Heloridae
| Heloridae | ||||||||||||
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Helorus anomalipes (carapace). Plate 403 from John Curtis : British Entomology Vol. 3, 1823–40 |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Heloridae | ||||||||||||
| Forester , 1856 |
The Heloridae , rarely referred to as lacewing wasps, are a small family of hymenoptera. Worldwide only 12 living species have been described, all of which are placed in a single genus Helorus . About as many species have been found as fossils. All species are parasitoids of lacewing larvae.
features
Heloridae are small, predominantly black colored wasps 6 to 8 millimeters long. The head is rectangular in plan, it carries thread-like antennae, which consist of 15 limbs in both sexes. In addition, there is a ring-shaped constriction of the first antennae (scapus), which is called anellus and simulates another limb. The mandibles are long and sickle-shaped, crossed in the rest position, they are three-pointed. The trunk section has a small pronotum and a large mesonotum, which has deep and conspicuous furrows laterally (called notaulices or parapsids), these occur in many Hymenoptera families. The scutellum is relatively small and rounded when viewed from above. The legs have claws that are incised at the sides in a comb-shape (pectinate); but this can only be seen under the microscope. In contrast to the rest of the body, the legs are often colored, red or yellow, drawn. The wing veins are characteristic of the family; it occurs in a similar form only in the related Vanhorniidae . The forewings have 5 closed cells. A narrow, rectangular cell is enclosed between the peripheral vein or costa that encircles the entire wing edge, the parallel subcosta and the large wing mark ( pterostigma ). Two further longitudinal arteries arise from the wing root, the media (united with the radius) and analis, both of which run almost, but not quite, to the edge of the wing. The radius branches off from the media in front of the wing mark and runs through to the edge, it is connected to the wing mark by a short transverse artery. Even before this junction, another longitudinal artery branches off towards the wing tip. Two transverse arteries run from the media to the rear, of which the anterior one with the analis constricts a closed cell. As an extension of these veins forward, two more transverse veins, which unite, tie off another, small triangular cell (interpreted as a medial cell).
The free abdomen or gaster connects to the middle section with an elongated stem ( petiolus ). The rest of the gaster is almost spherical compared to this. Its first section is by far the longest, consisting of three segments fused together without seams. Above all, the large tergite is visible, the belly plate (sternum) is much narrower; it even consists of four sections (the sixth Gastersternite is merged with). The following two segments of the guest are free, but much shorter. The ovipositor, which is covered by an ovipositor, is barely visible.
The European species can be identified with the Van Achterberg key, the four (or five) German species with that of Prpic-Schäper.
Way of life
All species are parasitoids of lacewings (family Chrysopidae. An old statement for the Hemerobiidae is probably wrong). The female pricks the lacewing larva from the side, usually on the abdomen, and lays an egg. This does not initially develop any further. It only hatches when the lacewing larva begins to pupate. Hatching can take place after 3 to 6 days, if an almost mature larva has been parasitized, or in the case of overwintering larvae possibly not until the next year. The hatched parasite larva releases a secretion that breaks down and converts the host's hemolymph and fatty bodies. The host larva loses its mobility in the second larval stage of the host and dies at the latest with its second molt. The second larval stage then completely eats the host larvae in a very short time (2.5 to 3 days). After a period of rest for a few days, it penetrates the body wall of the host near its rear end, so that the last 4 to 5 segments remain in the host. In this position, it pupates within the host cocoon. The imago hatches after 8 to 12 days of pupal rest, so that the entire development process (in the laboratory) takes about 30 days. Several generations can follow one another in the year. Adults live about 4 to 6 weeks, the female lays about 50 eggs during this time. This development cycle has only been researched in detail for one North American species, Helorus paradoxus , which is possibly identical to the European Helorus anomaliipes (possible synonym ), but it is considered transferable for the other species. The European species have a long flight period throughout the summer, from April to October.
distribution
The Heloridae, like their hosts, are distributed almost worldwide. Previously assumed gaps in distribution in the tropics were based only on a lack of research. Evidence is available from Europe, Asia (including tropical East Asia), Australia, New Guinea, Africa, North and South America.
Systematics and taxonomy
All living species are placed in the genus Helorus , they are morphologically very similar. The Heloridae belong to the Proctotrupoidea or sawfly-like, earlier they were considered as a subfamily of the sawfly . Their close relationship with these has been confirmed in all morphological and molecular studies. Accordingly, the Heloridae, Proctotrupidae and Vanhorniidae are very closely related. Due to the fossil finds, it is clear that they must have already separated in the Mesozoic ( Jura ).
Fossils
The oldest fossil Heloridae come from the Central Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation from China, they are placed in their own subfamily Mesohelorinae.
swell
- Lubomir Masner: Superfamily Proctotrupoidea. In: Henry Goulet & John T. Huber (editors): Hymenoptera of the world, an identification key to families. Agriculture Canada. Research Branch. IV Series: Publication. 1993. ISBN 0-660-14933-8 .
- Hubert Pschorn-Walcher: Hymenoptera Heloridae et Proctotrupidae. Insecta Helvetica Fauna 4th published by the Swiss Entomological Society, 1971.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b C. van Achterberg (2006): European species of the genus Helorus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Heloridae), with description of a new species from Sulawesi (Indonesia). Zoological Mededelingen Leiden 80 (1): 1-12.
- ↑ Nikola-Michael Prpic-Schäper (2010): The lacewing wasps of Germany (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Heloridae). Booklets on Germany's number 1 animal world PDF
- ^ Donald Washburn Clancy: The Insect Parasites of the Chrysopidae (Neuroptera). University of California Press, 1946. University of California publications in entomology vol. 7, no. 13. quoted from biology.ref.htm
- ↑ Chungkun Shih, Hua Feng, Dong Ren (2011): New Fossil Heloridae and Mesoserphidae Wasps (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Proctotrupoidea) from the Middle Jurassic of China . Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 104 (6): 1334-1348. doi : 10.1603 / AN10194
