British Insects: the Families of Hymenoptera
| British Insects: the Families of Hymenoptera | |
Adults small to large; 4–26 mm long.
Head. Antennal segments 13 (males), or 14 (females). Antennae without noticeable elongation of the third segment; not geniculate.
Thorax. Pronotum long, extending back to the tegulae. Cenchri absent. Fore-wings with a conspicuous pterostigma; more or less with the venation well developed (but modified). Hind-wings without closed cells. Hind femur with a clear trochantellus. Hind tibiae without specialised spurs.
Abdomen. The abdomen with a marked basal constriction. Gaster with the first two segments not fused (partly hinged); attached high on the propodeum. Ovipositor of females visibly protruding (often very long); adapted for piercing.
Larvae. Larvae with segmented legs; parasitic on hosts selected by the mother, or parasitic on hosts selected by the mother and predacious (the family as a whole parasitizes solitary and less often social bees, sphecoids and other wasps).
General comments. Adults with a neck-like prolongation of the propluron, swollen hind tibiae, and a long gaster.
Classification. Species in Britain 5; genera 1 (Gasteruption). Suborder Apocrita; Series Parasitica; Superfamily Evanioidea.
Illustrations. • Gasteruption assectator (Short-tailed Foenus: B. Ent. 423). • Gasteruption assectator (detail: B. Ent. 423). • Gasteruption assectator (dissections: B. Ent. 423). • Gasteruption assectator (B. Ent. 423, legend+text).
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Hymenoptera. Version: 9th April 2007. http://delta-intkey.com’.
