Revision of the European species of Calotelea Westwood (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea).

The European species of Calotelea are reviewed: previously known species are redescribed; two new species are described: Calotelea carbonaria n. sp. and Calotelea laminata n. sp.; and a key to all species is given. Calotelea affinis Kozlov & Kononova is a junior synonym of Calotelea elegans (Masi) syn. nov. and Calotelea ruficollis (Szelényi) is transferred to Calliscelio comb. nov. Calotelea laminata n. sp. is the first species of Calotelea belonging to the ocularis group to be recorded from Europe. A morphometric analysis is made of the metasoma of females of all European species of Calotelea.

A review of Western Palaearctic Amblyscelio and Baryconus (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Platygastridae).

The European species of the genera Amblyscelio and Baryconus are reviewed and revised based on morphological data. Females of Amblyscelio striaticeps Kieffer, 1913 and Baryconus graeffei (Kieffer, 1908) are described and the ovipositor of Amblyscelio is illustrated for the first time. The monotypic genus Amblyscelio was previously known only from a single male specimen. Baryconus graeffei is confirmed as a distinct species, while B. orbus Kononova, 2008 is recognized as a junior subjective synonym of B. europaeus (Kieffer, 1908) syn. nov. These findings are supported by a principal component analysis (PCA) of ratios of various distance measurements. Amblyscelio striaticeps is newly recorded from Greece and Slovenia, Baryconus graeffei from France, Greece, Montenegro and Turkey and B. europaeus (Kieffer, 1908) from Croatia, France, Morocco, Portugal, Sicily, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Geodiaprialongiceps Kieffer, 1911 (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae) and synonymy of the genus Geodiapria Kieffer, 1910.

This paper reviews the status of Geodiapria and its nominotypical and only included species G.longiceps. Geodiapria was previously understood to be very similar to, and doubtfully separated from the genus Basalys. We use integrative taxonomy (morphology, DNA-barcoding, phylogenetic tree building) to show that the valid name for what was G.longiceps Kieffer, 1911 is now Basalysrufocinctus (Kiefer, 1911) and that Geodiapria is consequently a junior synonym of Basalyssyn. nov. The following taxa are new synonyms of B.rufocinctus: Loxotropalongiceps Wasmann, 1909, syn. nov., G.longiceps Kieffer, 1911, syn. nov., L.rufosignata Kieffer, 1911, syn. nov. Basalysrufocinctus is newly reported from Corsica, Germany, Norway and Spain.

Endoparasitoid lifestyle promotes endogenization and domestication of dsDNA viruses.

The accidental endogenization of viral elements within eukaryotic genomes can occasionally provide significant evolutionary benefits, giving rise to their long-term retention, that is, to viral domestication. For instance, in some endoparasitoid wasps (whose immature stages develop inside their hosts), the membrane-fusion property of double-stranded DNA viruses have been repeatedly domesticated following ancestral endogenizations. The endogenized genes provide female wasps with a delivery tool to inject virulence factors that are essential to the developmental success of their offspring. Because all known cases of viral domestication involve endoparasitic wasps, we hypothesized that this lifestyle, relying on a close interaction between individuals, may have promoted the endogenization and domestication of viruses. By analyzing the composition of 124 Hymenoptera genomes, spread over the diversity of this clade and including free-living, ecto, and endoparasitoid species, we tested this hypothesis. Our analysis first revealed that double-stranded DNA viruses, in comparison with other viral genomic structures (ssDNA, dsRNA, ssRNA), are more often endogenized and domesticated (that is, retained by selection) than expected from their estimated abundance in insect viral communities. Second, our analysis indicates that the rate at which dsDNA viruses are endogenized is higher in endoparasitoids than in ectoparasitoids or free-living hymenopterans, which also translates into more frequent events of domestication. Hence, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that the endoparasitoid lifestyle has facilitated the endogenization of dsDNA viruses, in turn, increasing the opportunities of domestications that now play a central role in the biology of many endoparasitoid lineages.

Revision of Palaearctic Idiotypa (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae, Diapriinae, Spilomicrini).

A revision of the Palaearctic species of the genus Idiotypa Förster is provided. The genus Eunuchopria Szabó, 1961 is a junior synonym of Idiotypa Förster, 1856 syn. n. and the new combination Idiotypa nitens (Szabó, 1961) comb. n., is established. Dublicate original spellings I. marii and I. mariae are resolved by first reviser action; I. mariae is now the correct original spelling. Lectotypes are designated for Idiotypa mariae and I. maritima. New synonymy is proposed: I. maritima (Haliday, 1833) = I. rufiventris (Thomson, 1858) syn. n.; = I. nigriceps Kieffer, 1909 syn. n.; = I. nigriceps Kieffer, 1911 syn. n. The three valid species I. mariae Gregor, 1939, I. maritima (Haliday, 1833) and I. nitens (Szabó, 1961) are redescribed, illustrated and keyed.

A validated workflow for rapid taxonomic assignment and monitoring of a national fauna of bees (Apiformes) using high throughput DNA barcoding.

Improved taxonomic methods are needed to quantify declining populations of insect pollinators. This study devises a high-throughput DNA barcoding protocol for a regional fauna (United Kingdom) of bees (Apiformes), consisting of reference library construction, a proof-of-concept monitoring scheme, and the deep barcoding of individuals to assess potential artefacts and organismal associations. A reference database of cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1) sequences including 92.4% of 278 bee species known from the UK showed high congruence with morphological taxon concepts, but molecular species delimitations resulted in numerous split and (fewer) lumped entities within the Linnaean species. Double tagging permitted deep Illumina sequencing of 762 separate individuals of bees from a UK-wide survey. Extracting the target barcode from the amplicon mix required a new protocol employing read abundance and phylogenetic position, which revealed 180 molecular entities of Apiformes identifiable to species. An additional 72 entities were ascribed to nuclear pseudogenes based on patterns of read abundance and phylogenetic relatedness to the reference set. Clustering of reads revealed a range of secondary operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in almost all samples, resulting from traces of insect species caught in the same traps, organisms associated with the insects including a known mite parasite of bees, and the common detection of human DNA, besides evidence for low-level cross-contamination in pan traps and laboratory procedures. Custom scripts were generated to conduct critical steps of the bioinformatics protocol. The resources built here will greatly aid DNA-based monitoring to inform management and conservation policies for the protection of pollinators.

Unique extrication structure in a new megaspilid, Dendrocerus scutellaris Trietsch & Mikó (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae).

BACKGROUND: A new species, Dendrocerus scutellaris Trietsch & Mikó (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae), is described here from male and female specimens captured in Costa Rica. This species is the only known ceraphronoid wasp with a straight mandibular surface and raised dorsal projections on the scutellum, called the mesoscutellar comb. It is hypothesised that the function of the mesoscutellar comb is to aid the emergence of the adult from the host, especially since the mandibles lack a pointed surface to tear open the pupal case. The authors also provide phenotypic data in a semantic form to facilitate data integration and accessibility across taxa and provide an updated phenotype bank of morphological characters for megaspilid taxonomic treatments. In updating this phenotype bank, the authors continue to make taxonomic data accessible to future systematic efforts focusing on Ceraphronoidea. NEW INFORMATION: A new species, Dendrocerus scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae) Trietsch & Mikó, is described from both male and female specimens captured in Costa Rica.

New distribution data for some charismatic tramp species of Platygastroidea (Hymenoptera).

This paper documents what we consider to be expanding distributions in three genera of Platygastroidea: Platyscelio Kieffer (Scelionidae), Aphanomerus Perkins (Platygastridae) and Tetrabaeus Kieffer (Platygastridae). Platyscelio africanus Risbec is the first record of Platyscelio in the Western Hemisphere (French Guiana). Aphanomerus is a new record for the continental Nearctic region (USA, Los Angeles) and Tetrabaeus is a new record for the Palaearctic (Ukraine, Georgia, and South Korea) and Sino-Japanese (Japan) regions. Tetrabaeus also expands its known distribution in the Nearctic (Canada and Mexico).        Scanning electron micrographs and brightfield images are provided to enhance knowledge of the morphology of these genera, and to make them more easily recognized in the future. Tetrabaeus americanus (Brues, 1909) and Aphanomerus rufescens Perkins, 1905 are redescribed.

Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - Platygastroidea.

BACKGROUND: A revised checklist of the British and Irish Platygastroidea (Platygastridae) substantially updates the previous comprehensive checklist, dating from 1978. Distribution data (i.e. occurrence in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man) is reported where known. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 381 British and Irish Platygastroidea represents a 47% increase on the number of British and Irish species reported in 1978.