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The order Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, sawflies, and bees) represents one of the most diverse animal lineages, but whether specific key innovations have contributed to its diversification is still unknown. We assembled the largest time-calibrated phylogeny of Hymenoptera to date and investigated the origin and possible correlation of particular morphological and behavioral innovations with diversification in the order: the wasp waist of Apocrita; the stinger of Aculeata; parasitoidism, a specialized form of carnivory; and secondary phytophagy, a reversal to plant-feeding. Here, we show that parasitoidism has been the dominant strategy since the Late Triassic in Hymenoptera, but was not an immediate driver of diversification. Instead, transitions to secondary phytophagy (from parasitoidism) had a major influence on diversification rate in Hymenoptera. Support for the stinger and the wasp waist as key innovations remains equivocal, but these traits may have laid the anatomical and behavioral foundations for adaptations more directly associated with diversification. Hymenoptera is an incredibly diverse order, with numerous behavioral and morphological innovations. Here, the authors compile a time-calibrated Hymenoptera phylogeny and find that secondary transitions to phytophagy, plant feeding, are associated with significant increases in diversification rate in this group.

A new species of the genus Chrysonotomyia Ashmead, Chrysonotomyia susbelli sp. nov. , is described from the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas, USA. The species is a parasitoid emerging from Neuroterus nr. bussae galls in leaves of the southern live oak ( Quercus virginiana ). This represents the 6 th species described from North America north of Mexico and the first in the world known to parasitize cynipid gall wasps. This discovery hints at an entire undiscovered niche between Chrysonotomyia parasitoids, cynipid gall wasps, and oaks in the Nearctic, which is a global biodiversity hotspot for oaks and cynipids. This new species description is complemented by mtDNA-COI-barcode data and information on the natural history of this species. We record host association, phenology, and report a leaf-scanning behavior performed by females, presumably to search for host galls. Modifications to the key of New World members of the genus (Hansson 2004) are included to integrate this new species.

In a paper about the description of Kavayva , a new genus of Eurytomidae (Zhang et al. 2021) The indication of repository for the type specimens were missing. We regret this omission, and provide the missing information below. MUSM – Natural History Museum of the San Marcos University, Lima, Peru UFGD – Museum of Biodiversity of the Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados-MS, Brazil USNM – United States National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA. Kavayva bodoquenensis Zhang, Silvestre, & Gates, sp. nov. Holotype female deposited at USNM. Paratypes deposited at USNM [12F, 13M] and UFGD [8F, 3M]. Kavayva davidsmithi Zhang & Gates, sp. nov. Holotype female deposited at MUSM. Paratypes deposited at USNM [1F, 1M].

A new genus of a Neotropical gall inducing tetrastichine eulophid on Araceae is described and confirmed using Ultraconserved Elements (UCE) phylogenomic data. Arastichus Gates, Hanson, Jansen-González & Zhang, gen. nov. , includes two new species and one species transferred from Aprostocetus Westwood: A. capipunctata Gates, Hanson, Jansen-González & Zhang, sp. nov. , A. gallicola (Ferrière), comb. nov. , and A. gibernau , Gates, Hanson, Jansen-González & Zhang, sp. nov.

A two-year study evaluated the effect of a flowering border of buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench on rates of egg parasitism, egg predation and adult parasitism on two squash bug species, Anasa tristis (DeGeer) and Anasa armigera Say, by comparing rates in squash fields with and without a flowering border. Furthermore, we evaluated whether there was an edge effect by comparing parasitism and predation rates in plots located in the corner of a squash field with plots located in the center of a squash field for fields with and without a flowering border. The egg parasitism rates were not affected by either treatment (flowering border or control) or plot location (edge or center). Anasa armigera egg masses only accounted for 4.3% of the total egg masses collected. The egg parasitism rates increased gradually throughout the season, peaking in the last week of August in 2017 at 45% for A. tristis egg masses. The most common egg parasitoid recovered was Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead) followed by Ooencyrtus anasae (Ashmead). Adult parasitism was not affected by treatment, but A. tristis adult parasitism rates were higher in plots located on the edge of squash fields compared with plots located in the center of squash fields in 2016. Since adult parasitoid, Trichopoda pennipes (Fabricius) flies were observed visiting buckwheat flowers, future studies could explore the possibility that the flowering buckwheat may have a more impact on adult parasitism if there was a greater distance between fields with and without a flowering border.

