Filling gaps in the knowledge of the Colombian Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): new records, description of unknown males, and taxonomical notes.

Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are parasitoids and a natural enemy of a wide range of holometabolous insects and spiders and are considered one of the largest families in the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, there are great gaps in the knowledge of this family in Colombia. This study aims to expand the knowledge of Darwin wasps in Colombia, through new records for the country and especially the department of Antioquia. We present the diagnosis and digital images of the recorded species, and we describe for the first time the males of three species of Dolichomitus Smith, 1877: D. mariajosae Araujo & Pádua, 2020; D. menai Araujo & Pádua, 2020; D. orejuelai Araujo & Pádua, 2020.

Completely predatory development is described in a braconid wasp.

Hymenopteran parasitoids are well known for their ubiquitous diversity, important ecological roles and biocontrol potential. We report the first detailed documentation of mite predation by a parasitoid wasp, Bracon predatorius Ranjith & Quicke sp. nov., (Insecta: Hymenoptera), first case of obligate predatory behaviour in the family Braconidae and first case of mite feeding within the superfamily Ichneumonoidea. Larvae of a new wasp species are shown to develop entirely as predators of eriophyid mites that induce leaf galls in a commercially important plant. They display highly modified head capsule morphology that we interpret as being associated with this atypical life style. We propose that the new feeding strategy evolved separately from recently described entomophytophagy in another species of the same genus. The divergent larval morphological adaptations of both species indicate a high degree of evolutionary developmental plasticity in the developmental stage.

The Complete Genome of Chelonus insularis Reveals Dynamic Arrangement of Genome Components in Parasitoid Wasps That Produce Bracoviruses.

Bracoviruses (BVs) are endogenized nudiviruses in parasitoid wasps of the microgastroid complex (family Braconidae). Microgastroid wasps have coopted nudivirus genes to produce replication-defective virions that females use to transfer virulence genes to parasitized hosts. The microgastroid complex further consists of six subfamilies and ∼50,000 species but current understanding of BV gene inventories and organization primarily derives from analysis of two wasp species in the subfamily Microgastrinae (Microplitis demolitor and Cotesia congregata) that produce M. demolitor BV (MdBV) and C. congregata BV (CcBV). Notably, several genomic features of MdBV and CcBV remain conserved since divergence of M. demolitor and C. congregata ∼53 million years ago (MYA). However, it is unknown whether these conserved traits more broadly reflect BV evolution, because no complete genomes exist for any microgastroid wasps outside the Microgastrinae. In this regard, the subfamily Cheloninae is of greatest interest because it diverged earliest from the Microgastrinae (∼85 MYA) after endogenization of the nudivirus ancestor. Here, we present the complete genome of Chelonus insularis, which is an egg-larval parasitoid in the Cheloninae that produces C. insularis BV (CinsBV). We report that the inventory of nudivirus genes in C. insularis is conserved but are dissimilarly organized compared to M. demolitor and C. congregata. Reciprocally, CinsBV proviral segments share organizational features with MdBV and CcBV but virulence gene inventories exhibit almost no overlap. Altogether, our results point to the functional importance of a conserved inventory of nudivirus genes and a dynamic set of virulence genes for the successful parasitism of hosts. Our results also suggest organizational features previously identified in MdBV and CcBV are likely not essential for BV virion formation. IMPORTANCE Bracoviruses are a remarkable example of virus endogenization, because large sets of genes from a nudivirus ancestor continue to produce virions that thousands of wasp species rely upon to parasitize hosts. Understanding how these genes interact and have been coopted by wasps for novel functions is of broad interest in the study of virus evolution. This work characterizes bracovirus genome components in the parasitoid wasp Chelonus insularis, which together with existing wasp genomes captures a large portion of the diversity among wasp species that produce bracoviruses. Results provide new information about how bracovirus genome components are organized in different wasps while also providing additional insights on key features required for function.

Dasyproctus helenae, a new species of solitary hunting wasp from India and a checklist of Dasyproctus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau and Brullé, 1835 from the Indian subcontinent (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabronini).

