Tribe Diospilini

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Identification · Food · Life Cycle · Works Cited

2018-09-07 Small black-headed wasp - Diospilus

Braconidae, lateral - Diospilus - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)

Superfamily Ichneumonoidea (Braconid and Ichneumonid Wasps)

Family Braconidae (Braconid Wasps)

Subfamily Brachistinae

Tribe Diospilini

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis of subfamilial relationships within Braconidae, Sharanowski et al. (2011)(1) removed tribe Diospilini from Helconinae, along with another former tribe of the former Helconinae, and placed them in a new subfamily (Brachistinae) along with Blacini (formerly Blacinae).

Numbers

In the New World, 5 genera. Of these, 4 occur in North America: Vadum Mason, Taphaeus Wesmael, Baeacis Foerster, and Diospilus Haliday. Of these, Diospilus is by far the most commonly collected and the most species in North America.

Identification

See Diospilus, the only commonly collected species in the Nearctic.

Food

Larvae are parasitoids of beetles in families Anobiidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, Melandryidae, and Nitidulidae. Beetle hosts are generally relatively weakly concealed wood-eating larvae. There is evidence that there are some diospilines in which females oviposit into the host egg.(2)

Life Cycle

See Diospilus life cycle

Works Cited

1.	Molecular phylogenetics of Braconidae (Hym.:Ichneumonoidea) based on multiple nuclear genes, and implications for classification Sharonowsky B.J., Ashley P.G., Dowling P.G., Sharkey M.J. 2011. Systematic Entomology 36: 549-572.

2.	The Braconid and Icheumonid Wasps: Biology, Systematics, Evolution, and Ecology Quicke Donald L.J. 2014. Wiley-Blackwell.

Contributed by Joe on 8 September, 2014 - 12:49am
Last updated 11 May, 2015 - 2:54am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version