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Family GASTERUPTIIDAE


Compiler and date details

1 December 2010 - John T. Jennings, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity and School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide SA 5005, Australia

Introduction

Gasteruptiidae is represented by perhaps 1500-2000 species worldwide (Jennings and Austin 2002), of which about 500 are described. Gasteruptiids are particularly distinctive because of their slender, subclavate metasoma, the dorsal articulation of the metasoma to the propodeum, the elongate, neck-like propleura, and expanded hind tibia.

The family is divided into three subfamilies:

a. Kotujellitinae - fossil subfamily containing two monotypic genera from the Late Cretaceous of northern Siberia and the mid-Early Cretaceous of Mongolia (Basibuyuk et al. 2002)
b. Gasteruptiidae - extant subfamily with four genera (Jennings and Austin 2000; Macedo 2009)
c. Hyptiogastrinae - extant subfamily with two genera (Jennings and Austin 2000)

In a phylogenetic analysis by Jennings & Austin (2000), Gasteruptiinae (Gasteruption L.) was shown to be a monophyletic group and the sister to Hyptiogastrinae. Jennings & Austin (2002) examined internal relationships within Hyptiogastrinae and recognised just two genera; Hyptiogaster Kieffer which includes all taxa with an exserted ovipositor, and its sister genus Pseudofoenus Kieffer, representing all remaining Hyptiogastrinae (i.e. those with a short and hidden ovipositor). Hyptiogaster is entirely Australian whereas Pseudofoenus has a restricted Gondwanan distribution (Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia,New Guinea, New Zealand and South America).

The larvae of Gasteruptiidae are reported to be predators or predator-inquilines of various solitary bees and wasps (for a summary, see Jennings and Austin 2004).

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
07-Aug-2012 07-Aug-2012 MODIFIED
30-Jun-2010 MODIFIED