Let's go bananas with paintings.

We tell the story of the complex history and global distribution of the very popular banana and illustrate this with amazing depictions by artists and scientists. In addition, we discuss the major changes that occurred during domestication and the risks associated with maintaining a monoculture.

A new parasitoid wasp, Aphaereta vondelparkensis sp. n. (Braconidae, Alysiinae), from a city park in the centre of Amsterdam.

BACKGROUND: The parasitic wasp genus Aphaereta Foerster, 1863, belongs to the large subfamily Alysiinae Leach, 1815 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and contains solitary or gregarious endoparasitoids of larvae of cyclorrhaphous Diptera living in decaying organic matter. NEW INFORMATION: A new species, Aphaereta vondelparkensis sp. n. (Braconidae, Alysiinae, Alysiini), from a city park in the centre of Amsterdam (Vondelpark) is described and illustrated. The species was discovered on a so-called taxon expedition, in which experts and citizen scientists collaborate on taxonomic projects. The finding highlights the fact that new animal species can still be discovered today, even in the busiest park of the capital of one of the best studied European countries.