We report the discovery of two wasp species emerging from egg sacs of the spider Cyrtophora citricola (Forskål 1775) collected from mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. We identify one as Philolema palanichamyi (Narendran 1984) (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) and the other as a member of the Pediobius pyrgo (Walker 1839) species group (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae). This is the first report of Philolema in Europe, and the first documentation of hymenopteran egg predators of C. citricola . The latter finding is particularly relevant, given the multiple invasive populations of C. citricola in the Americas and the Caribbean, where neither egg sac predation nor parasitism is known to occur. We describe rates of emergence by Ph. palanichamyi from spider egg sacs collected from the southern coast of Spain and estimate sex ratios and body size variation among males and females. We also re-describe Ph. palanichamyi based on the female holotype and male paratype specimens.

Eurytomids are small parasitic wasps associated with many communities of phytophagous insects. In most cases, the accurate identification of eurytomids is impeded by inadequate species descriptions that do not include figures of diagnostic features, and keys that are difficult to use. Here, diagnostic features and redescriptions are provided for both sexes of the eurytomids associated with galls induced by cynipid wasps of the genus Diplolepis Geoffroy found on shrub roses across Canada. Consequently, six species of Eurytoma Illiger, along with Tenuipetiolus ruber Bugbee, are dealt with. One new species, Eurytoma shorthousei Zhang & Gates, sp. n., is described. Two species are synonymized, E. hebes Bugbee, 1973 and E. spina Bugbee, 1951 under E. longavena Bugbee, 1951, syn. n. Several new host and distribution records are reported. A dichotomous key is provided for both sexes of all seven species using photographs and scanning electron microscopy images.

We provide recommendations for sampling and identification of introduced larval parasitoids of spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). These parasitoids are either under consideration for importation (aka classical) biological control introductions, or their adventive (presumed to have been accidentally introduced) populations have recently been discovered in North America and Europe. Within the context of the ecology of D. suzukii and its parasitoids, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of estimating larval parasitism levels using different methods, including naturally collected fruit samples and sentinel baits. For most situations, we recommend repeated sampling of naturally occurring fruit rather than using sentinel baits to monitor seasonal dynamics of host plant–Drosophila–parasitoid associations. We describe how to separate Drosophilidae puparia from host fruit material in order to accurately estimate parasitism levels and establish host–parasitoid associations. We provide instructions for identification of emerging parasitoids and include a key to the common families of parasitoids of D. suzukii. We anticipate that the guidelines for methodology and interpretation of results that we provide here will form the basis for a large, multi-research team sampling effort in the coming years to characterize the biological control and nontarget impacts of accidentally and intentionally introduced larval parasitoids of D. suzukii in several regions of the world.

Oobius Trjapitzin (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae) species are egg parasitoids that are important for the biological control of some Buprestidae and Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Two species, Oobiusagrili Zhang & Huang and Oobiuslongoi (Siscaro), were introduced into North America for classical biocontrol and have successfully established. Two new native North American species that parasitize eggs of Agrilus spp. (Buprestidae) are described and illustrated from the USA: Oobiusminusculus Triapitsyn & Petrice, sp. n. (Michigan), an egg parasitoid of both Agrilussubcinctus Gory on ash (Fraxinus spp.) and Agrilusegenus Gory on black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia L.) trees, and Oobiuswhiteorum Triapitsyn, sp. n. (Pennsylvania), an egg parasitoid of Agrilusanxius Gory on European white birch (Betulapendula Roth). A taxonomic key and notes on the Nearctic native and introduced Oobius species are also included.

Longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) include many species that are among the most damaging pests of managed and natural forest ecosystems worldwide. Many species of cerambycids use volatile chemical signals (i.e., pheromones) to locate mates. Pheromones are often used by natural enemies, including parasitoids, to locate hosts and therefore can be useful tools for identifying host-parasitoid relationships. In two field experiments, we baited linear transects of sticky traps with pheromones of cerambycid beetles in the subfamily Cerambycinae. Enantiomeric mixtures of four linear alkanes or four linear alkanes and a ketol were tested separately to evaluate their attractiveness to hymenopteran parasitoids. We hypothesized that parasitoids would be attracted to these pheromones. Significant treatment effects were found for 10 species of parasitoids. Notably, Wroughtonia ligator (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was attracted to syn-hexanediols, the pheromone constituents of its host, Neoclytus acuminatus acuminatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Location and time of sampling also significantly affected responses for multiple species of parasitoids. These findings contribute to the basic understanding of cues that parasitoids use to locate hosts and suggest that pheromones can be used to hypothesize host relationships between some species of cerambycids and their parasitoids. Future work should evaluate response by known species of parasitoids to the complete blends of pheromones used by the cerambycids they attack, as well as other odors that are associated with host trees of cerambycids.