Thread subject: Diptera.info :: A page on Strepsiptera
#1
John / Gordon
happy to look at Lonchaeidae - I recently found a new species frrom the Greek Mountains
Posted by
jorgen on 28-03-2008 14:22
#2
I saw a few weeks ago some male Strepsiptera in Belgium and collected one of them.
#3
Difficult to see on this picture, but it seems to be Stylops melittae.
John
Posted by
jorgen on 28-03-2008 14:41
#4
What would be a better photo for determination? With which characters? Thanks.
#5
Hi Jorgen,
for one thing higher resolution...
And I need to see the antenna
John
Posted by
jorgen on 28-03-2008 15:48
#6
I hope that this is a better photo. It's difficult to photografh with more detail due tue the size and the cloudy weather.
http://home.scarl...strep2.jpg
#7
Hi Jorgen,
Yep it's sufficient to confirm Stylops melittae.
John
#8
John Smit wrote:
Hi all,
@ Jorge,
This really is the first time I heard they can be found in spider webs!! Really looking forward to seeing photo's of it! And if you would be so kind as to put a few of them on alcohol for me, I'ld be greatfull!
The Polistes infesting species as well as the Andrena insfesting ones are quite common, the other species however are rather rare! There are still several Aculeate genera with strepsipteran's which I have never seen before: in Panurgus, Bembix, Bembicinus, Podalonia, Ammophila etc. Has any of you ever seen these?
Another species that is quite common, or at least suspected to be quite common is Halictophagus silwoodensis paraitising in Ulopa reticulata (Homoptera, Cicadellidae), which feeds monophagous on Calluna vulgaris. Here in the Netherlands it should be possible to see the males in april on Calluna. No idea if it can be found outside it's known range, i.e. Belgium, Germany, England and the Netherlands. So go look for it
. I have recorded this species new for the Netherlands last year, including pictures of females inside the abdomen of the Ulopa and a picture of the Ulopa reticulata, anyone who wants a pdf, just let me know. Could make the searching somewhat easier.
John
ok, John. I will collect strepsiterans for you. I didn't see so far strepsiterans. But it is early yet.
"Panurgus, Bembix, Bembicinus, Podalonia, Ammophila etc. Has any of you ever seen these?"
I only saw Bembix and Ammophila here. But I will take a careful look at their abdomen.
#9
Hi Jorge,
Thanks in advance!
John
Posted by
pierred on 30-03-2008 20:09
#10
John,
Reading on Fauna europaea, I find
(Kinzelbach, R. 1978) synonymized all hitherto known Stylops species from the western Palaearctic region with Stylops melittae (including a complete list of synonyms).
Can you shed some light on this?
Thanks in advance.
#11
Hi Pierre,
Up till 1978 there were an awful lot of Stylops species described in the (wester) palearctic, but all either based on a male specimen or on female, only a very few on both. Everytime they found a new Andrena species stylopised, they described it as a new species. Ragnar Kinzelbach has examined a lot of material, males as well as females and that the differences overlapped and the females and males were quite inseparable from onanother. Wheras other species, from other hosts like Homoptera and other Aculeate hosts are clearly different. Therefore he synonymized all Stylops species known from Andrena's, I believe only the western Palearctic ones. For I know there is at least one (probably more) other species known from the Nearctic.
I have no idea if anyone has ever compared S. melittae with species outside the palearctic. I am not really into the nomenclature and systematics of Strepsiptera, I have only written a few faunistical papers on the group, and follow Kinzelbach in his opinion, for the arguments and the numerous drawings he gives on the different Stylops 'taxa' are quite convincing to me and therefore I only consider S. melittae in Europe.
Best wishes,
John
Posted by
pierred on 31-03-2008 05:50
#12
John,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to write this.
#13
Pierre,
No problem, my pleasure!
We're here to exchange info, are we not?!
John
#14
Pierre,
No problem, my pleasure!
We're here to exchange info, are we not?!
John
#15
Pierre,
No problem, my pleasure!
We're here to exchange info, are we not?!
John
#16
I made a small overview of Belgian Strepsiptera species, including Halictophagus silwoodensis from Maasmechelen. Interested members simply can ask me a copy. In the attachement: The frontal part of Xenos vesparum, several specimens were found in the south of Belgium recently.
#17
I made a small overview of Belgian Strepsiptera species, including Halictophagus silwoodensis from Maasmechelen. Interested members simply can ask me a copy. In the attachement: The frontal part of Xenos vesparum, several specimens were found in the south of Belgium recently.
#18
Hi Hans(?)
I presume it is you.
Nice of you to join this forum on other two-winged insects
John
#19
Stylops melittae, from the garden of Jorgen Ravoet, Zemst.
#20
Stylops melittae, from the garden of Jorgen Ravoet, Zemst.