Subfamily Masarinae
Introduction
Masarinae are medium to large sized, mostly non-predatory, solitary wasps, found on all continents, although species are usually rare. Their distribution within Australia seems to have been reduced as settlement spread. Only two endemic genera with 36 included species and subspecies are now recognised in the Australian fauna, with greatest diversity (and most of the recently collected specimens) found in arid areas. Worldwide the Masarinae comprise more than 300 species in 16 genera (S.K. Gess 1996). Adults are usually collected on flowers or at water. It appears that the Australian species provision their cells with nectar and pollen which has led to the common name of pollen wasps (Houston 1984). Probably all nest in burrows in the ground though some non-Australian species construct mud-cells attached to trees and shrubs. Very little is known about their biology in Australia, apart from the species studied by Houston (1984, 1986, 1995).
The subfamily can be divided into two monophyletic tribes Gayellini and Masarini (Carpenter 1982, 1989, 1997). The Gayellini comprises the Neotropical genera Gayella and Paramasaris. The Masarini are comprised of two subtribes– Paragiina, with the Australian endemic genera Metaparagia and Paragia, and Masarina, with the remaining 12 masarine genera. Carpenter (1997) demonstrated the Australian Masarinae to be a monophyletic group and treated them as the subtribe Paragiina, sister-group to the remainder of the tribe Masarini. The Euparagiinae previously recognised by Richards (1962) as a subfamily of Masaridae is considered by Carpenter (1982) to be the sister group to all the other currently recognised vespid subfamilies (Masarinae, Eumeninae, Stenogastrinae, Polistinae and Vespinae).
Vecht & Carpenter (1990) gave a catalogue to the genera of Masarinae, S.K. Gess (1992) discussed the recent biogeography of the Masarinae while F.W. Gess & S.K. Gess (1992) outlined and discussed nesting by Masarinae. S.K. Gess (1996) reviewed and synthesised the ecology and natural history of the pollen wasps and F.W. Gess (1998) described a new genus of Southern African masarine that is the sister group to the Australian Paragiina and Masarina combined.
General References
Carpenter, J.M. 1982. The phylogenetic relationships and natural classification of the Vespoidea (Hymenoptera). Systematic Entomology 7: 11-38
Carpenter, J.M. 1989. The phylogentic system of the Gayellini (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Masarinae). Psyche (Cambridge) 95: 211-241
Carpenter, J.M. 1997. Generic classification of the Australian Pollen Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Masarinae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 69(4 (supplement)): 384-400 [Date published 15/01/97]
Gess, F.W. 1998. Priscomasaris namibiensis Gess, a new genus and species of Masarinae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) from Namibia, Southern Africa, with a discussion of its position within the subfamily. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 7(2): 296-304
Gess, F.W. & Gess, S.K. 1992. Ethology of three southern African ground nesting Masarinae, two Celonites species and a silk-spinning Quartinia species, with a discussion of nesting by the subfamily as a whole (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 1(1): 145-155
Gess, S.K. 1992. Biogeography of the masarine wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae), with particular emphasis on the southern African taxa and on corerelations between masarine and forage plant distributions. Journal of Biogeography 19: 491-503
Houston, T.F. 1984. Bionomics of a pollen-collecting wasp, Paragia tricolor (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae), in Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 11: 141-151
Houston, T.F. 1986. Biological notes on the pollen wasp Paragia (Cygnaea) vespiformis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae) with description of a nest. Australian Entomological Magazine 12(6): 115-118 [Date published 02/86]
Houston, T.F. 1995. Notes on the ethology of Rolandia maculata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae), a pollen wasp with a psammophore. Records of the Western Australian Museum 17(3): 343-349
van der Vecht, J. & Carpenter, J.M. 1990. A catalog of the genera of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera). Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 260: 1-62
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-Aug-2012 | 25-Jul-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |