Chromosomal organization of different repetitive sequences in four wasp species of the genus Trypoxylon Latreille (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) and insights into the composition of wasp telomeres.

This study characterizes the chromosomal organization of DNA repetitive sequences and the karyotypic evolution in four representatives of the solitary wasp genus Trypoxylon using conventional and molecular cytogenetic techniques. Our findings present the first cytogenetic data for Trypoxylon rogenhoferi (2n = 30) and Trypoxylon albonigrum (2n = 32), while the karyotypes of Trypoxylon nitidum (2n = 30) and Trypoxylon lactitarse (2n = 30) were similar to those previously described. Fluorochrome staining and microsatellite distribution data revealed differences in the constitutive heterochromatin composition among species. Trypoxylon nitidum and T. albonigrum exhibited one major rDNA cluster, potentially representing an ancestral pattern for aculeate Hymenoptera, while T. rogenhoferi and T. lactitarse showed two pericentromeric rRNA gene sites, suggesting amplification events in their ancestral clade. The (TCAGG)n motif hybridized in the terminal regions of the chromosomes in all four Trypoxylon species, which may suggest that this sequence represents DNA telomeric repeat. Notably, the presence of this repetitive sequence in the centromeric regions of certain chromosome pairs in two species supports the hypothesis of chromosomal fusions or inversions in the ancestral karyotype of Trypoxylon. The study expands the chromosomal mapping data of repetitive sequences in wasps and offers insights into the dynamic evolutionary landscape of karyotypes in these insects.

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.

Interspecific interactions in solitary Aculeata - is the presence of heterospecifics important for females establishing nests?

There are several possible causes of aggregated nesting in solitary Aculeata, one being joint defense against parasites. We tested whether females prefer nesting in aggregations, even if they consist of heterospecifics. We compared the colonization and nesting parasitism of trap-nests with and without a red mason bee aggregation. The results did not support our hypothesis that females prefer nesting in aggregations. The numbers of wild Aculeata nests did not differ between trap-nests with and without an aggregation. Unexpectedly, parasitism rates were higher in trap-nests with aggregations. When analyzing only nests of wild insects (mostly wasps), the differences in parasitism disappeared. Natural nesting sites may be such a limited resource that females nested in the first trap-nest they encountered and did not discriminate between our treatments, or wasps might share too few parasites species with bees to benefit from joint nest defense.

The potter wasp genus Allorhynchium from Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species and a new country record (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae).

Species of the potter wasp genus Allorhynchium van der Vecht (Eumeninae: Odynerini) occurring in Vietnam are presented. Seven species have been recorded from Vietnam. Of them, three species are described as new to science: Allorhynchiumlatum Nguyen, Tran & MT Nguyen, sp. nov., A.moerum Nguyen & AD Nguyen, sp. nov., and A.setosum Nguyen & Engel, sp. nov., and one species, A.argentatum (Fabricius, 1804), is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. An updated key to the Oriental species of the genus is presented.

Mastoparans: A Group of Multifunctional α-Helical Peptides With Promising Therapeutic Properties.

Biologically active peptides have been attracting increasing attention, whether to improve the understanding of their mechanisms of action or in the search for new therapeutic drugs. Wasp venoms have been explored as a remarkable source for these molecules. In this review, the main findings on the group of wasp linear cationic α-helical peptides called mastoparans were discussed. These compounds have a wide variety of biological effects, including mast cell degranulation, activation of protein G, phospholipase A2, C, and D activation, serotonin and insulin release, and antimicrobial, hemolytic, and anticancer activities, which could lead to the development of new therapeutic agents.

A Short Review of the Venoms and Toxins of Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae).

Parasitoid wasps represent the plurality of venomous animals, but have received extremely little research in proportion to this taxonomic diversity. The lion's share of investigation into insect venoms has focused on eusocial hymenopterans, but even this small sampling shows great promise for the development of new active substances. The family Pompilidae is known as the spider wasps because of their reproductive habits which include hunting for spiders, delivering a paralyzing sting, and entombing them in burrows with one of the wasp's eggs to serve as food for the developing larva. The largest members of this family, especially the tarantula hawks of the genus Pepsis, have attained notoriety for their large size, dramatic coloration, long-term paralysis of their prey, and incredibly painful defensive stings. In this paper we review the existing research regarding the composition and function of pompilid venoms, discuss parallels from other venom literatures, identify possible avenues for the adaptation of pompilid toxins towards human purposes, and future directions of inquiry for the field.

Preliminary assessment of cavity-nesting Hymenopterans in a low-intensity agricultural landscape in Transylvania.