A new species of genus Dasyproctus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau and Brullé, 1835 is described from India: Dasyproctus helenae Saini and Dey n. sp. A checklist is provided for all Dasyproctus species reported from the Indian subcontinent.

N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide: A novel amide in the venom of female social wasps, Vespula vulgaris.

In New Zealand's ancient Fuscospora spp. or beech forests, two invasive Vespula social wasps Vespula vulgaris (L.) and Vespula germanica (F.) have become significant problems, adversely affecting native birds and invertebrate biodiversity. The nature of chemical communication in these two species is poorly understood, and this work was undertaken to identify the behaviourally active compounds in the venom of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.). Venom was removed from the stings of both workers and females and analyzed by coupled gas chromatography/electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Two compounds were present in the venom that consistently elicited EAD responses from the antennae of males and workers. Mass spectrometry analysis and syntheses of candidate structures revealed the structures to be N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide (MBA) and N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide (MBB). Gyne venom contains significantly larger amounts of MBA and MBB than worker venom. When these two compounds were tested in the field individually or as binary blends in combination with the known food odour (honeydew volatiles), only N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide or blends containing this compound showed a strong repellent effect on workers to honeydew volatiles at all doses tested. This is the first report of the occurrence of N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide in nature and the third amide to be identified in the venom of any social wasp. In addition, this work is the first to report the chemical analysis of the venom of V. vulgaris gyne. The repellency effect observed in this study of the venom compound suggests that our definition and understanding of the function of the alarm pheromone need to be reassessed.

Discovery of the spider wasp genus Telostholus Haupt, 1929 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) in Laos, with the description of three new species.

The genus Telostholus Haupt, 1929 is newly reported from Laos, with three species which are newly described and illustrated: T. kubani Loktionov, sp. nov., T. lao Loktionov, sp. nov., and T. leleji Loktionov, sp. nov. A key to the males is given.

Re-collection and identity of Ooencyrtus californicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), and its new synonym, Ooencyrtus lucidus.

Girault (1917) very briefly described and diagnosed the encyrtid wasp species Ooencyrtus californicus Girault (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) with the following limited data (p. 22): "Sacramento, California, from bug eggs on Pinus sabiniana, September". The first author examined its two syntypes, poorly mounted on a slide, of which only parts of the four antennae and a slightly damaged fore wing remain (Triapitsyn et al. 2020). They concluded that this species was better considered a nomen dubium until fresh specimens could be collected from the same host plant in or near the type locality. In July 2019, an effort was made to re-collect O. californicus from foothill (or gray) pine, Pinus sabiniana (Pinaceae), in the Oakhurst area of Madera County, California, USA, where this pine is abundant, but no specimens were captured. At the same time, a very similar insect was collected from sentinel eggs of the invasive stink bug Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) in Riverside, California. This insect was cultured in the laboratory as part of a B. hilaris biological control program. Due to the poor preservation of the type specimens and in the absence of genetic evidence, it was impossible to positively and properly attribute specimens of this newly collected parasitoid to O. californicus. Therefore, to provide a much needed scientific name for this native egg parasitoid, it was described as Ooencyrtus lucidus Triapitsyn Ganjisaffar in Triapitsyn et al. (2020). The two nominal species were separated based on minor differences in the proportions of the scape, pedicel, and first funicular segment of the female antenna (Triapitsyn et al. 2020). John S. Noyes, world expert on Encyrtidae and one of the reviewers of Triapitsyn et al. (2020), disagreed with the erection of O. lucidus as a new taxon based on the morphological similarities of the female antenna with that of O. californicus, so the description was published with the understanding that the two might be conspecific. But to settle this one way or another new specimens of O. californicus had to be collected to allow morphological and molecular analyses.

A new species of Diplolepis Geoffroy (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Diplolepidini) from northeastern China.

