Specialized ovipositor sensilla of Cretaceous wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera) possibly reveal a unique way of host detection
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Specialized ovipositor sensilla of Cretaceous wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera) possibly reveal a unique way of host detection. / Wang, Zhen; Vilhelmsen, Lars; Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P.; Viertler, Alexandra; Shih, Chungkun; Wen, Shanshan; Yang, Hongru; Wu, Qiong; Zhang, Yanjie; Ren, Dong; Gao, Taiping.
In: Cladistics, 07.05.2024.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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T1 - Specialized ovipositor sensilla of Cretaceous wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera) possibly reveal a unique way of host detection
AU - Wang, Zhen
AU - Vilhelmsen, Lars
AU - Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P.
AU - Viertler, Alexandra
AU - Shih, Chungkun
AU - Wen, Shanshan
AU - Yang, Hongru
AU - Wu, Qiong
AU - Zhang, Yanjie
AU - Ren, Dong
AU - Gao, Taiping
PY - 2024/5/7
Y1 - 2024/5/7
N2 - Insects have evolved complex sensory systems that are important for feeding, defence and reproduction. Parasitoid wasps often spend much time and effort in searching for concealed hosts with the help of specialized sensilla. However, the early evolution of such behaviour and sensilla is poorly known. We describe two fossil female wasps, †Tichostephanus kachinensis sp. nov. and †Tichostephanus longus sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data retrieved †Tichostephanus as deeply nested within Evanioidea and closely related to extant Gasteruptiidae and Evaniidae. Both of these Cretaceous wasps possess features, e.g. coronal tubercles and flexible ovipositor sheaths, that indicate that they might have laid eggs in wood where their larvae possibly parasitized insect larvae. They have a peculiar and unique ‘bottle brush’ of sensilla close to the apex of their ovipositor sheaths, which has not been observed in any extant parasitoid wasps. These sensilla comprise many regularly arranged plate-shaped setae, attached in relatively large sockets and with rows of longitudinal ridges. Such specialized sensilla perhaps served to enhance the ability to detect hosts inside wood.
AB - Insects have evolved complex sensory systems that are important for feeding, defence and reproduction. Parasitoid wasps often spend much time and effort in searching for concealed hosts with the help of specialized sensilla. However, the early evolution of such behaviour and sensilla is poorly known. We describe two fossil female wasps, †Tichostephanus kachinensis sp. nov. and †Tichostephanus longus sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data retrieved †Tichostephanus as deeply nested within Evanioidea and closely related to extant Gasteruptiidae and Evaniidae. Both of these Cretaceous wasps possess features, e.g. coronal tubercles and flexible ovipositor sheaths, that indicate that they might have laid eggs in wood where their larvae possibly parasitized insect larvae. They have a peculiar and unique ‘bottle brush’ of sensilla close to the apex of their ovipositor sheaths, which has not been observed in any extant parasitoid wasps. These sensilla comprise many regularly arranged plate-shaped setae, attached in relatively large sockets and with rows of longitudinal ridges. Such specialized sensilla perhaps served to enhance the ability to detect hosts inside wood.
U2 - 10.1111/cla.12579
DO - 10.1111/cla.12579
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38712908
JO - Cladistics
JF - Cladistics
SN - 0748-3007
ER -
ID: 391205969