Thynnidae

Thynnidae
Male Agriomyia sp. feeding on nectar
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Superfamily: Thynnoidea
Family: Thynnidae
Shuckard, 1841
Subfamilies

The Thynnidae (also known as thynnid wasps, flower wasps, or thynnid flower wasps) are a family of large, solitary wasps whose larvae are almost universally parasitoids of various beetle larvae, especially those in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. Until recently, the constituents of this family were classified in the family Tiphiidae, but multiple studies have independently confirmed that thynnids are a separate lineage.[1][2][3]

Description

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Most species are small, but they can be up to 30 mm long.[citation needed] The females of some subfamilies (Diamminae, Methochinae, and most Thynninae) are wingless and hunt ground-dwelling (fossorial) beetle larvae, or (in one species) mole crickets.[4] The prey is paralysed with the female's sting, and an egg is laid on it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food. In species where both sexes are winged, males are similar in size to the females, but are much more slender. The males of species with wingless females, however, are often much larger than the females and have wings; the adults mate in the air, with the female carried by the male's genitalia.[citation needed] Adults feed on nectar and are minor pollinators.[5] As some of the ground-dwelling scarab species attacked by thynnids are pests, some of these wasps are considered beneficial as biological control agents. [citation needed]

Taxonomy

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The family has five extant subfamilies, which were previously placed in Tiphiidae before it was found to be non-monophyletic.[1] Thynnidae genera are classified as follows:[1][6][3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Cosila chilensis (subfamily Anthoboscinae) photographed in Chile
Diamma bicolor female (subfamily Diamminae) photographed in Australia
Myzinum quinquecinctum males (subfamily Myzininae) photographed in Oklahoma.
A pair of Zaspilothynnus sp. mating (subfamily Thynninae), photographed in Australia: The male is larger and has wings.

Extant genera

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Subfamily: Anthoboscinae Turner, 1912

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Subfamily: Diamminae Turner, 1907

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Subfamily: Methochinae Rohwer, 1916

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Subfamily: Myzininae Borner, 1919

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Tribe: Myzinini
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Tribe: Mesini Argaman, 1994
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Tribe: Meriini Costa, 1858
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Subfamily: Thynninae Ashmead, 1903

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Tribe: Elaphropterini Kimsey, 1992
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Tribe: Rhagigasterini Ashmead, 1903
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Tribe: Scotaenini Kimsey,1992
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Tribe: Thynnini
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Extinct genera

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The following 4 genera are extinct members of Thynnidae:[17]

Subfamily: Anthoboscinae Turner, 1912

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Subfamily: Methochinae Rohwer, 1916

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Subfamily: Myzininae Borner, 1919

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Pilgrim, E.; von Dohlen, C.; Pitts, J. (2008). "Molecular phylogenetics of Vespoidea indicate paraphyly of the superfamily and novel relationships of its component families and subfamilies". Zoologica Scripta. 37 (5): 539–560. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00340.x. S2CID 85905070.
  2. ^ Johnson, B.R.; et al. (2013). "Phylogenomics Resolves Evolutionary Relationships among Ants, Bees, and Wasps". Current Biology. 23 (20): 2058–2062. Bibcode:2013CBio...23.2058J. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.08.050. PMID 24094856.
  3. ^ a b Debevec, Andrew H.; Cardinal, Sophie; Danforth, Bryan N. (2012). "Identifying the sister group to the bees: a molecular phylogeny of Aculeata with an emphasis on the superfamily Apoidea" (PDF). Zoologica Scripta. 41 (5): 527–535. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00549.x. S2CID 33533180.
  4. ^ Brothers, Denis J. (1993). "Key to subfamilies of Tiphiidae". In Goulet, Henri; Huber, John T. (eds.). Hymenoptera of the World, an Identification Guide to Families. Ottawa, Ontario: Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research. p. 178-185. ISBN 0-660-14933-8.
  5. ^ Phillips, R.D.; Bohman, B; Brown, G.R.; Tomlinson, S.; Peakall, R. (2019). "A specialised pollination system using nectar-seeking thynnine wasps in Caladenia nobilis (Orchidaceae)" (PDF). Plant Biology. 22 (2): 157–166. doi:10.1111/plb.13069. PMID 31705712. S2CID 207964289.
  6. ^ Brown, G. (2001). "Status of the Ariphron generic group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae): A critical review". Australian Journal of Entomology. 40 (1): 23–40. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6055.2001.00207.x.
  7. ^ van Achterberg, Cornelis; van Harten, Antonius (2009). "Order Hymenoptera, family Thynnidae. Genera Lamprowara Boni Bartalucci, Iswara Westwood and Komarowia Radoszkowski (Hymenoptera: Thynnidae: Myzininae: Meriini)". Arthropod Fauna of the UAE. 2: 298–334. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  8. ^ Boni Bartalucci, Mario (2004). "Tribe-groups of the Myzininae with special regard to the palaearctic taxa of the tribe Meriini (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae)" (PDF). Linzer Biologische Beiträge. 36 (2): 1205–1308. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  9. ^ Boni Bartalucci, Mario (2007). "The Afrotropical genera of the subtribe Meriina". Linzer Biologische Beiträge. 39 (2): 1257–1305. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  10. ^ Boni Bartalucci, Mario (2011). "Myzininae of the Old World. The subtribe Braunsomeriina (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae)" (PDF). Linzer Biologische Beiträge. 43 (1): 363–380. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  11. ^ Kimsey, Lynn S. (2004). "Illustrated keys to genera of the male wasps in the subfamily Thynninae (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 106 (3): 571–585. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  12. ^ Carnimeo, Fernando Henrique (2021). Phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of Elaphropterini (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Thynninae) (PhD thesis). São José do Rio Preto: São Paulo State University. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Brown, Graham R. (2010). "Curvothynnus gen. nov. erected for two unusual species of thynnine wasps (Hymenoptera: Thynnidae: Thynninae: Rhagigasterini)". The Beagle Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 26 (1): 89–96. doi:10.5962/p.287464.
  14. ^ Brown, Graham R. (2015). "Rugosothynnus gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae: Rhagigasterini), a newly recognised Australian genus". Zootaxa. 3925 (3): 361–386. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3925.3.3. PMID 25781749.
  15. ^ Carnimeo, Fernando Henrique; Noll, Fernando Barbosa (2018). "On the dumping ground genus Scotaena Klug, 1810 (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae): Phylogeny, taxonomy and geographic distribution". Zootaxa. 4399 (4): 451–490. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4399.4.1. hdl:11449/150542. PMID 29690290.
  16. ^ Kimsey, Lynn S. (1992). "Phylogenetic relations among the South American thynnine tiphiid wasps (Hymenoptera)". Systematic Entomology. 17 (2): 133–144. Bibcode:1992SysEn..17..133K. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1992.tb00326.x. S2CID 84978103.
  17. ^ "Thynnidae". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
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