In this study, our aim was to assess several traits of cavity-nesting Hymenopteran taxa in a low-intensity agricultural landscape in Transylvania. The study took place between May and August 2018 at eight study sites in the hilly mountainous central part of Romania, where the majority of the landscape is used for extensive farming or forestry. During the processing of the trap nest material, we recorded several traits regarding the nests of different cavity-nesting Hymenopteran taxa and the spider prey found inside the nests of the spider-hunting representatives of these taxa. We also evaluated the relationship between the edge density and proportion of low-intensity agricultural areas surrounding the study sites and some of these traits. The majority of nests were built by the solitary wasp genus Trypoxylon, followed by the solitary wasp taxa Dipogon and Eumeninae. Solitary bees were much less common, with Hylaeus being the most abundant genus. In the nests of Trypoxylon, we mostly found spider prey from the family of Araneidae, followed by specimens from the families of Linyphiidae and Theridiidae. In the nests of Dipogon, we predominantly encountered spider prey from the family of Thomisidae. We found significant effects of low-intensity agricultural areas for the genera of Auplopus, Megachile, Osmia, and the Thomisid prey of Dipogon. We also found that the spider prey of Trypoxylon was significantly more diverse at study sites with higher proportions of low-intensity agricultural areas. Our results indicate that solitary bees seem to be more abundant in areas, where the influence of human activities is stronger, while solitary wasps seem to rather avoid these areas. Therefore, we suggest that future studies not only should put more effort into sampling in low-intensity agricultural landscapes but also focus more on solitary wasp taxa, when sampling such an area.

Mutual and Opposing Responses of Carabid Beetles and Predatory Wasps to Local and Landscape Factors in Vineyards.

Preserving agro-biodiversity is one of the main means at the moment to counteract the global biodiversity crisis. Vineyard inter-rows offer vegetation covers which could function as foraging grounds for arthropods. Furthermore, organic management and enhanced landscape complexity often support biodiversity. Here, species richness and abundance of two groups of arthropod predators in vineyards were studied. Fifteen pairs of organically and conventionally managed vineyards were chosen along a gradient of landscape complexity in Rhine-Hesse, Germany. Carabid beetles were sampled using pitfall traps and cavity-nesting wasps with trap nests, respectively. Proportions of different land-use types surrounding the vineyards were calculated and inter-row vegetation cover was characterized. Species richness and abundances of both predator groups were not significantly affected by the management system. Likewise, increased cover of semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape did not promote their diversity or abundance. Instead, the increasing cover of annual crops diminished both groups. Cavity-nesting wasps profited from dense inter-row vegetation cover, while carabids were disadvantaged. The results indicate that distinct taxa within the same trophic group can respond oppositely to vineyard management. Thus, inter-row vegetation management with densely and sparsely vegetated elements might be best to support predator diversity. Overall, our results suggest that organic viticulture alone is insufficient to assist the studied insect groups, and that other local and landscape management options are needed for their protection.

Taxonomic study on the genus Pseudozumia de Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with description of a new species.

A taxonomic study on the genus Pseudozumia de Saussure from Vietnam is presented. One species previously identified as Pseudozumia indica indica (de Saussure, 1855) is described as new, namely P. cucphuongensis Nguyen, sp. nov. The second species, P. indica (de Saussure) has two subspecies occurring in Vietnam, P. indica indica (de Saussure) from northern part and P. indica borneana Giordani Soika from southern part which is newly recorded from Vietnam. A key to the Oriental species of the genus is also given.

On the genus Gastrodynerus Bohart, 1984 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae).

The genus Gastrodynerus is here revised based on external morphology and male genitalia. Bohart (1984) proposed Gastrodynerus as a new genus with three species: G. vanduzeei (Bohart 1948), G. searsi Bohart, 1984, and G. stangei Bohart, 1984. Later, Rodriguez-Palafox (1996) added G. tacubayae (de Saussure, 1857). Herein, we describe four new species from Central America and South America: G. guatemalensis sp. nov.; G. barretti sp. nov.; G. aimara sp. nov. and G. yungaensis sp. nov. After this taxonomic revision, the Gastrodynerus includes eight species widely distributed in the New World. An identification key is provided for all of the species.

Taxonomic studies on the genus Orancistrocerus van der Vecht, 1963 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with description of a new species.

Two species of the genus Orancistrocerus van der Vecht, 1963 from Vietnam are recorded. Of them, a new species, O. altus sp. nov. from Lang Son province in the northern part of Vietnam is described and illustrated. In addition, one subspecies, O. aterrimus nigriceps van der Vecht, 1963 is newly recorded from China.

Genus-group names of Mutillidae (Hymenoptera): corrections and updates since 2008.

Information is provided for 38 genus-group names in Mutillidae, of which 13 have been proposed as new since 2008. For 14 names, additional information is provided beyond that given in Lelej Brothers (2008), including a new synonymy (Cameronilla Lelej in Lelej Krombein, 2001 = Spilomutilla Ashmead, 1903). One additional nomen nudum and ten additional incorrect spellings discovered since 2008 are also included. Corrections to the dating and/or numbering of references and addition of references found to have been omitted in the earlier paper are also provided.

Zethus (Zethus) pilosus Zavattari, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Southern Brazil: description of the female, the male genitalia, its nest and notes on biology.

