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1. The usefulness of chromosomes of parasitic wasps of the subfamily Eupelminae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae) for subfamily systematics

Creator:
Fusu, Lucian
Type:
article, model:article, and TEXT
Subject:
Karyotype, karyosystematics, parasitic wasps, Chalcidoidea, and Eupelmidae
Language:
English
Description:
Karyotypes of 16 Eupelminae species were analyzed. The haploid chromosome number was found to be much more diverse than the n = 5 previously recorded for three studied species. All species investigated of Eupelmus (Eupelmus), Eupelmus (Macroneura), Merostenus excavatus and three species of Anastatus have a karyotype of n = 5; n = 7 in Eupelmus (Episolindelia) linearis, n = 8 in Arachnophaga picardi, and n = 10 in Anastatus ruficaudus. The modal chromosome number is n = 5 and this is considered to be the plesiomorphic character state for the subfamily; karyotypes with higher chromosome numbers are hypothesized to be derived independently from the ancestral state by centric fission. This cytogenetical data provides important information on the subfamily systematics, especially the subgeneric classification of Eupelmus and generic placement of Eupelmus rostratus.
Rights:
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public

2. Two ways of finding a host: A specialist and a generalist parasitoid species (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae)

Creator:
Peters, Ralph S.
Type:
article, články, model:article, and TEXT
Subject:
Zoologie, entomologie, Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae, Nasonia vitripennis, Dibrachys microgastri, parasitic wasps, specialist, generalist, locomotor activity, laboratory experiments, parasitoid life history traits, host finding, olfactory cues, 2, and 59
Language:
English
Description:
Two closely related parasitoid wasp species with different host specificities were used for experimental studies on the biology of host finding, a crucial element of parasitoid life history: The habitat and host specialist Nasonia vitripennis and the habitat and host generalist Dibrachys microgastri (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae). The host finding parameters tested included reaction to olfactory cues, aspects of locomotor activity, ability to locate hidden hosts and day-night-activity. The results revealed distinct interspecific differences that match the respective host and habitat ranges of the two species. In N. vitripennis host finding is dominated by olfactory reaction to hosts and host habitat, i.e., fly puparia and birds' nests. In D. microgastri olfactory cues have only a minor role. Its host finding is characterized by rapid searching at random. Both species are able to locate hidden hosts. Although still incomplete, these insights into host finding by two parasitoid species with different life history strategies indicate they can be characterized by specific combinations of behavioural host finding features. and Ralph S. Peters.
Rights:
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public