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Back to List of Background & Research Materials Iwata,
K. & T. Tachikawa. BIOLOGICAL
OBSERVATIONS ON 53 SPECIES OF THE SUPERFAMILIES, CHALCIDOIDEA AND PROCTOTRUPOIDEA,
FROM JAPAN (HYMENOPTERA : APOCRITA) Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society 9(1): 1 - 29.
1966. Abstract. During 39 years, 1926 to 1965, one of the writers (K.I.) has observed, though fragmentally, the habits and life histories of a goodly number of Chalcidoidea and Proctotrupoidea, among which 53 species described here are contained. All these are the species whose specimens, together with those of their hosts, have been kept in good condition and are now preserved in the Entomological laboratory of Ehime University, Matsuyama. One of the writers (T.T.) has accomplished the taxonomic study of these parasites and examined their sex ratios. He also describes the male of Melittobia japonica Masi. Some torymids were identified by Dr. K. Kamijo, to whom the writers express their hearty thanks. In the present paper are described the biological notes on 53 species reared from 73 host species. Out of these 73 hosts, 19 may be considered to be beneficial and the remaining 54 injurious. Moreover as for these 73 hosts, only 22 species have been recorded to be attacked by the parasites identical with the species described in this paper, but as for the remaining 50 species nothing has been reported on parasitisms by Chalcidoidea or Proctotrupoidea and in 13 species out of 50 there has been no record even about parasitism by any group of Hymenoptera from Japan. Accordingly the data presented here are mostly new to science and seem to be of some value for future investigation on biological control of insect pests. Melittobia Species Mentioned. Melittobia japonica (=M. clavicornis). Comments. Melittobia japonica (=M. clavicornis) is described as an "ectopolyparasite
of the prepupae of various Aculeate wasps in their nests and the pupae
of parasitic Diptera in wasps' nests". Various hosts are mentioned and a table showing
the number of Melittobia on
5 nests, and different cells, of Aupoplus
is presented. A few aspects of the biology of M. japonica (=M. clavicornis)
are also presented. The male
of this species is described. A
figure includes drawings of male wings, legs, mandibles, and antennae. |