Leucospis is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Leucospidae. Most species are brightly coloured with yellow and black patterning and about 2 cm long. They have characteristically enlarged femurs on the hind leg, with the lower margin toothed. The wings have a longitudinal fold and the long ovipositor is bent over their backs above the abdomen or metasoma. They are parasitic on wasps and solitary bees that construct cells and provision food for their offspring. The Leucospis larvae live and grow as ectoparasites of the host larvae. Usually, only one parasite emerges from a single cell. The genus Micrapion from South Africa is very closely related, and phylogenetic studies suggest merging of the two genera.[1] The genus Leucospis is found across the world in the tropical regions.[2][3]

Leucospis
Leucospis dorsigera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Leucospidae
Genus: Leucospis
Fabricius, 1775
Leucospis gigas

Species

edit

Species within this genus include:[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ Peters, Ralph S.; Niehuis, Oliver; Gunkel, Simon; Bläser, Marcel; Mayer, Christoph; Podsiadlowski, Lars; Kozlov, Alexey; Donath, Alexander; van Noort, Simon; Liu, Shanlin; Zhou, Xin (2018). "Transcriptome sequence-based phylogeny of chalcidoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) reveals a history of rapid radiations, convergence, and evolutionary success". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 120: 286–296. Bibcode:2018MolPE.120..286P. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.12.005. PMID 29247847.
  2. ^ "Leucospis". BioLib.cz. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  3. ^ Boucek, Z. (1974). "A revision of the Leucospidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of the world". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology Supplement. 23: 1–240. doi:10.5962/p.140909.
  4. ^ Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D. Catalogue of life

Further reading

edit

Wasp Wednesday: Leucospis