November, 2009 Volume 2, Issue 6

Hymenoptera Institute, University of Kentucky http://sharkeylab.org/tiger/

CONTENTS OF ISSUE 6: A first look at the diversity of Thai …………...... Pages 1-2 Norliyana Haslin binti Aliaas……...…....Page 3 EEE………………………………………. Page 3

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1. 2009 TIGER Discoveries - contributions from our collaborators

A first look at the diversity of Thai Figure 1. Jose L. Fernandez-Triana

Microgastrinae (, ).

I have seen over 15 genera and probably a Jose L. Fernandez-Triana. hundred of species from the TIGER samples. The Department of Integrative Biology, University of most diverse genera include Apanteles, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Email: Glyptapanteles, Diolcogaster and Choeras. From [email protected] the latter I think that some large specimens with

long, bilobate glossae and deep basal depression

in the median tergite 1 might represent a new Recently I started to process microgastrine samples genus -or at least a redefinition of Choeras as we in alcohol which were kindly sent to me by understand it now. Stephanie Clutts and Mike Sharkey. Among those, Generally speaking, the majority of the I was able to briefly look at a few hundred specimens were rather large by Microgastrinae specimens from the TIGER project –part of several standards (some Apanteles and Choeras, most of thousand that hopefully will be ready soon for a Diolcogaster and all of Fornicia, Snellenius, more detailed study. Even though I have barely Wilkinsonellus and Diolcogaster species). But I scratched the surface, the diversity of Thailand also found quite a few species of very small microgastrine wasps is impressive. microgastrine, between 1.4-1.8 mm of body Microgastrinae are the single most length, from several genera (Glyptapanteles, important group of Lepidoptera parasitoids, and Diolcogaster and another genus of unknown with over 2000 described species, rank as the identity). second most diverse subfamily within braconids Diolcogaster had altogether around a after Braconinae (Yu et al., 2005; Jones et al., dozen species; half of them from the basimacula- 2009). The actual diversity of the group has been group which comprises species with the first 3 estimated anywhere between 4000 and 10000 tergites enlarged and covering most of the species worldwide (e.g. Mason, 1981; Dolphin and metasoma. The other two known genera of Quicke, 2001; Jones et al., 2009). Only 18 species Microgastrinae with carapace-like metasoma are in 6 genera have been recorded from Thailand (Yu also found in Thailand: Buluka (I saw one et al., 2005; Fernandez-Triana, 2009), but that only

shows the paucity of studies.

TIGERPage 2 PageTIGER 2

species) and Fornicia (half a dozen). It would be Three specimens were puzzling and I am interesting to know if such a high percentage of not sure about their generic placement. One is a species with modified metasomata is somehow bizarre, small specimen with huge converging related to particular environment and/or host. eyes that obliterate the malar space. The antennae are short; the flagellomere segments have a single row of placodes, with the apical 10 segments white. The propodeum has a wide areolet looking like a V. The hypopygium and ovipositor are very strange, with the ovipositor sheaths short, rather thick and twisted downward apically. The other two specimens belong to a big, orange-yellowish species that in color superficially looks like the genus Parenion but with major differences in propodeum and T1-3 shape/characteristics. The metatibial spurs are very long (three quarters of the basitarsus) and flattened and the metacoxae are as big as the entire metasoma. I just saw a few species from Cotesia, Dolichogenidea, Iconella and Protapanteles; two Figure 2. Fornicia sp. Common Thai species of Snellenius and one from each of microgastrine with metasomal carapace. Nyereria and Wilkinsonellus. However, all the numbers and comments provided here are just Two interesting genera were Alloplitis preliminary accounts of the Thailand and Philoplitis. The first was represented by at microgastrine diversity. The final data will be least 3 species, with 2 of them probably new. much higher than at present. Hopefully we can There are only 6 described species of this genus report more details in future issues of this but Thailand samples seem to suggest that the newsletter, as well as some photos of the amazing actual number will be much higher. As for specimens found so far. Philoplitis, I was glad to find a female of P. punctatus (Fernandez-Triana & Goulet, 2009). I REFERENCES had described the species earlier this year based Dolphin, K. & Quicke, D. L. 2001. Estimating the global on a single male, which I happened to species richness of an incompletely described taxon: an accidentally hit against my microscope, in the example using parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: process almost destroying the specimen. Braconidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 73: 279–286. Fortunately for me, a much more skilful Fernández-Triana, J. & Goulet, H. 2009. Revision of the Caroline Boudreault (from the CNC) helped me genus Philoplitis Nixon (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, to glue the pieces we could find scattered all Microgastrinae). Zookeys, 20: 285-298. over my desk and the remnants were still enough Jones, O.; Purvis, A.; Baumgart, E; Quicke, D. L. 2009. as to provide a description. The finding of one Using taxonomic revision data to estimate the geographic and taxonomic distribution of undescribed species female (which is only lacking the tips of the richness in the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: antennae... not caused by me this time!) is ). Conservation and Diversity, certainly good news. Still, the genus seems to be 2(3): 204-212. very rare in collections, and I am hoping to find Mason, W.R.M. 1981. The polyphyletic nature of Apanteles more specimens once the rest of the samples are Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): A phylogeny and reclassification of Microgastrinae. Memoirs of the studied. Entomological Society of Canada, 115: 1-147. Yu, D.S.; van Achterberg, K.; Horstmann, K. 2005. World Ichneumonoidea 2004. Taxonomy, Biology, Morphology and Distribution. CD/DVD. Taxapad, Vancouver, Canada. www.taxapad.com

TIGER Page 3 Newsletter Title

Automontage imaging system and ultimately produced an interactive key using DELTA Intkey (focusing on one genus of orgilines, Stantonia).