A new species, Diplolepis valtonyci Zhu, Wang Pujade-Villar sp. nova, is described from Rosa rugosa Thunb. (1784) and R. davurica Pall. (1788) from China using an integrative approach based on molecular and morphological data. Diagnosis, distribution, and biology of the new species are given and illustrated. The phylogenetic relationship between D. valtonyci sp. nova and other Diplolepis species are assessed based on COI and Cytb genes. A key to the Chinese species of Diplolepis is provided.

Two new species of the genus Areopraon Mackauer, 1959 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from the Russian Far East.

Two new species of the aphid parasitoid genus Areopraon Mackauer, 1959, A. tricolor Davidian, sp. nov. and A. vladivostoki Davidian, sp. nov., are described and illustrated from the fauna of the Russian Far East.

First record of the genus Nedinoschiza Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from the Indian subcontinent with the description of a new species from the Western Ghats.

The Indo-Australian braconine genus, Nedinoschiza Cameron, 1911 is reported for the first time from the Indian subcontinent. A new species, N. indica Ranjith sp. nov. is described and illustrated with the taxonomic key for the extant Nedinoschiza species. The generic diagnosis of Nedinoschiza is revised along with the illustrations of two species viz., N. seminigra (Szépligeti) and N. pinguis Papp.

Three new Nearctic genera of oak cynipid gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini): Burnettweldia Pujade-Villar, Melika amp; Nicholls, Nichollsiella Melika, Pujade-Villar amp; Stone, Disholandricus Melika, Pujade-Villar amp; Nicholls; and re-establishment of the genus Paracraspis Weld.

We describe three new genera of cynipid oak gall wasps from the Nearctic: Burnettweldia Pujade-Villar, Melika Nicholls, gen. nov., Nichollsiella Melika, Pujade-Villar Stone, gen. nov., and Disholandricus Melika, Pujade-Villar Nicholls, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Burnettweldia includes five species, B. californicordazi Cuesta-Porta, Melika Pujade-Villar, sp. nov., B. conalis (Weld), comb. nov., B. corallina (Bassett), comb. nov., B. plumbella (Kinsey), comb. nov., B. washingtonensis (Gillette), comb. nov.. Nichollsiella includes three species, N. arizonica (Cockerell), comb. nov., N. sulcata (Ashmead), comb. nov., and N. puigi Melika, Cuesta-Porta Pujade-Villar, sp. nov.. Disholandricus includes four species, D. chrysolepidis (Ashmead), comb. nov., D. lasius (Ashmead), comb. nov., D. reniformis (McCracken Egbert), comb. nov., D. truckeensis (Ashmead), comb. nov. The genus Paracraspis Weld, comb. rev. is re-established with three species, P. guadaloupensis (Fullaway), P. insolens (Weld), and P. patelloides (Trotter). Descriptions, re-descriptions, diagnoses, keys to genera and species are given, including data on DNA sequences, biology, phenology and distribution.

Application of DNA barcoding confirms the female, male, larva and host of Bocchus scobiolae Nagy (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae).

Bocchus scobiolae Nagy (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae, Bocchinae) was reared in Szeged, Hungary. The female, male and immature larva were associated by mitochondrial COI sequences. B. scobiolae, previously known only from Romania, is recorded for the first time from Hungary, Moldova, and Turkey. Caliscelis wallengreni (Stål) (Hemiptera: Caliscelidae) is mentioned for the first time as host of B. scobiolae. B. vernieri Olmi is indicated for the first time from Hungary. Helegonatopus rasnitzyni (Trjapitzin, 1963) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), recorded for the first time from Hungary, was reared from B. scobiolae (new record).

New findings on the taxonomy of the genus Coeleumenes van der Vecht (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with description of a new species.

A new species of the genus Coeleumenes van der Vecht is described from Tay Nguyen highland in southern Vietnam: Coeleumenes chumomray Mai and Nguyen, sp. nov. A key to all known species in the Oriental Region is provided.

A review of the mud-dauber wasps of genus Sceliphron Klug (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) from India.

