Characterising the north-western European species of Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Charipinae) with novel insights from DNA barcode data.

Background: The taxonomy of the hymenopteran parasitoid subfamily Charipinae (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae) has, until recently, been in a state of chaos. While this situation has improved significantly in recent years, most of the efforts were focused on morphological data of typically old specimens. Here, we present the first integrative approach to describe the diversity of the genus Förster, 1869 from north-western Europe.

Molecular Data Confirm Interspecific Limits of Four and One Species of Parasitic Wasps within the Subfamily Charipinae (Cynipoidea: Figitidae).

The hymenopteran subfamily Charipinae (Cynipoidea: Figitidae) consist of a group of parasitic wasps that are exclusive hyperparasitoids of Hemipteran. The species boundaries in Charipinae have historically been unclear. While diagnostic morphological features have been established for the stepwise separation of species, it is recommended to confirm those limits using molecular data.

Overview of the current status of Charipinae (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Figitidae): taxonomy, distribution, and diversity.

The subfamily Charipinae (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae) has had a problematic taxonomic history as many species have been described without comprehensive revisions being undertaken. Reliably identifying these species based on morphological assessment has been almost impossible. Recently, the types of all species have been re-examined and photographed, resulting in numerous taxonomic corrections that have been published elsewhere.

Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies.

Differences in the semi-natural vegetation of field margins will affect the biological control services derived from the presence of these semi-natural habitats adjacent to fields. Of the plant functional traits that are most relevant for insects, plant life forms reflect different aspects of plant structure and functioning that can help predict the value of marginal vegetation for arthropods in agricultural systems. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the vegetation structure of field margins on cereal aphids and on some of their natural enemies (parasitoids, hoverflies and ladybugs) in terms of plant life forms.

Hymenoptera Complex Associated with and spp. in Peach Orchards in Northeastern Spain and Prospects for Biological Control of Aphids.

Aphids are a serious pest for peach crops. They have traditionally been managed with insecticides, but there is increasing concern about the risk that insecticides pose to both humans and the environment. As a first step to use biological control in aphid management, we conducted a 3-year field survey in northeastern Spain to determine which parasitoids and hyperparasitoids were most prevalent on two aphids, (Sulzer) and spp.

Keys to world Charipinae (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Figitidae).

Eight genera of Charipinae are defined, keyed out, and illustrated. Keys for all charipine species within each valid genus, including , , , , and , are presented, except for , , and , which are monotypic. Figures are provided to show the diagnostic morphological features as used in the keys.

Description of a new species from China and comments on other inquiline species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini).

A new species, Synergus mongolicus Pujade-Villar & Wang n. sp., is described from galls collected on twigs of Quercus mongolica.

Species composition and seasonal dynamics of aphid parasitoids and hyperparasitoids in wheat fields in northern China.

Parasitoids are important natural enemies of aphids in wheat fields of northern China, and interest in them has increased in recent years. However, little is known regarding parasitoids of wheat aphids, which has hindered the study and understanding of aphid-parasitoid interactions. In the present study, three primary parasitoids and 15 hyperparasitoids were collected in wheat fields during a 2-year survey in northern China (2014, 2015) and a 2-year investigation at Langfang, Hebei Province (2015, 2016).

Bacterial endosymbionts protect aphids in the field and alter parasitoid community composition.

It has become increasingly evident that many organisms rely on microbial symbionts for defense against natural enemies, but the ecological importance of defensive symbionts for natural communities still needs to be investigated. A well-known example is Hamiltonella defensa, a heritable endosymbiotic bacterium commonly found in aphids. Laboratory experiments have shown that H.

Flagellar Sensillar Equipment of Two Morphologically Closely Related Aphid Hyperparasitoids (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Alloxysta).

The antennal sensillar equipment in the parasitic wasp family Figitidae was analyzed to date only in few species, despite some are associated with crop pests and can have an economic importance. It is the case of the genus Alloxysta, which includes hyperparasitoids of aphids which can potentially reduce effectiveness of primary pest parasitoids. Here we analyzed, through scanning electron microscopy, the diversity, morphology, and distribution of the antennal sensilla in males and females of Alloxysta consobrina (Zetterstedt) and Alloxysta victrix (Westwood), two species with overall very similar morphology.

Qualitative analysis of aphid and primary parasitoid trophic relations of genus Alloxysta (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae).

Charipinae hyperparasitoids affect effectiveness of the primary parasitoids of aphids by decreasing their abundance and modifying their behavior. As a result, increase of aphid populations can cause severe yield losses in some crops. Therefore, ecological studies on the subfamily Charipinae have a great economical and biological importance.

Revision of Apocharips Fergusson (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Charipinae) with description of three new species from Colombia.

The genus Apocharips is here revised. Three previously described species are considered as valid: Apocharips angelicae Pujade-Villar & Evenhuis, 2002, A. hansoni Menke, 1993, and A.