Arsenophonus: A Double-Edged Sword of Aphid Defense against Parasitoids.

It is widely accepted that endosymbiont interactions with their hosts have significant effects on the fitness of both pests and beneficial species. A particular type of endosymbiosis is that of beneficial associations. Facultative endosymbiotic bacteria are associated with elements that provide aphids with protection from parasitoids. Arsenophonus (Enterobacterales: Morganellaceae) is one such endosymbiont bacterium, with infections being most commonly found among the Hemiptera species. Here, black cowpea aphids (BCAs), Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), naturally infected with Arsenophonus, were evaluated to determine the defensive role of this bacterium in BCAs against two parasitoid wasp species, Binodoxys angelicae and Lysiphlebus fabarum (both in Braconidae: Aphidiinae). Individuals of the black cowpea aphids infected with Arsenophonus were treated with a blend of ampicillin, cefotaxime, and gentamicin (Arsenophonus-reduced infection, AR) and subsequently subjected to parasitism assays. The results showed that the presence of Arsenophonus does not prevent BCAs from being parasitized by either B. angelicae or L. fabarum. Nonetheless, in BCA colonies parasitized by B. angelicae, the endosymbiont delayed both the larval maturation period and the emergence of the adult parasitoid wasps. In brief, Arsenophonus indirectly limits the effectiveness of B. angelicae parasitism by decreasing the number of emerged adult wasps. Therefore, other members of the BCA colony can survive. Arsenophonus acts as a double-edged sword, capturing the complex dynamic between A. craccivora and its parasitoids.

Name game conundrum: identical specific epithets in Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae).

It is a privilege to recognize a new species and immortalize it with a name. Taxonomists may use etymologies recalling the sampling locality, habitat, species morphology, people (actor, writer, singer, politician, scientist), culture (customs, beliefs), fictional characters (gods, demons, cartoons), brands, ancient names, and others. Naming a species is a creative act that allows scientists to express their love for nature. By drawing on personal and cultural associations, species names are often imbued with far greater meaning than one might initially assume. Unconventional names for species can be an effective way to capture the imagination of the public and make the species memorable. In other words, species names can be both meaningful and whimsical. The central focus of this study was to pinpoint species in the subfamily Microgastrinae that share the same specific epithet that often creates confusion regarding which species is being referred to. The findings showed that 153 specific epithets were repeated representing 340 species in 52 genera, while the remaining 2,823 species have unique epithets. Three of the five categories proposed accommodate the majority of the etymologies: people (42%), morphology (27%), and geography (15%) whereas the categories of other (9%) and biology (7%) achieve the least representation. Approximately 95% of the same specific epithets had a single clear meaning, while for the remaining 5%, it was not possible to trace etymology. The study revealed that the average length of specific epithets was 9.01 letters, the longest contains 18 (eliethcantillanoae) while the shortest four (eros and erro). Additionally, most identical specific epithets were repeated two times (85.25% of the occurrences), although three (12.82%), five, six, and even nine (each one with 0.64%) repetitions were also found. Finally, a list of recommendations for taxonomists when faced with the task of naming a new species is provided.

Effects of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter on insect abundance and diversity in urban green spaces.

The impact of three air pollutants, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the diversity and abundance of insect fauna associated with Chinese thuja, Platycladus orientalis, was evaluated for the first time in Iran. Sampling was performed in Lashkar, Sadaf, and Sajjad, three urban green spaces in Mashhad, a city located in Razavi Khorasan province. A total of 29 insect species including 16 natural enemies and 13 herbivores were identified. The results indicated that herbivore abundance was positively and significantly correlated with the level of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, but not with the level of fine particulate matter. In contrast, herbivore diversity was negatively and significantly correlated only with the level of carbon monoxide. As for natural enemies, abundance and diversity both were not significantly correlated with the levels of none of all three pollutants. The aphid, Cinara thujafilina Del Guercio was the most dominant herbivore species in all the sampling sites with a relative abundance of 86% at Lashkar, 93% at Sadaf, and 95% at Sajjad. Regarding natural enemies, the ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata was the most abundant species both at Lashkar (49%) and Sadaf (35%) while the ladybird, Oenopia conglubata was the most abundant at Sajjad (21%). The highest diversity of herbivores and natural enemies across the four seasons were at the Lashkar and Sadaf sites. The results highlight that of the three air pollutants, carbon monoxide is the one that affects both on abundance and diversity of herbivore guild associated with Platycladus orientalis in urban green spaces.

Revision of Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from the Middle East.

The family Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from the Middle East is taxonomically reviewed. Three species are reported, redescribed, and illustrated, Ampulicomorpha thauma Rasnitsyn Matveev from Iran, Embolemus harteni Olmi from Yemen, and E. huberi Olmi from Iran. The extremely rare genus Ampulicomorpha Ashmead is here recorded for the first time from the Middle East. Embolemus harteni is further recorded from two more governorates of Yemen. A species identification key of Embolemidae from the Middle East, distribution maps, details of the morphological characters, and extensive colour photographs of every species are also provided. A brief discussion on the species relationships and their relevant ecoregions based on the currently limited available information is offered.

A species-level taxonomic review and host associations of Glyptapanteles (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with an emphasis on 136 new reared species from Costa Rica and Ecuador.

The descriptive taxonomic study reported here is focused on Glyptapanteles, a species-rich genus of hymenopteran parasitoid wasps. The species were found within the framework of two independent long-term Neotropical caterpillar rearing projects: northwestern Costa Rica (Área de Conservación Guanacaste, ACG) and eastern Andes, Ecuador (centered on Yanayacu Biological Station, YBS). One hundred thirty-six new species of Glyptapanteles Ashmead are described and all of them are authored by Arias-Penna. None of them was recorded in both countries; thus, 78 are from Costa Rica and the remaining 58 from Ecuador. Before this revision, the number of Neotropical described Glyptapanteles did not reach double digits. Reasonable boundaries among species were generated by integrating three datasets: Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene sequencing data, natural history (host records), and external morphological characters. Each species description is accompanied by images and known geographical distribution. Characteristics such as shape, ornamentation, and location of spun Glyptapanteles cocoons were imaged as well. Host-parasitoid associations and food plants are also here published for the first time. A total of 88 species within 84 genera in 15 Lepidoptera families was encountered as hosts in the field. With respect to food plants, these wild-caught parasitized caterpillars were reared on leaves of 147 species within 118 genera in 60 families. The majority of Glyptapanteles species appeared to be relatively specialized on one family of Lepidoptera or even on some much lower level of taxonomic refinement. Those herbivores in turn are highly food-plant specialized, and once caterpillars were collected, early instars (1-3) yielded more parasitoids than later instars. Glyptapanteles jimmilleri Arias-Penna, sp. nov. is the first egg-larval parasitoid recorded within the genus, though there may be many more since such natural history requires a more focused collection of eggs. The rate of hyperparasitoidism within the genus was approximately 4% and was represented by Mesochorus spp. (Ichneumonidae). A single case of multiparasitoidism was reported, Copidosoma floridanum Ashmead (Encyrtidae) and Glyptapanteles ilarisaaksjarvi Arias-Penna, sp. nov. both parasitoid species emerged from the caterpillar of Noctuidae: Condica cupienta (Cramer). Bodyguard behavior was observed in two Glyptapanteles species: G. howelldalyi Arias-Penna, sp. nov. and G. paulhansoni Arias-Penna, sp. nov. A dichotomous key for all the new species is provided. The numerous species described here, and an equal number already reared but not formally described, signal a far greater Glyptapanteles species richness in the Neotropics than suggested by the few described previously.

Stalk-eyed wasps--review of a largely unnoticed group of morphologically bizarre chalcidoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae: Axima) .

Axima Walker is a small genus of Eurytomidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) exclusive to the Western Hemisphere. Some species are distinctive in having stalked eyes and Axima sidi, sp. n. is described as the third stalk-eyed species based on a single female from Colombia. A key to facilitate species identification of stalk-eyed Axima is included. The only species of Axima for which host biology is known is a primary parasitoid of dwarf carpenter bees of the genus Ceratina Latreille (Apidae: Xylocopinae). A hypothesis about the possible function of stalked eyes in Axima as devices to assist the escape of adult wasps from hosts enclosed in the soft pith of plant stems is proposed.

First record of the genus Wilkinsonellus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Fiji with description of three new species.