Zethus is the largest vespid genus and, despite being very diverse in the Neotropical region, little is known about its biology and many species are known from only one sex. Zethini are centered in one of the controversies involving Vespidae phylogeny; increased knowledge of terminals will allow for more precise analyses, because some phylogenetically informative characters are observed in only one sex and others can be extracted from nests. With this in mind, complementary knowledge on Zethus pilosus is presented: the description of the female, of the male genitalia, of the nest and notes in its biology. Additional key features in the pronotum for identification of this species are provided. Nests were founded between December and April, presenting construction of partitions out of a combination of mud, sand, vegetable matter and insect parts. Development from egg to adult lasted an average of 39 days.

New records of eumenine wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Russia with description of a new species of Leptochilus de Saussure, 1853.

New additions to the knowledge of the subfamily Eumeninae in Russia are provided. Leptochilus (Lionotulus) leleji Fateryga, sp. nov. is described from Altai Republic. Males of Ancistrocerus hangaicus Kurzenko, 1977 and Jucancistrocerus (Eremodynerus) minutepunctatus Giordani Soika, 1970 are described for the first time; the latter species is transferred from the nominotypical subgenus to the subgenus Eremodynerus Blüthgen, 1939. The genus Tachyancistrocerus Giordani Soika, 1952 and six species of eumenine wasps are reported from Russia for the first time: Discoelius pictus Kostylev, 1940a, Euodynerus (Euodynerus) curictensis Blüthgen, 1940, E. (E.) hellenicus Blüthgen, 1942, E. (E.) rufinus Blüthgen, 1942, Eustenancistrocerus (Eustenancistrocerus) jerichoensis (von Schulthess, 1928), and Tachyancistrocerus schmidti (Kokujev, 1913); E. hellenicus is also reported from Georgia and Azerbaijan. New regional records for nine species are reported. Three species are excluded from the fauna of Russia: Eustenancistrocerus (Eustenancistrocerus) tegularis (Morawitz, 1885), Odynerus (Odynerus) tristis (Blüthgen, 1939), and Stenodynerus aequisculptus (Kostylev, 1940b). The known fauna of Russia now numbers 34 genera and 162 species of eumenine wasps.

Description of Males from Three Species of Eumeninae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae).

The external morphology and genitalia of the males of Stenonartonia mimica (Kohl 1907), Sphaeromenes discrepatus Giordani Soika, 1978 and Gamma bolivianum flavior Giordani Soika, 1990 are described for the first time.

Bembicine wasps (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae: Bembicini, except Gorytina) of Rio de Janeiro State (southeast Brazil): inventory of species and notes on biology / Vespas bembicíneas (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae: Bembicini, exceto Gorytina) do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (sudeste do Brasil): inventário de espécies e notas sobre biologia

An inventory of the bembicine wasps (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae: Bembicini, except Gorytina) found in Rio de Janeiro State is provided, based on the revision of the literature and on the examination of the entomological collections of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (CEIOC) and Museu Nacional - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). Original biological notes on Rubrica nasuta (Christ, 1791), Stictia signata signata (Linnaeus, 1758) and Stictia punctata (Fabricius, 1775) are also provided.

Um inventário das vespas bembicíneas (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae: Bembicini, exceto Gorytina) encontradas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro é fornecido, com base na revisão da literatura e exame das coleções entomológicas do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (CEIOC) e Museu Nacional - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). Também são fornecidas notas biológicas originais sobre Rubrica nasuta (Christ, 1791), Stictia signata signata (Linnaeus, 1758) e Stictia punctata (Fabricius, 1775).

Forest fragments' contribution to the natural biological control of Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Maize

The present work evaluated the influence of forest distance on predatory solitary wasps' abundance and richness and its relation to the natural biological control of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith - Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in maize. The study consisted of two parallel lines of six experimental maize plots located at an increasing distance from a forest edge. Four trap-nests were placed in the vertices of each plot of the first line to evaluate the abundance and species richness of predatory solitary wasps. The larvae of the fall armyworm were sampled weekly by inspecting ten randomly chosen plants per plot. Predatory solitary wasp abundance (but not species richness) decreased whilst the fall armyworm abundance increased with the distance from the forest. Moreover, population densities of predatory solitary wasps and the fall armyworm were negatively correlated. Results suggested that the crop plantations located near forest fragments might benefit from the reduced pest problems as a result of increased natural biological control.

Sphecidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Rio de Janeiro State (Southeast Brazil): new geographic records and remarks on faunal distribution / Sphecidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Sudeste do Brasil): novos registros geograficos e notas sobre distribuicao da fauna

Aiming to improve the database produced during the project Diversity of the Atlantic Forest of the Rio de Janeiro State, new geographic records of sphecid wasps in Rio de Janeiro State are provided. The sphecid fauna found in the sandy coastal plains, lowland forested areas and highland areas on the Serra dos Órgãos are compared and an estimate of the total number of species of Sphecidae from Rio de Janeiro State is provided.

Com o objetivo de incrementar o banco de dados produzido durante o projeto Diversidade da Mata Atlântica do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, novos registros geográficos de vespas esfecídeas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro são fornecidos. A fauna de esfecídeos encontrada em planície costeira arenosa, áreas baixas florestadas e áreas altas da Serra dos Órgãos são comparadas e uma estimativa do número total de espécies encontrada no Estado do Rio de Janeiro é fornecida.