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Myzininae

Myzinine wasps of Africa and Madagascar

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera; Superfamily: Thynnoidea; Family: Thynnidae)

Classification

Afromeria Boni Bartalucci, 2007
Allomeria Boni Bartalucci, 2005
Braunsomeria Turner, 1912
Macromeria Saunders, 1850
Meria Illiger, 1807
Meriodes Boni Bartalucci, 2007
Mesa Saussure, 1892
Myzinella Guiglia, 1959
Notomeria Boni Bartalucci, 2011

Distribution

Worldwide.

Biology

Species in the tribe Myzinini (Nearctic and Neotropical distribution) are ectoparasitoids of subterranean scarabaeid larva (Krombein, 1938). Representatives of the tribe Austromyzini (Australian distribution) are hypothesised to also attack scarabaeid larvae (Pantaleoni & Boni Bartalucci, 2011). Species in the tribe Mesini (Afrotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic distribution) are parasitoids of wood-boring cerambycid larvae (Krombein, 1968). Records of Myzininae using cicindelid larvae as hosts (Brothers & Finnamore, 1993; O’Neill, 2001) are for the genus Pterombrus, which needs to be transferred from Myzininae to Methochinae (Pantaleoni & Boni Bartalucci, 2011). The tribe Meriini (Afrotropical and Palaearctic distribution) are parasitoids of tenebrionid larvae (Pantaleoni) (Boni Bartalucci, 2011).

References

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 1997. Contribution to the knowledge of the Myzininae (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae).  Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria" 91: 615–639.

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2004. Tribe-groups of the Myzininae with special regard to the palaearctic taxa of the tribe Meriini (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 36: 1205–1308.

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2005. Anthoboscinae and Myzininae (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae) from Madagascar. Linzer Biologische Beiträge 37: 1077–1097.

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2005. Third contribution to the knowledge of the Old World Myzininae (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae). Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria" [2004-2005] 96: 363-428.

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2007. The Afrotropical genera of the subtribe Meriina (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 39: 1257- 1305.

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2009. Afrotropical species of the ancient genus Meria Illiger 1807 (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 41: 1817-1861.
Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2011. Myzininae of the Old World. The subtribe Braunsomeriina (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 43: 363-380.

Boni Bartalucci, M.B. 2013. Afrotropical taxa of the genus Mesa Saussure 1892 (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 45: 1657-1744.

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. 1902. Descriptions of new genera and species of Hymenoptera collected by mayor C.S. Nurse at Deesa, Simla and Ferozepore. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 14: 267-275.

Cameron, P. 1906. Descriptions of new species of parasitic Hymenoptera, chiefly in the collection of the South African Museum, Cape Town. Annals of the South African Museum 5:

Cameron, P. 1910. On the aculeate hymenoptera collected by Mr. A.J.T. Janse, Normal College, Pretoria in the Transvaal. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 2 (3): 116-119.
Gerstaecker C. 1857. Diagnosen der von peters in Mossambique gesammelten Käfer v. Hymenoptera. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin: 509-512.
Gorbatovsky V.V. 1979. Palaearctic species of diurnal myzinine wasps of the genus Dermasothes Menozzi. Ent. Obozr. 58: 609-621. (in Russian).

Gorbatovsky V.V. 1981. On the taxonomy of the Palaearctic Myzinine wasps. Ent. Obozr., Moscow 60 (2): 380-394 (in Russian).

Kimsey, L.S. 1991. Relationships among the tiphiid wasp subfamilies (Hymenoptera). Systematic Entomology 16: 427-438.

Kimsey, L.S. 2011. Tiphiidae wasps of Madagascar (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 22: 45–68. doi: 10.3897/JHR.22.1142

Krombein, K.V. 1937. Studies in the Tiphiidae, I: a review of the genera of Myzininae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 30: 27–30.

Krombein K.V. 1938. Studies in the Tiphiidae II. A revision of the Nearctic Myzininae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 64: 227-292.

Krombein, K.V. 1949. Studies in the Tiphiidae. VII. The Madagascan species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 51: 45–73.

Krombein K.V. 1968. Studies in the Tiphiidae. X. Hylomesa, a new genus of Myzininae wasp parasitic on larvae of longicorn beetles (Hymenoptera). Proceedings of the United States National Museum 124: 1-22.

O’Neill K.M. 2001. Solitary Wasps: Natural History and Behavior. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, XIII + 406 pp.

Pantaleoni, R.A & Boni Bartalucci, M. 2011. New record of Tentyria Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) as host of Poecilotiphia rousselii (Guérin, 1838) (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae). Biodiversity Journal 2(4): 207-208.

Picker, M., Griffiths, C & Weaving, A. 2002. Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.

Rossi, P. 1790. Fauna Etrusca, sistens insecta quae in Provinciis Florentina et Pisana Praesertim collecit, 2, Liburni, 348 pp.

Saunders S.S. 1850. Descriptions of some new aculeata Hymenoptera from Epirus. Trans. ent. Soc. London 1: 69-71.
Saussure, H. de 1890. Histoire naturelle des hyménoptères. In: Grandidier (ed.), Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar, vol. 20. L’Imprimerie Nationale, Paris.

Saussure, H.L.F. 1891. Hyménoptères nouveaux de Madagascar. Mittheilungen der Schweizer Entomologischen Gesellschaft 8(7): 253–269.

Saussure H. de 1892. Histoire naturelle des Hyménoptères. In: Hist. Natur. du Madagascar publiée par Alfred Grandidier, Génève 20 (1), 430 pp.
Smith F. 1855. Catalogue of Hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum, London, part III (Mutillidae and Pompilidae).
Smith, F. 1879. Descriptions of New Species of Hymenoptera in the British Museum, London. 240 pp.

Turner, R.E. 1908. Additions to the hymenopterous genera Myzine and Plesia. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8)1: 497–514.

Turner, R.E. 1910. Notes on the Scoliidae. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London (4): 391–406.

Turner R.E. 1912. Studies in the Fossorial Wasps of the family Scoliidae, Subfamilies Elidinae and Anthoboscinae. Proccedings of the Zoological Society of London 46: 696-754.
Turner R.E. 1913. On new species of fossorial Hymenoptera from Africa, mostly Elidinae. Trans. ent. Soc. London 720-754.
Turner R.E. 1916. On some of the Scoliidae, mostly Elidinae (Hymenoptera), in the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 15: 455-463.
Turner R.E. 1917. Notes on Fossorial Hymenoptera. XXX. On new Ethiopian Scoliidae. 20: 351-356.
Turner. R.E. 1920. On some new species and others of Fossorial Hymenoptera in the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 17: 489-497.

Turner R.E. 1926. Notes on Fossorial Hymenoptera. XLI. Scoliidae. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (9) 17: 104-110.

Turner R.E. 1927. Notes on Fossorial Hymenoptera. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London 9: 545-552.
Westwood J.O. 1835. New Hymenopterous insects. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 53-54.

Credits

Photographs © Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths (University of Cape Town) (published in Struik's Field Guide to Insects of South Africa). Photographs of pinned specimens © Lynn Kimsey (Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis).

Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

 

Citation: van Noort, S. 2025. WaspWeb: Hymenoptera of the World. URL: www.waspweb.org (accessed on <day/month/year>).

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