Wilkinsonellus Mason is a relatively small Pantropical genus of braconid parasitoid wasps within the subfamily Microgastrinae. Most of the currently described species are from the Palaeotropics; however, previous records were absent from Fiji. Here, the first three Wilkinsonellus species from Fiji are described: Wilkinsonellus corpustriacolor sp. n., Wilkinsonellus fijienis sp. n. and Wilkinsonellus nescalpura sp. n. The material was collected by Malaise traps set up in a quite variety of ecosystems (wet zone, dry zone and coastal forests) throughout the archipelago. With these records, Fiji represents the easternmost known distribution of the genus in the Indo-Pacific Region. A key to all of the currently known Wilkinsonellus species is included to facilitate species identification.

ResumenWilkinsonellus Mason es un pequeño género Pantropical de avispas parasitoideas en la subfamilia Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera). La mayoría de las especies descritas son Paleotropicales, aunque hasta ahora el género no había sido previamente registrado en Fiji. En esta publicación, tres nuevas especies son descritas para Fiji: Wilkinsonellus corpustriacolorsp. n., Wilkinsonellus fijienissp. n. y Wilkinsonellus nescalpurasp. n. Las muestras fueron colectadas mediante trampas Malaise colocadas en un gran variedad de ecosistemas (zonas húmedas, zonas secas y bosques costeros) en el archipiélago. Fiji es el registro más oriental conocido del género en la región Indo-Pacifica. Una clave que incluye todas las especies descritas de Wilkinsonellus es provista para facilitar la identificación de las especies.

Three new species in the genus Wilkinsonellus (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from the Neotropics, and the first host record for the genus.

The genus Wilkinsonellus Mason is a poorly sampled but widely distributed tropical genus of Microgastrinae (Braconidae), parasitoid wasps that exclusively attack caterpillars (Lepidoptera). Currently, species of Wilkinsonellus have been described only from the Palaeotropics, but the genus was known to occur in the Neotropics. Here we describe the first three species from Central and South America: Wilkinsonellus alexsmithi sp. n., Wilkinsonellus kogui sp. n.,and Wilkinsonellus panamaensis sp. n. These species descriptions confirm that Wilkinsonellus is a Pantropical genus. A dichotomous key for the three new Neotropical species is given. The first recorded host for the genus, Microthyris prolongalis (Crambidae), is also reported, for Wilkinsonellus alexsmithi.

ResumenWilkinsonellus es un género tropical de microgastrinos (Braconidae) que ha sido poco muestreado aunque presenta una distribución amplia. Estas avispas parasitoides únicamente utilizan como hospederos larvas (orugas) de lepidópteros. Hasta el momento, las especies de Wilkinsonellus han sido descritas solo a partir de material colectado en la región Paleotropical (trópico del viejo mundo), aunque su presencia en el Neotrópico ya se conocía. En esta publicación se describen las primeras tres especies Neotropicales, dos de Centroamérica y una de Suramérica: Wilkinsonellus alexsmithisp. n., Wilkinsonellus koguisp. n., Wilkinsonellus panamaensissp. n. Estas descripciones de especies Neotropicales confirman la distribución Pantropical del género. Una clave taxonómica para la identificación de las tres nuevas especies es propuesta. El primer hospedero para el género, Microthyris prolongalis (Crambidae), se reporta para Wilkinsonellus alexsmithi.

New records of ppecies of leucospidae (hymenoptera: chalcidoidea) for Colombia / Registros nuevos de especies de Leucospidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) para Colombia

Two new records of Leucospis are reported from Colombia: Leucospis aliena and Leucospis enderleini. Including the species reported here, eleven species of Leucospis occur in Colombia. This paper also reports a new locality for Leucospis colombiana from Colombia in the department of Magdalena and an additional record of Polistomorpha conura in the department of Amazonas. The specimens are deposited in the entomological collection José Hernández Camacho Museum of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute (IAvH-E), Villa de Leyva (Boyacá, Colombia).

Dos especies de Leucospis se reportan por primera vez para Colombia Leucospis aliena y Leucospis enderleini. Teniendo en cuenta estos nuevos registros, el número de especies de Leucospis reportadas para el país se eleva a 11. Además se reporta una nueva localidad en Colombia para Leucospis colombiana en el departamento del Magdalena y un registro adicional para Polistomorpha conura en el departamento del Amazonas. Los especímenes se encuentran depositados en la colección entomológica del Museo José Hernández Camacho del Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH-E), Villa de Leyva (Boyacá, Colombia).