The mud-dauber wasp genus Sceliphron Klug (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) is reviewed, with six species and six subspecies reported from various parts of India. The Palaerctic species, S. destillatorium (Illiger), is recorded for the first time from the Indian subcontinent. The subspecies S. madraspatanum formosanum van der Vecht is also recorded for first time from the Indian subcontinent. The distribution records of species and subspecies within various states of India are augmented. A modified key to the species of Sceliphron occurring in India is provided. Intraspecific variation within nominal species is discussed.

Diverse RNA Viruses Discovered in Three Parasitoid Wasps of the Rice Weevil Sitophilus oryzae.

In this study, many virus-like fragments were obtained from transcriptomes of three wasp species, including Anisopteromalus calandrae (8), Lariophagus distinguendus (3), and Theocolax elegans (18), which can parasitize and control rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae, a serious insect pest of farm-stored grains. By further bioinformatic analysis and sequencing, we identified six novel RNA viruses with complete genomes and named them WWPSRV-1, WWPSRV-2, AcPSRV-1, AcNSRV-1, AcNSRV-2, and LdNSRV-1. PCR-based detection revealed that WWPSRV-1 and WWPSRV-2 had the possibility of interspecies virus transmission, especially WWPSRV-2, which was also present in the rice weevil adults. Phylogenetically, three out of these six viruses appeared to be members of order Picornavirales: WWPSRV-1 belonged to unassigned virus families of this order, whereas WWPSRV-2 and AcPSRV-1 belonged to families Iflaviridae and Dicistroviridae, respectively. The conserved picornavirus-typical domains helicase, protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase could be found in the nonstructural protein encoded by the three viruses, whose genomes consisted of the different numbers of open reading frames (ORFs). The other three RNA viruses could be classified to order Mononegavirales: AcNSRV-1 and AcNSRV-2 belonged to family Lispiviridae, whereas LdNSRV-1 belonged to a big family Rhabdoviridae The genomes of the three viruses contained at least five ORFs, encoding deduced proteins in the following order: 3'-N-P-M-G-L-5'. All the ORFs were separated by conserved intergenic sequences which likely regulated the transcription termination and initiation. Our findings enhance the understanding of RNA viruses in weevil wasps and set the foundation for the future study of the association among weevils, weevil wasps, and RNA viruses.IMPORTANCE The enormous diversity of RNA viruses in insects is continuously validated. Parasitoid wasps, as biocontrol insects which are widely used against insect pests in agroecosystems, may also carry many "good" RNA viruses. Some RNA viruses in parasitoid wasps have been reported to affect the host wasps or the wasps' host. Here, six novel RNA viruses with complete genomes were identified in three parasitoid wasps of the rice weevil. One of these viruses was also detected in the rice weevil adults. Phylogenetically, WWPSRV-1 was the first unambiguous detection of Nora-like virus in insect parasitoids. WWPSRV-2 and AcPSRV-1 belong to families Iflaviridae and Dicistroviridae, some viruses of which can result in lethal infections in silkworms and honeybees. The other three RNA viruses belong to order Mononegavirales, which comprises many well-known insect-associated viruses.

Comparative Cytogenetic Analysis of Three Eumeninae Species (Hymenoptera, Vespidae).

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.

Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: genera emNeotheronia/em Krieger, emNomosphecia/em Gupta and emXanthopimpla/em Saussure.

Mexican species of three pimpline genera, Neotheronia Krieger (24 species), Nomosphecia Gupta (two species) and Xanthopimpla Saussure (one species) are reviewed. Five species of Neotheronia are described as new to science: N. altacima sp. nov., N. bonita sp. nov., N. juanitae sp. nov., N. tequila sp. nov. and N. zaldivari sp. nov. Neotheronia septemtrionalis Krieger, 1905 is found to be a junior synonym of N. nigrolineata (Brullé, 1846) (syn. nov.). Seven species of Neotheronia are new records from Mexico: N. bostrandae Gauld, N. charli Gauld, N. donovani Gauld, N. hespenheidei Gauld, N. lizzae Gauld, N. lloydi Gauld and N. matamorosi (Brullé). Moreover, Neotheronia concolor Krieger, N. lineata (Fabricius), N. mellosa (Cresson) and N. nigrolineata (Brullé) are recorded for the first time from Honduras, and N. rosai Gauld is recorder for the first time from Guatemala. South American species Neotheronia cristata Krieger is excluded from the Mexican fauna. Identification keys to species of Neotheronia and Nomosphecia occurring in Mexico are provided.

