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Two new species of Diodontus Curtis, 1834 (Hymenoptera: Pemphredonidae) are described. Diodontus polytylus Budrys new species is widespread in North Africa, from Libya and Chad to Morocco, as well as in southern Spain and Portugal. Diodontus guichardi Budrys new species was found in several localities in Morocco. The new species have small differences in their morphology; however, they can be easily separated using molecular characters. Comparison of 17 molecular markers has revealed that the highest evolutionary divergence is observed in mitochondrial gene ND6 and internal transcribed spacer ITS2. The variable regions of the nuclear rDNA genes 18S and 28S demonstrated the lowest evolutionary divergence; thus they were of the least use for species identification. The most coherent reconstruction of phylogeny, in comparison to other groups of markers, was obtained using exons of nuclear protein-coding genes. A provisional key to the species of D. minutus (Fabricius, 1793) species group of the Mediterranean Region is presented.

The Chrysididae are a group of cleptoparasitic and parasitoid aculeate wasps with a large number of rare and endangered species. The taxonomy of this group has long been confusing due to the similarity of species and extensive intraspecific variation. We present for the first time a comprehensive dichotomous key for all 74 species found in the Nordic and Baltic countries. In addition to diagnostic characters, information on the distribution and biology of each species is also presented. A new species, Chrysis borealis Paukkunen, Ødegaard & Soon, sp. n. is described on the basis of specimens collected from Fennoscandia. Chrysis gracillima Förster, 1853 is recorded as new to the Nordic and Baltic countries. Morphology, distribution, phenology, host species, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Chrysis borealis sp. n.

The mason wasp Odynerus spinipes shows an exceptional case of intrasexual cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile dimorphism. Females of this species display one of two CHC profiles (chemotypes) that differ qualitatively and quantitatively from each other. The ratio of the two chemotypes was previously shown to be close to 1:1 at three sites in Southern Germany, which might not be representative given the Palearctic distribution of the species. To infer the frequency of the two chemotypes across the entire distributional range of the species, we analyzed with GC–MS the CHC profile of 1042 dry-mounted specimens stored in private and museum collections. We complemented our sampling by including 324 samples collected and preserved specifically for studying their CHCs. We were capable of reliably identifying the chemotypes in 91% of dry-mounted samples, some of which collected almost 200 years ago. We found both chemotypes to occur in the Far East, the presumed glacial refuge of the species, and their frequency to differ considerably between sites and geographic regions. The geographic structure in the chemotype frequencies could be the result of differential selection regimes and/or different dispersal routes during the colonization of the Western Palearctic. The presented data pave the route for disentangling these factors by providing information where to geographically sample O. spinipes for population genetic analyses. They also form the much-needed basis for future studies aiming to understand the evolutionary and geographic origin as well as the genetics of the astounding CHC profile dimorphism that O. spinipes females exhibit.

The cuckoo wasp genus Pseudochrysis Semenov, 1891 is currently treated by several authors as a junior subjective synonym of Euchroeus Latreille, 1809, due to a type species designation by O. W. Richards in 1935. In the original description of the genus Pseudochrysis , Semenov (1891)distinguished two subordinated taxa within the genus Pseudochrysis : the subgenus Pseudochrysis and the subgenus Spintharis (sensuDahlbom 1854). Semenov included three species in the subgenus Spintharis, but failed to mention any species included in the nominal subgenus. He was the first author, however, who listed in a subsequent publication (Semenov 1892) eleven species to be included in the nominal subgenus. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999, Art. 67.2.2), these eleven species are deemed to have been listed in the original description. One of these, Chrysura humboldti Dahlbom, 1845, was explicitly designated bySemenov (1892)as type species of Pseudochrysis . We therefore consider the designation of Pseudochrysis ( Spintharis) virgo Semenov, 1891 as type species of Pseudochrysis byRichards (1935)as invalid. The currently widely used genus name Pseudospinolia Linsenmaier, 1951 (type species Chrysis uniformis Dahlbom, 1854) is consequently to be regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Pseudochrysis , given the current circumscription of the genus Pseudospinolia (including both Pseudospinolia humboldti and Pseudospinolia uniformis ).

Cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae) are a medium-sized and widespread family of Hymenoptera whose species are generally parasitoids or cleptoparasites of solitary wasps and bees. The identities of the hosts are known from various studies and occasional records: however the utility of such data is often low due to unstable taxonomy of the species and the inappropriate methods used to determine the host species. Therefore, despite numerous publications on the subject, the host-parasite relationships of cuckoo wasps are poorly understood. Moreover, a revision of existing literature reveals that cuckoo wasps are often unreasonably considered to be unspecialized (i.e., sharing host species). In this study we use an accurate method (trap-nests) to determine the host relationships of Estonian cuckoo wasps of the genera Chrysis and Trichrysis and determine their level of specialization. 568 trap nest bundles (each containing 15-20 single reed stems) were established at 361 locations across Estonia during the vegetation periods of 2009-2011. Nests built in traps were opened and the order of cells documented in order to determine the host-parasite relationships of mason wasps and cuckoo wasps. Altogether, 5386 insects were recorded, including 12 species of Chrysidini. Hosts of all 12 cuckoo wasp species were determined and included some not previously recorded. Analysis of host-parasite relationships revealed that Estonian species of Chrysidini exhibit a greater degree of host specialization than previously thought, with only a minimal overlap in hosts between species. Such a high degree of specialization accounts for the high species diversity of cuckoo wasps, as the diversity of parasitic insects is often associated with narrow host specialization.