Visiting Scholar: Norliyana Haslin binti Alias Presently, Norly has completed all required course work for her degree at the

Universiti Kebangsaan and will spend the This past month the Sharkey lab had the honor of upcoming year continuing her work on the working with Norliyana Haslin binti Alias revision of Stantonia of Thailand and Malaysia. (Norly), a visiting scholar from Malaysia. Norly We wish Norly the best of luck and hope is currently a master’s student at the Universiti that she will be back to study with us in the Kebangsaan in Malaysia where she studies the future! systematics and taxonomy of the genera of

Orgilinae (Hymentoptera, Braconidae) from Malaysia and Thailand, advised by Prof. Idris Abd Ghani. Before starting her graduate work, Norly received her Bachelor’s of Science (with honors) in Biological Sciences with an emphasis Entomological Exchange Emporium (EEE) in Zoology from the Universiti Kebangsaan. (Mike Sharkey) Norly spent time during her one month visit at the University of Kentucky working on a A number of us will be exchanging Malaise variety of things. She began her stay by mounting trap samples at the ECN and ESA meetings in and labeling over 250 specimens of Thai Indianapolis this December. Get in touch with me if orgilines; these specimens were then added to her you want in. Happy Turkey Day! collection of Malaysian orgilines for study. She spent a majority of her time learning how to PS - I have received word that we will not know the select and code morphological characters, outcome of the Malaysia grant until January 9th. photograph exemplar specimens using the

TIGER Page 4 Page 4 TIGER

TIGER COLLABORATORS AND STAFF

Adrian R. Plant, Chris Carlton, Christiane Weirauch, Alexandre P. Aguiar, Alexey K. Tishechkin, Andrew R. Cline, Brian D. Farrell, Andy Boring, Dicky Yu, Barb Sharanowski, Brian V. Brown, Buntika Areekul Butcher, Celso Oliveira Azevedo, Alain Pauly, Charles L. Bellamy, David Grimaldi, Chris Dietrich, Chris Simon, David Smith, Ding Yang, Donald L.J. Quicke, Ed Fuller, Emilia Nartshuk, Evert I. Schlinger, Ewa Krzeminska, Gary A.P. Gibson, Gérard Delvare, Gonzalo Giribet, Greg Curler, Gustavo Hormiga, Heikki Hippa, Igor V. Shamshev, James B. Whitfield, Andrew R. Deans, Andrew Whittington, Bernhard Merz, James M. Carpenter, James P. Pitts, Janice Edgerly-Rooks, Jason R. Cryan, Amnon Freidberg, Anchana Thancharoen, Brian Fisher, Marco Gottardo, M. Sasakawa, Jean-Yves Rasplus, Jens-Hermann Stuke, Jerry L. Cook, Jindrich Rohacek, John M. Heraty, Kees van Achterberg, Kipling Will, Laurence Packer, Lubomir Masner, Matthew L. Gimmel, Michael C. Thomas, Lubomir Vidlicka, Lynn Kimsey, Michael S. Caterino, Nico M. Franz, Norm Woodley, Norman D. Penny, Norman F. Johnson, Marc Pollet, M.J. Paulsen, Michael Gates, Michael Ohl, P. Pitts, Patrick Grootaert, Paul H. Freytag, Pekka Vilkamaa, Petr Starý, Petra Sierwald, Shaun L. Winterton, Shelah Morita, Shuhei Nomura, Robert Kula, Alan Roy Gillogly, Chen Young, Robert T. Allen, Toyohei Saigusa, Valery Korneyev, Validimir Gusarov, Stephen D. Gaimari, Steven L. Heydon, R. Cline, R. Deans, Rob Roughley, Serguei V. Triapitsyn, John Swann, T. Keith Philips, Roger A. Beaver, Ron Felix, Scott Shaw, Sébastien Patiny, Sergio Ibáñex-Bernal, Terry Griswold, Torsten Dikow, Martin Hauser, Massimo Olmi, Matt Buffington, Volker Lohrmann, Weston Opitz, Yves Braet, Luke M. Jacobus, Hans Clebsch, Ralph Holzenthal, Xin Zhou, Karl Kjer, Michael May, Ignac Sivec, Eduard Vives, Henrik Enghoff, Kai Schütte, Dan Young, Adam Slipinski, Ainsley Seago, Gene Hall, Charles Lienhard

Credits for this Issue Editing and Design: Stephanie Clutts & Michael Sharkey Please send comments and suggestions to: [email protected]