New and little-known digger wasps (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae) from Russia.

New additions to the knowledge of digger wasps (Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae) in Russia are provided. Tachysphex loktionovi Mokrousov Proshchalykin, sp. nov. is described from Tyva Republic. Five species of digger wasps are reported from Russia for the first time: Hoplammophila clypeata (Mocsáry, 1883) (Sphecidae), Tachysphex desertorum F. Morawitz, 1894, T. mongolicus Kohl, 1898, Tachytes argenteus Gussakovskij, 1933, and Trypoxylon albipes F. Smith, 1856 (Crabronidae). Misidentified Tachysphex speciosissimus Morice, 1897 (=T. gussakovskii Pulawski, 1971) is excluded from the fauna of Russia. Hitherto unknown male of Tachysphex mongolicus Kohl, 1898, stat. resurr. is described and regarded as a valid taxon. New synonymy is proposed for T. mongolicus Kohl, 1898 = T. abditus Kohl, 1898, syn. nov. Diagnosis for male of Dolichurus haemorrhous A. Costa, 1886 is updated. New regional records for seven species are recorded. The known fauna of Russia currently numbers three families, 87 genera and 694 species of digger wasps. In addition Tachytes argenteus Gussakovskij, 1933 is reported for the first time from Uzbekistan and Cyprus, and Trypoxylon beaumonti Antropov, 1991 is newly recorded from Ukraine.

Gene duplication and subsequent functional diversification of maltase in fig wasp (Chalcidoidea, Hymenoptera).

Maltase can catalyze the hydrolysis of α-1,4-glucosidic linkages and release α-d-glucoses that are used as a source of energy by insects. Maltase has been extensively studied in Lepidoptera and Diptera, while the characterization and evolutionary history of maltase are largely unknown in Hymenoptera. Here, we undertook a bioinformatics study and identified 105 maltase genes in 12 fig wasp species. Together with the maltase genes of Nasonia vitripennis and Apis mellifera, phylogenetic analysis showed that all the maltase genes were clustered into three clades. Clade I and III included maltase genes from all the fig wasp species, while clade II contained the maltase genes from non-pollinating fig wasps (NPFWs) only. Interestingly, the maltase genes located in clade II were intronless. Fig pollinators and NPFWs had lineage-specific gene expansion in clade I and II respectively, which were mainly derived from tandem duplications. The three clades displayed distinct gene structures. Furthermore, maltase showed significant functional divergence among the three clades and the critical amino acid sites were detected. These sites could be responsible for the ligand-binding preference and hydrolytic specificity. Overall, our results demonstrated that maltase might contribute to the discrepancy of life histories and feeding regimes between fig pollinators and NPFWs.

A New Species of Liosphex Townes, 1977 (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae) from the Amazon Forest and New Records for the Genus in Brazil.

Liosphex Townes, 1977 is a genus of solitary wasps belonging to the family Rhopalosomatidae, whose larvae develop as ectoparasitoids of crickets. In this paper, both sexes of a new species of the genus are described, Liosphex amazonensis Bulbol & Somavilla sp. n. Three other species, Liosphex achuar Lohrmann, 2010, Liosphex atratus Lohrmann, 2010, and Liosphex bribri Lohrmann, 2010, are recorded for the first time in Brazil. The male of Liosphex guanabara Lohrmann, 2010 is described for the first time, and the species is registered for the state of Bahia. In addition, the first detailed descriptions and illustrations of male genitalia of three species of the genus, i.e., L. amazonensis sp. n., L. atratus, and L. guanabara, are provided.