A revision of the Chinese Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera, Evanioidea)

New species records of Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera, Evanioidea) from Eastern Uruguay

In this study, the Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera, Evanioidea) collected in three environments at the Department of Rocha, in Eastern Uruguay, were documented based on a survey carried out with Malaise traps between December 2014 and December 2016. During the samplings, four species of Gasteruption Latreille, 1796 were captured, being 14 females and three males of Gasteruption brachychaetun Schrottky, 1906; eight females and five males of Gasteruption brasiliense (Blanchard, 1840); one female of Gasteruption helenae Macedo, 2011 and one female of Gasteruption brandaoi Macedo, 2011. Gasteruption brachychaetun, G. helenae and G. brandaoi are recorded by the first time from Uruguay.

An illustrated key to the species of Gasteruption Latreille (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae) from Palaearctic China, with description of four new species

Four new species of the genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1797 (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Gasteruptiidae: Gasteruptiinae) are described from China. Three are from Shaanxi (NW China; G. granulatum Tan & van Achterberg, sp. nov., G. pedion Tan & van Achterberg, sp. nov., and G. reductum Tan & van Achterberg, sp. nov.) and one from S China and Ningxia (G. kexinae Tan & van Achterberg, sp. nov.). Eleven species are newly recorded for Shaanxi (G. abeillei Kieffer, 1912, G. amoyense Pasteels, 1958, G. bimaculatum Pasteels, 1958, G. corniculigerum Enderlein, 1913, G. latitibia Zhao, van Achterberg & Xu, 2012, G. minutum (Tournier, 1877), G. nigritarse (Thomson, 1883), G. parvicollarium Enderlein, 1913, G. sinarum Kieffer, 1911, G. subtile (Thomson, 1883) and G. brevicuspis Kieffer, 1911). The newly-recorded species and the new species are keyed and illustrated. Two new synonyms are proposed: G. rufescenticorne Enderlein, 1913, with G. japonicum Cameron, 1888, syn. nov. and G. oriplanum Kieffer, 1911, with G. minutum (Tournier, 1877), syn. nov.

Molecular diversity and species delimitation in the family Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea)

Gasteruptiidae Ashmead is an easily recognised family of wasps with ∼589 described species worldwide. Although well characterised by traditional taxonomy, multiple authors have commented on the extreme morphological uniformity of the group, making species-level identification difficult. This problem is enhanced by the lack of molecular data and molecular phylogenetic research for the group. We used 187 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes to explore the efficiency of sequence data to delimitate species in Gasteruptiidae. We undertook a graphical and discussion-based comparison of six methods for species delimitation, with the success of methods judged based on known species boundaries and morphology. Both distance-based (ABGD and jMOTU threshold analysis) and tree-based (GMYC and PTP) methods compared across multiple parameters recovered variable molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), ranging from 55 to 123 MOTUs. Tree-based methods tended to split known morphological species less than distance-based methods, with the single-threshold GMYC method the most concordant with known morphospecies. Our results suggest that the incorporation of molecular species delimitation techniques provides a powerful tool to assist in the interpretation of species and help direct informed decisions with taxonomic uncertainty in the family.

Review of the biology and host associations of the wasp genus Gasteruption (Evanioidea: Gasteruptiidae)

Gasteruption is an easily recognized genus of wasps whose larvae are predator-inquilines in the nests of cavity-nesting solitary bees (Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae), with some records for solitary wasps as hosts (Crabronidae, Vespidae and Sphecidae). There is conflicting information about the biology and host associations for the genus because of a lack of information from the majority of biogeographical regions in the world. Here we concatenate all available literature records pertaining to the biology of adults, host associations and larval development. We conclude that bee hosts are more readily used compared to wasp hosts (71 bee, 13 wasp species), with the majority of wasp observations without sufficient data to be confident of the host association. The majority of known records are for hosts nesting in cavity nests (76 species) rather than ground nests (eight species), with most species recorded from a single host association. From available data, the approximate rates of host nests with parasitized broods are low: 4–7%. We also provide suggestions for improving the quality of future observations in the group.

Revision of the Palaearctic Gasteruption assectator aggregate, with special reference to Sweden (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae)

The Palaearctic species of the Gasteruptionassectator aggregate (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae) are revised and three species are recognised. Two species are re-instated: Gasteruptionboreale (Thomson, 1883), stat. n. and Gasteruptionnigritarse (Thomson, 1883), stat. n., and both are excluded from the synonymy with Gasteruptionassectator (Linnaeus, 1758). The general distribution of both species is given for Europe and in detail for Sweden. A key to the valid Palaearctic species of the Gasteruptionassectator aggregate is given; key characters and primary types are illustrated. Four new synonyms are listed: Foenusfumipennis Thomson, 1883, Trichofoenusbreviterebrae Watanabe, 1934, and Gasteruptionmargotae Madl, 1987, are synonymized with Gasteruptionboreale (Thomson, 1883) and Gasteruptionbrevicauda Kieffer, 1904, with Gasteruptionundulatum (Abeille de Perrin, 1879).

