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Gasteruption sp.
(Latreille, 1796)
Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Gasteruptiidae: Gasteruptiinae
Size/Tamanho: ~1,2cm
Sex: ♂
Areas with naturally adapted vegetation. Since the creation of cities, a lot of Gasteruption wasps migrated to the anthropic environment, where this one was found, as they need hosts to live and these have also migrated, mostly, to towns.
Áreas de mata. Desde a criação das cidades, muitas vespas Gasteruption migraram para o meio antrópico, onde esta foi achada, pois necessitam de hospedeiros para viverem e estes também migraram, em grande parte, para as cidades.
O gênero Gasteruption possui mais que 500 espécies descritas e, surpreendentemente, a maioria delas são muito similares, tornando a identificação à nível de espécie difícil sem um conhecimento sobre as mesmas ou um espécime em mãos. Essas vespas pertencem à ordem Hymenoptera, superfamília Evanioidea, família Gasteruptiidae e subfamília Gasteruptiinae.
As larvas são predadoras/parasitóides e/ou cleptoparasitas. Seus hospedeiros são as abelhas e vespas das famílias Coiletidae, Megachilidae, Sphecidae, Apidae, Anthrophoridae e Vespidae. Quando as fêmeas ovopositam seus ovos nas larvas hospedeiras ou nas proximidades com a ajuda de um ovopositor não presente em machos, eles eclodem em larvas Gasteruption que procedem a consumir as larvas do hospedeiro. Quando terminam, as larvas de Gasteruption PODEM se alimentar do estoque de comida do hospedeiro até que o ciclo de crescimento esteja no fim, culminando com sua emergência como uma vespa adulta. Isso significa que as larvas das vespas Gasteruption são predadoras/parasitóides das famílias de abelhas e vespas mencionadas acima e/ou cleptoparasitas (significando que elas se alimentam do hospedeiro e de seu estoque de comida). Há 35 espécies descritas de Gasteruption na zona neotropical até então.
Os adultos alimentam-se do néctar de flores, especialmente das flores de Apiaceae LINDL. 1836 (Umbelliferae JUSS. 1789). Sua importância pode ser notada como polinizadoras e controladoras populacionais. Neste caso, o indivíduo retratado foi achado alimentando-se do néctar da flor de Euphorbia graminea Jacq. (Euphorbiaceae).
FONTES:
BioLib "Gasteruption jaculator (Linnaeus, 1758)". 1999-2019. Disponível em: <https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id65965/>. Acesso em: 2 de Outubro de 2017.
TREKNATURE "Gasteruption jaculator (female)". Webite Copyright 2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Disponível em: <https://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo...>. Acesso em: 2 de Outubro de 2017.
Nature Spot "Gasteruption jaculator". Leicestershire based registered charity, 2009. Disponível em: <https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/ga...>. Acesso em: 2 de Outubro de 2017.
ENGLISH VERSION HERE:
The genus Gasteruption possesses over 500 described species and, surprisingly, most look very similar, so identification towards species level proves to be difficult without proper knowledge or a specimen in hands. These wasps belong in the order Hymenoptera, superfamily Evanioidea, family Gasteruptiidae and subfamily Gasteruptiinae.
Their larvae are predators/parasitoids and/or kleptoparasites. Their hosts are bees and wasps in the families Coiletidae, Megachilidae, Sphecidae, Apidae, Anthophoridae and Vespidae. Once the eggs are are set into the larvae of their host or close to them, they proceed to consume the host's larvae upon eclosion. Females lay the eggs in the host or nest through the use of an ovipositor, which is lacking in males. When done, the Gasteruption larvae MIGHT feed onto the host's food stock until the growth cycle is nearing completion, proceeding to emerge as an adult wasp once it is finished. This means that the Gasteruption wasp's larvae are predators/parasitoids of the bee and wasp families mentioned above, and/or kleptoparasites (which means they feed on the host and the host's food stock) if needed. So far, there are 35 described species of Gasteruption in the neotropical zone.
The adults feed on the nectar of flowers, specially those of Apiaceae LINDL. 1836 (Umbelliferae JUSS. 1789). Their importance can be noted not only as pollinators, but also as populational controllers. The wasp in the picture was feeding on the flower of Euphorbia graminea Jacq. (Euphorbiaceae).
SOURCES:
BioLib " Gasteruption jaculator (Linnaeus, 1758)". 1999-2019. Available in: <https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id65965/>. Accessed on: October, 2nd, 2017.
TREKNATURE "Gasteruption jaculator (female)". Website Copyright 2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Available in: <https://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo...>. Accessed on: October, 2nd, 2017.
Nature Spot "Gasteruption jaculator". Leicestershire based registered charity, 2009. Available in: <https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/ga...>. Accessed on: October, 2nd, 2017.
Spotted on Oct 2, 2017
Submitted on Feb 13, 2018
1 Comment
A beautiful photo....a beautiful wasp....