Context Mass-flowering crops have the potential to mitigate the negative effects of agricultural intensification on resource availability for pollinators, but their full utility also depends on pollinators providing consistent pollination services across the entire field. However, the spatial extent of pollination services in mass-flowering fields remains poorly understood, particularly within the landscape context. Objectives We evaluated bumblebee abundance and species richness along the gradient from field edge to center in mass-flowering red clover fields, while also accounting for the composition of the surrounding landscape and field size. Additionally, we examined within-field foraging patterns of individual bumblebee species. Methods Bumblebee species richness and abundance were assessed during peak flowering in 27 clover fields in Estonia, along transects extending from field edge to field center at equal distances. Results Nearly all true bumblebee species (20 of 21) of the national fauna were observed to forage on red clover fields. Contrary to our expectations, bumblebee foraging patterns in the studied fields did not show a negative edge-to-center gradient. While species richness did not change within fields, abundance even tended to increase toward the field interior. The responses of individual species varied, ranging from no edge-to-center change ( Bombus lucorum , B. terrestris ) to a decline ( B. pascuorum ). Neither field size nor the composition of surrounding landscape influenced the observed foraging patterns . Conclusions The absence of edge-to-center trends in bumblebee species richness and abundance cautiously suggests that pollination services may be relatively evenly distributed in moderately sized mass-flowering fields within a diverse landscape. Consequently, field size is unlikely to be a major limiting factor for effective pollination in this system.

The following eleven Empria species are reported from Japan: Empria candidata (Fallén, 1808), Empria japonica Heidemaa & Prous, 2011, Empria liturata (Gmelin, 1790), Empria loktini Ermolenko, 1971, Empria plana (Jakowlew, 1891), Empria quadrimaculata Takeuchi, 1952, Empria rubicola Ermolenko, 1971, Empria tridens (Konow, 1896), Empria tridentis Lee & Ryu, 1996, Empria honshuana Prous & Heidemaa, sp. n., and Empria takeuchii Prous & Heidemaa, sp. n. The lectotypes of Poecilosoma pallipes Matsumura, 1912, Empria itelmena Malaise, 1931, Tenthredo candidata Fallén, 1808, and Tenthredo (Poecilostoma) hybrida Erichson, 1851 are designated. Empria itelmena Malaise, 1931, syn. n. is synonymized with Empria plana (Jakowlew, 1891). Poecilosoma pallipes Matsumura, 1912, previously assigned to Empria, is transferred to Monsoma, creating Monsoma pallipes (Matsumura, 1912), comb. n. Results of phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (ITS1 and ITS2) sequences are also provided.

Flight intercept traps suspended in the crowns (≥15 m) and near the bases (0.5 m) of 12 trees in a temperate deciduous forest yielded 522 vespid wasps. The most common species were Vespula maculifrons (Buysson), Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus) and Vespula squamosa (Drury). Almost all specimens (99%) were captured in the upper traps. Vespid abundance increased dramatically in mid season, peaking in late Jul and early Aug. The possible importance of these predators in determining lepidopteran voltinism is discussed.

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including important synonyms) of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level (up to the Urals, excluding the Caucasus region), and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education. Hymenoptera is one of the four largest orders of insects, with about 130,000 described species. In the Fauna Europaea database, ‘Hymenoptera - Apocrita (excluding Ichneumonoidea)’ comprises 13 superfamilies, 52 families, 91 subfamilies, 38 tribes and 13,211 species. The paper includes a complete list of taxa dealt with, the number of species in each and the name of the specialist responsible for data acquisition. As a general conclusion about the European fauna of Hymenoptera, the best known countries in terms of recorded species are those from northwestern Europe, with the least known fauna probably in the more eastern and southeastern parts of Europe.

Wild bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae), the two major groups of insect pollinators, are undergoing alarming declines worldwide, including Europe. The lack of accessible and verified spatial and temporal occurrence records currently challenges efforts to understand and mitigate this decline. Here, we compiled datasets from diverse sources, including taxonomists, national experts, public repositories, museum collections, published literature, verified open-access platforms, and aggregated datasets from previous European projects. The collected data were standardised, cleaned and validated by taxonomists and national experts. This collective effort resulted in two databases comprising more than 4.34 million and 1.04 million records for wild bees and hoverflies, respectively. The databases cover 97% of the European bee fauna (2,083 species out of 2,138 recorded in Europe) and 97% of the European hoverfly fauna (886 species out of 913 recorded in Europe). These standardised databases constitute essential resources for future assessments of status and trends, habitat associations, and other research and conservation initiatives to protect and understand wild pollinators on the European continent.