A generic classification of Xenidae (Strepsiptera) based on the morphology of the female cephalothorax and male cephalotheca with a preliminary checklist of species.

The generic taxonomy and host specialization of Xenidae have been understood differently by previous authors. Although the recent generic classification has implied a specialization on the level of host families or subfamilies, the hypothesis that each xenid genus is specialized to a single host genus was also previously postulated. A critical evaluation of the classification of the genera of Xenidae is provided here based on morphology in accordance with results of recent molecular phylogenetic studies.

Bee-Parasitic Strepsipterans (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae) Induce Their Hosts' Flower-Visiting Behavior Change.

Parasites sometimes manipulate their host's behavior to increase their own fitness by enhancing the likelihood that their offspring will reach their hosts. Bees are often parasitized by immobile adult female strepsipterans which seem to modify bees' behavior to facilitate the release of mobile first-instar larvae onto flowers. To better understand how the parasite may modify the host's behavior, we compared the foraging behavior of the sweat bee Lasioglossum apristum (Vachal, 1903) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) between bees parasitized and unparasitized by the strepsipteran Halictoxenos borealis Kifune, 1982 (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae).

Intraspecific convergence of floral size correlates with pollinator size on different mountains: a case study of a bumblebee-pollinated Lamium (Lamiaceae) flowers in Japan.

Background: Geographic differences in floral size sometimes reflect geographic differences in pollinator size. However, we know little about whether this floral size specialization to the regional pollinator size occurred independently at many places or occurred once and then spread across the distribution range of the plant species.

Results: We investigated the relationship between the local floral size of flowers and local pollinator size in 12 populations of Lamium album var.

Cryptic Diversity in the Aphid-Parasitizing Wasp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): Discovery of Two Attendant-Ant-Specific mtDNA Lineages.

The parasitoid wasp parasitizes the aphid , which is obligatorily attended by several species of ants of genus . Subgenus or ants use different defense strategies to protect the aphids that they attend (, shelter building; , aggressive attack). We performed molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial mitochondrial DNA sequences of and found that the parasitoid wasp consists of two highly differentiated genetic lineages.

Frozen Antarctic path for dispersal initiated parallel host-parasite evolution on different continents.

After the break-up of Gondwana dispersal of organisms between America, Australia and Africa became more complicated. One of the possible remaining paths led through Antarctica, that was not yet glaciated and it remained habitable for many organisms. This favourable climate made Antarctica an important migration corridor for organisms with good dispersal ability, such as Aculeata (Hymenoptera), till the Oligocene cooling.

Cryptic diversity and host specificity in giant Xenos strepsipterans parasitic in large Vespa hornets.

Xenos is a strepsipteran genus whose members are parasitic to eusocial wasps, including the hornet genus Vespa. We undertook an extensive sampling of strepsipterans in Xenos from hornets collected in East Asia and performed molecular phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences (652 bp) to investigate the cryptic diversity among 21 individuals of strepsipterans. The analyses, accompanied by morphological examination, revealed that these strepsipterans represent two distinct species, X.