Four new species of Gasteruption Latreille from NW China, with an illustrated key to the species from Palaearctic China (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae)

Four new species of the genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1796 (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Gasteruptiidae: Gasteruptiinae) are reported from NW China: three from Shaanxi province and one from Ningxia province. The new species (Gasteruption bicoloratum Tan & van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruption huangshii Tan & van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruption pannuceum Tan & van Achterberg, sp. n., and Gasteruption shengi Tan & van Achterberg, sp. n.) and three newly recorded species (Gasteruption sinepunctatum Zhao, van Achterberg & Xu, 2012, Gasteruption boreale (Thomson, 1883) and Gasteruption oshimense Watanabe, 1924) are keyed and fully illustrated. In total, seven species are known from Shaanxi province, which is approximately half of the expected number. The East Palaearctic specimens provisionally identified as Gasteruption tournieri Schletterer, 1885, by Zhao et al. (2012) are included under Gasteruption oshimense Watanabe, 1924.

Review of Gasteruption Latreille (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae) from Iran and Turkey, with the description of 15 new species

The genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1796 (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Gasteruptiidae: Gasteruptiinae) from North Iran and Turkey is revised, keyed and fully illustrated for the first time. In total 36 species are treated of which 33 are recorded from Turkey and 23 from Iran. Fifteen species are new for science: Gasteruptionaciculatum van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionagrenum van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionbrevibasale van Achterberg & Saure, sp. n., Gasteruptioncoriacoxale van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionflavimarginatum van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionheminitidum van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionhenseni van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionischnolaimum van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionnigrapiculatum van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionpaglianoi van Achterberg & Saure, sp. n., Gasteruptionpseudolaticeps van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionpunctifrons van Achterberg, sp. n., Gasteruptionschmideggeri van Achterberg & Saure, sp. n., Gasteruptionscorteum van Achterberg, sp. n. and Gasteruptionsmitorum van Achterberg, sp. n. Twenty-one species are reported new for Turkey and 16 species new for Iran. Fifteen new synonyms are proposed: Foenusterrestris Tournier, 1877, Gasteruptiontrifossulatum Kieffer, 1904, and Gasteruptionignoratum Kieffer, 1912, of Gasteruptioncaucasicum (Guérin-Méneville, 1844); Gasteruptiondaisyi Alekseev, 1993, of Gasteruptiondolichoderum Schletterer, 1889; Gasteruptionassectatorvar.nitidulum Schletterer, 1885, of Gasteruptionfreyi (Tournier, 1877); Gasteruptionschossmannae Madl, 1987, of Gasteruptionhastator (Fabricius, 1804); Gasteryptionfallaciosum Semenov, 1892, Gasteruptiondubiosum Semenov, 1892 and Gasteruptionobsoletum Semenov, 1892, of Gasteruptioninsidiosum Semenov, 1892; Gasteryptionschewyrewi Semenov, 1892, of Gasteruptionjaculator (Linnaeus, 1758); Gasteruptionfloreum Szépligeti, 1903, of Gasteruptionlugubre Schletterer, 1889; Gasteruptiontrichotomma Kieffer, 1904, and Gasteruptionpalaestinum Pic, 1916, of Gasteruptionmerceti Kieffer, 1904; Gasteryptionfoveiceps Semenov, 1892, of Gasteruptionnigrescens Schletterer, 1885, and Gasteruptionlibanense Pic, 1916, of Gasteruptionsyriacum Szépligeti, 1903. Gasteruptionlugubre Schletterer, 1889, is recognised as a valid species. Lectotypes are designated for Ichneumonassectator Linnaeus, 1758; Ichneumonjaculator Linnaeus, 1758; Foenusterrestris Tournier, 1877; Foenusfreyi Tournier, 1877; Foenusnigripes Tournier, 1877; Foenusgoberti Tournier, 1877; Foenusgranulithorax Tournier, 1877; Foenusminutus Tournier, 1877; Foenusborealis Thomson, 1883; Faenusdiversipes Abeille de Perrin, 1879; Foenusrugulosus Abeille de Perrin, 1879; Faenusobliteratus Abeille de Perrin, 1879; Faenusundulatum Abeille de Perrin, 1879; Faenusvariolosus Abeille de Perrin, 1879; Gasteruptiondistinguendum Schletterer, 1885; Gasteruptionlaeviceps Schletterer, 1885; Gasteruptionthomsonii Schletterer, 1885; Gasteruptionfoveolatum Schletterer, 1889; Gasteruptionsowae Schletterer, 1901; Gasteruptionfoveolum Szépligeti, 1903; Gasteruptionfloreum Szépligeti, 1903; Gasteruptioncaudatum Szépligeti, 1903; Gasteruptionsyriacum Szépligeti, 1903; Gasteruptionmerceti Kieffer, 1904 and Gasteruptionignoratum Kieffer, 1912. A neotype is designated for Gasteruptiontournieri Schletterer, 1885.