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| Loboscelidia spp. Hisasue, Pham & Mita, 2023 |
ABSTRACT
The taxonomy of Loboscelidiinae in Vietnam is revised, with 16 new species being described: Loboscelidia bachmaensis sp. nov., L. barbata sp. nov., L. cilia sp. nov., L. convexa sp. nov., L. cucphuongensis sp. nov., L. cuneata sp. nov., L. do sp. nov., L. flavipes sp. nov., L. glabra sp. nov., L. komedai sp. nov., L. mediata sp. nov., L. parallela sp. nov., L. piriformis sp. nov., L. squamosa sp. nov., L. vang sp. nov. and L. vietnamensis sp. nov. In total, 24 species of Loboscelidia are recognized in the fauna of Vietnam. Keys to Indo-Chinese male and world female of Loboscelidia are provided. A brief observation of the foraging behavior of L. squamosa sp. nov. is also reported. Host-carriage and subsequent host egg burying are considered primary nesting behaviors of solitary wasps.
Keywords: Loboscelidiinae, taxonomy, Oriental Region, parasitoid, foraging behavior
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| 16 new species have been added to the group, Loboscelidia, based on their unique physical characteristics. Scale bar = 0.5 mm |
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| A series of photos captures the moment a captive female wasp from the species Loboscelidia squamosa lays her egg inside a stick insect egg before carrying and burying it in the soil. This marks the first time that this parasitic behavior has been observed. photos: Yu Hisasue, Kyushu University |
Yu Hisasue, Thai-Hong Pham and Toshiharu Mita. 2023. Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Loboscelidia Westwood, 1874 (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae: Loboscelidiinae) from Vietnam. European Journal of Taxonomy. 887(1); 1–68. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2203
16 strange new parasitoid wasp species discovered in Vietnam
A field survey in Vietnam searching for Loboscelidia, a rare group of parasitoid wasps, has increased the total known number of species worldwide by 30% and uncovered their unique egg-burying behavior.
