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Rhopalosomatidae

Rhopalosomatid wasps of Africa and Madagascar

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera; Superfamily: Vespoidea)

ClassificationIdentification keys

Olixon Cameron, 1887

Paniscomima Enderlein, 1904

Distribution

Worldwide, but absent from the Palaeartic region (predominantly tropical in distribution).

Biology

Ectoparasitoids of nymphal crickets (Gryllidae) forming extruding sac-like structures similar to Dryinidae. Pupate in a protected area.

References

Arnold, G. 1935. The Psammocharidae of the Ethiopian region. Part IV. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 15: 413-483, 34 figs.

Brothers, D.J. & Finnamore A.T. 1993. Superfamily Vespoidea (pp. 161-278). In GOULET, H. & HUBER, J. (eds). Hymenoptera of the World: an identification guide to families. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 668 pp.

Cameron, P. 1887. Insecta. Hymenoptera (Families Tenthredinidae –Chrysididae). Vol. 1. Biologia Centrali-Americana 33: 1–487.

Lohrmann, V. & Ohl, M. 2007. The wasp genus Olixon Cameron in Madagascar: first record and description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae). Zootaxa 1465: 39-46.

Townes, H. 1977. A revision of the Rhopalosomatidae (Hymenoptera). Contributions of the Entomological Institute 15: 1-34.

Credits

Photographs © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of Cape Town) and Victor Kolyada (Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg).


Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

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