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The occurrence of the genera and morphospecies of Diapriidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera) in four habitats (stands) of eastern Mozambique, was studied. The genus Miota is recorded from the Afrotropical region for the first time. Overall, diapriids were represented by 52 morphospecies from 10 genera of the subfamilies Belytinae and Diapriinae. The highest occurrence (140 specimens) and the largest taxonomic diversity (42 morphospecies from 9 genera) were found for the diapriids in the native miombo stand (Brachystegia sp.), followed by the eucalypt, Eucalyptus spp., (92 specimens, 24 morphospecies from 8 genera), the loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, (62 specimens, 19 morphospecies from 7 genera), and the wild loquat (Uapaca kirkiana) stands (40 specimens, 14 morphospecies from 7 genera). The most morphospecies-rich genera were Basalys, Coptera and Trichopria (15, 14 and 7 morphospecies respectively), with Coptera being the most specimen-rich in all samples. The same diapriid morphospecies prevailed in all studied habitats. The abundance estimators ACE and Chao1 predicted 61 (60 in Chao1) species for miombo stand, that is nearly 3.0 times richer than the 22 species estimated for wild loquat, 2.1 (2.6) times richer than the 29 (23) species estimated for loblolly pine and 1.5 times richer than the 40 (39) species estimated for eucalypt. The diapriids of the exotic eucalypt and native miombo stands were most similar, and clustered together with diapriids of the exotic loblolly pine stand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus CopteraSay, 1836 is firstly reported from China. Two new species from Yunnan Province, C. spina Hou, Yang & Xu, n. sp. and C. yunnanica Hou, Yang & Xu, n. sp., are described and illustrated. A key to the Chinese species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional response describes the number of prey or hosts attacked by a predator or parasitoid as a function of prey or host density. Using three different experimental designs, we found a linear functional response by two insect parasitoids (the pteromalid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae and the diapriid Trichopria drosophilae) to their hosts (the drosophilids Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster). A linear function response is considered unusual for insect parasitoids. The first design was a ‘fixed time within patch experiment’ where individual parasitoids were exposed to a range of host densities for 24 h; the second two designs were a ‘variable time functional response’ and a ‘selective functional response’ experiments where individual parasitoids were presented with a range of host patches and allowed to freely select and explore only one patch (variable time) or forage for 24 h (selective). In all experimental designs, the number of hosts parasitized increased linearly until reaching an upper limit. Under the laboratory conditions used, the functional response of P. vindemiae was limited by its egg supply and time (host handling time) whereas T. drosophilae was limited by time only. The linear functional response by both parasitoids likely resulted from a constant attack rate and an incremental foraging strategy where the parasitoids left a poor (low density) host patch or remained in a higher quality host patch when there was successful oviposition and adequate host density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species of the genus Entomacis Foerster in North America north of Mexico are revised. Nineteen species (12 new), including 8 species of the Holarcticwide perplexa species group, are keyed, described, and figured. These taxa are E. ambigua (Brues), E. apopkaensis sp. nov., E. arctica sp. nov., E. cellaria sp. nov., E. cepa sp. nov., E. eoraria sp. nov., E. floridana (Ashmead), E. grandiclava sp. nov., E. longii (Ashmead), E. mellipetiola (Ashmead), E. parambigua sp. nov., and perplexa group members E. californica (Ashmead), E. rnicrobipunctata sp. nov., E. notioxera sp. nov., E. oula sp. nov., E. parva sp. nov., E. perplexa (Haliday), E. saprata sp. nov., and E. subemarginata (Ashmead). Hemilexodes canadensis (Harrington) is synonymized under Entomacis mellipetiola (Ashmead) (syn. nov.). The status of Entomacis latipennis (Ashmead), E. filiformis (Ashmead), and Hemilexis jessei Mann is reviewed. New character complexes, particularly chaetotaxy, are emphasized for Diapriidae species taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]