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Genus Aleiodes - Common Mummy Wasps
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 Rogadinae (Caterpillar Mummy Wasps)
Genus Aleiodes (Common Mummy Wasps)
Numbers at least 155 spp. in North America including Mexico; at least 212 spp. in the New World; between 200-300 spp. worldwide — by far the most diverse Rodaginae genus in the world
Nearctic species are divided into 15 species-groups (at least 1 sp., A. buoculus, without reference to a species-group):
1. albitibia-group (1 sp.) (1)
2. apicalis-group (6 spp.) (2)
3. circumstriptus/ gastritor-group (11 spp.) (3)
4. compressor-group (2 spp.) (4)
5. coxalis-group (13 spp.) (5)(6)
6. gasterator-group (10 spp.) (7)(6)
7. gressitti-group (1 sp.) (4)
8. melanopterus-group (5 spp.) (8)
9. pallidator-group (5 spp.) (9)
10. pilosus-group (67 spp.) (10)
11. praetor-group (3 spp.) (1)
12. procerus-group (2 spp.) (4)
13. pulchripes-group (8 spp.) (11)
14. rugulosus-group (1 sp.) (12)
15. seriatus-group (7 spp.) (13)
16. ufei-group (1 sp.) (4)
16. unipunctator-group (3 spp.) (7)Identification Can be determined by
cyclostome "mouth." Also see this image.. As can be seen from these 2 images, the cyclostome mouth is defined by the dorso-ventrally short clypeus and the concave labrum, bordered ventrally by the mandibles.
Mummification of host remains. Here and here are examples of rogadine mummies.
Occipital carina present. (See p. 99 in Fortier 2009 (PDF) (10) for image of occipital carina.
Koinobiont endoparasitoid life cycle (See parasitoid life cycles).
Range Worldwide, with the greatest species diversity in northern Europe, Asia, and North America (12)Food Attack and kill various species of leaf-feeding caterpillars; hosts include many important forest pests, such as the spongy moth, eastern tent caterpillar, forest tent caterpillar, fall webworm, tussock moths, dagger moths, prominents, cutworms, and loopers (12)Life Cycle larval koinobiont endoparasitoids. As with other rogadines, Aleiodes larvae mummify the host when they finish feeding on it and kill it, and pupate inside the mummy. Remarks A significant number of species have been described by Dr. Scott R. Shaw and Dr. Paul M. Marsh, both of whom generously helped BugGuide with braconid wasp identification, and also by Dr. Joe Fortier, who described 71 new species in a new subfamily. (10). Internet References *** Wing vein morphology and general morphology of Aleiodes are found on pp. 98-99. *** Works Cited | 13. | Revision of North American Aleiodes Wesmael (Part 3): the seriatus (Herrich-Schaeffer) species-group
Marsh PM, Shaw SR. 1998. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 100(3): 395-408. | |
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