagiata Klug, 1816, and T. rutilicornis Klug, 1816. Hoplocampa minuta forma dudai Gregor, in Gregor & Bata, 1942 is a new synonym of H. fulvicornis (Panzer, 1801).
We describe the work with donated insect collections at the Swedish Museum of NaturalHistory (NRM) in Stockholm, Sweden. The museum receives donations yearly fromamateur entomologists, and they are an important contribution to the enrichment of thecollections. For the collector it is satisfying that a public institution takes on the long termresponsibility of safeguarding the scientific value in a collection, curating and making itavailable for study. Significant donations in the last years include that of Lars Huggert(Hymenoptera, Coleoptera), Hans Bartsch (Diptera) and Anders N. Nilsson (aquatic Coleoptera)to name a few. The curatorial and digitizing workload at the Entomology collectionare unfortunately not matched by staff funding, and as at other European museumsvolunteer work constitute vital and invaluable help. We acknowledge especially some ofthe volunteer work in the Coleoptera and Hymenoptera collections. Recently we have engagedwith amateur entomologists by organizing taxon-specific workshops at the museumwhich has stimulated exchange and collaboration. The Hymenoptera-day was visited by 30participants, and the Diptera-meeting by 49. As an example of what happens with a donationonce it reaches the museum, we describe the work with a recent Coleoptera collectiondonation by Jan Olsson, Vallentuna. A few highlights from the unidentified material,including the Archostematan beetle Priacma serrata (Cupedidae) and the false jewelbeetleSchizopus laetus (Schizopodidae), are presented as they were new to the NRM collections.We also bring attention to two new websites: www.naturarv.se is the webportal presentingdigitized material in Swedish natural history collections. Both metadata on specimens andphotos are made searchable here. We also launch a new webpage at www.nrm.se/insektsdonationerwhere we write about new donations to the Entomology collections, with JanOlsson’s Coleoptera collection first out.
We describe the external morphology of the terminal‐instar larvae of 30 species of Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera), with special reference to the head capsule and mouthparts. Twenty‐five of the species belong to the Cynipidae and are gall inducers or phytophagous inquilines (guests) in galls, while five represent different insect‐parasitic lineages of the Cynipoidea. Although we find only limited variation in body shape, the head sclerites and mandibles offer many characters of potential phylogenetic value. For instance, the mandibles of the parasitoids have one large pointed tooth, with several smaller dents along the inner margin in core figitids, whereas the phytophagous gall inducers and inquilines have mandibles with two or three blunt teeth of subequal size. The mandibles of inquiline larvae are unique in being covered by vertical striations and in having a dominating, broad second tooth. We summarize the qualitative variation among the studied terminal‐instar larvae in terms of 33 morphological characters and one life‐history trait and examine the phylogenetic implications of these data by running parsimony analyses under uniform character weights and under implied weights (Goloboff weights). The analysis under uniform weights is poorly resolved but the relationships suggested by the implied‐weights analysis are largely congruent with previous analyses of adult morphology and molecular data. The larval data support inclusion of the genus Liposthenes in the Neaylax – Isocolus clade, in agreement with the molecular data but in weak conflict with adult morphology. However, the larval data agree with adult morphology and conflict with the molecular data in supporting monophyly of the inquilines.
Keys to adults and larvae of the genera of West Palaearctic nematine sawflies are presented. Species of some of the smaller genera are keyed, and their taxonomy, distribution, and host plants reviewed, with a geographic focus on north-western Europe, particularly Sweden. Dinematus Lacourt, 2006 is a new junior subjective synonym of Pristiphora Latreille, 1810, resulting in the new combination Pristiphora krausi (Lacourt, 2006) for the type species of Dinematus . Hemichroa monticola Ermolenko, 1960 is a new junior subjective synonym of Hemichroa australis (Serville, 1823). Lectotypes are designated for Tenthredo opaca Fabricius, 1775, Mesoneura opaca var. nigerrima Enslin, 1914, Mesoneura opaca var. obscuriventris Enslin, 1914, Nematus hypogastricus Hartig, 1837, Nematus alnivorus Hartig, 1840, Leptopus rufipes Förster, 1854, Nematus protensus Förster, 1854, and Platycampus luridiventris var. pleuritica Enslin, 1915. A phylogenetic analysis based on four genes (mitochondrial COI and nuclear NaK, POL2, and TPI) supports the current generic classification.
Stora Karlso is a small island close to Gotland in the Baltic Sea of which the Hymenopteran fauna has not been extensively studied before. In August 2014, a team of eight persons carried out an inventory of Hymenoptera, mainly the parasitoid wasps and sawflies, on the island. Sampling was done with Malaise traps for a period of 22 days, complemented with vegetation sweeping, branch shaking and opportunistic handpicking during a five day sojourn. As a result, about 200 species of parasitoid wasps and 14 sawflies are reported for Stora Karlso for the first time. Eleven species are reported as new to Sweden: The sawfly Athalia cornubiae Benson, 1931, the gasteruptiid Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877), the diapriid Spilomicrus rufitarsis (Kieffer, 1911), the eulophid Entedonomphale bulgarica Boyadzhiev & Triapitsyn, 2007, the braconids Bracon rozneri Papp, 1998 and Gnamptodon decoris (Forster, 1862), and the ichneumonids Bathythrix maculata (Hellen, 1957), Heterischnus filiformis (Gravenhorst, 1829), Lissonota picticoxis Schmiedeknecht, 1900,
Mesochorus tipularius Gravenhorst, 1829, Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915, and Plectochorus iwatensis (Uchida, 1928). Also the gasteruptiid Gasteruption opacum (Tournier,1877) is reported new to Sweden based on a record from inventory by NJ in 2013. This demonstrates how the knowledge of Swedish biodiversity can be substantially augmented by a short and intensive collecting expedition. We strongly recommend that other places in the country be subjected to similar efforts.
A review is presented of the life of the Swedish entomologist René Malaise (1892–1978), the inventor of the “Malaise trap” and one of the most important 20th Century specialists on sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta).
FIGURE 2. Rene Malaise in his one-man-tent/sleeping bag invention while doing his military service in Vaxholm in 1914. Photographer: Unknown, but permission to use the photo obtained through middleman.
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