Liopteridae
| Liopteridae | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Liopteridae | ||||||||||||
| Ashmead , 1895 |
The Liopteridae are a family of hymenoptera (Hymenoptera) and are classified in the superfamily of gall wasps (Cynipoidea). The family lives mainly in tropical forests and is rarely observed; it is absent in Europe. As far as their biology is known, the larvae probably live as parasitoids of wood-dwelling beetle larvae.
features
Liopteridae are relatively large (usually 5 to 15 millimeters in length), mostly high-contrast wasps. Their relationship to the other Cynipoidea is shown in the characteristic wing veins of the superfamily and in the shape of the abdomen, which is oval and relatively high arched when viewed from the side, but very narrow when viewed from above. The Liopteridae are usually easily distinguishable from the gall wasps (Cynipidae) and the Figitidae based on their body size, although there are also species that are barely larger than three millimeters. They differ from the Ibaliidae mainly in the sculpture of the thorax (mostly also of the head), which in the Liopteridae shows a characteristic pattern of numerous small pits in the very massive sclerotized cuticle. In addition, the scutellum shows lateral, rounded or thorn-like appendages and the rails ( tibia ) of the middle pair of legs are noticeably short. The antennae are usually long and thread-shaped, often they are somewhat wider towards the tip (culled). The wings are tinted clear or dark brown and are often drawn.
distribution
Liopteridae are distributed almost worldwide, but occur almost only in the tropics and the southern hemisphere. The subfamily Liopterinae lives in the tropics of South America (Neotropis) with a few species that radiate north to Central America (Panama). The Oberthuerellinae live in tropical Africa, the Dallatorrellinae live in Southeast Asia, Australia and the connecting arch of the islands . The Mayrellinae are distributed almost worldwide, with most species living in tropical East Asia. In America, some species occur north to the USA (Texas, California). Only in the Western Palearctic with Europe is no species found.
Way of life
The family biology is almost unknown. From the find data of the museum specimens it can be seen that most of the animals were collected on dead wood. In some cases an attack on the wood by beetle larvae ( Buprestidae , Cerambycidae ) and occasionally also by wood wasp larvae (Siricidae) has been reported. Most of the processors deduce that the larvae are parasitoids of wood-dwelling beetle larvae from this sparse information.
Systematics
In his authoritative monograph on the family, Fredrik Ronquist distinguishes 130 species, of which 70 have not been scientifically described. Almost all species are only single specimens or very small series. It can therefore be assumed that the representatives of the family are not only generally rather rare, but also that numerous species have not yet been found. The family's main distribution in tropical forests, which are generally very little explored, corresponds to this assessment.
The family is divided into four subfamilies:
- Mayrellinae . 3 genera
- Dallatorrellinae . 2 genera
- Oberthuerellinae . 3 genera
- Liopterinae . 3 genera
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ^ Zhiwei Liu (2001): Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Revision of the Subfamily Dallatorrellinae (Hymenoptera: Liopteridae). American Museum Novitates 3553, 1-23.
literature
- Fredrik Ronquist (1995): Phylogeny and classification of the Liopteridae, an archaic group of cynipoid wasps (Hymenoptera). Entomologica Scandinavica, Supplement 46: 1-74. download (PDF; 11.6 MB)
- ML Buffington, F. Ronquist, P. Hanson, FM Fontal-Cazalla, P. Ros-Farré (2006) Cynipoidea. In: Fernández, F. and MJ Sharkey (eds), Introducción a los Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical, Entomología Colombiana series. Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá DC, Colombia. download in English (PDF; 5.2 MB)