Doryctinae
Encyclopedia
The Doryctinae or doryctine wasps are a large subfamily of braconid parasitic wasp
s (Braconidae) with a worldwide distribution (except the polar region
s). Numerous genera
and species
formerly unknown to science are being described every year. This subfamily is presumably part of a clade
containing otherwise any or all of the Alysiinae, Braconinae, Gnamptodontinae, Opiinae and Ypsistocerinae, and might be most closely related to the last one of these; whether the Rogadinae are also part of this group is not known with certainty.
are quite large by the family
's standards, and even in the small species the head is massive and the body, while slender, remarkably elongated. Also, Doryctinae tend to be small-winged; many have very much reduced wings, and numerous species in this family are unable to fly or even lack wings entirely. They have a characteristic row of stout spines running lengthwise along the foreleg tibia
, and a cyclostome
depression above the mandible
s.
Like the Mesostoinae
(a small subfamily endemic to Australia
), some Doryctinae are known to form gall
s on plants. In general however, they are koinobionts, as is usual for Braconidae. The food of the koinobiont Doryctinae larva
e are most often the larvae of wood-boring beetle
s – such as jewel beetle
s (Buprestidae) –, on which the wasp larvae feed as ectoparasitoids. Other species parasitize lepidoptera
n (butterfly and moth) or symphytan (sawfly) larvae. Several doryctine wasps are of economic importance as biocontrol
agents, e.g. against eucalyptus
pests.
Parasitic wasp
The term parasitoid wasp refers to a large evolutionary grade of hymenopteran superfamilies, mainly in the Apocrita. They are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods...
s (Braconidae) with a worldwide distribution (except the polar region
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
s). Numerous genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
and species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
formerly unknown to science are being described every year. This subfamily is presumably part of a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
containing otherwise any or all of the Alysiinae, Braconinae, Gnamptodontinae, Opiinae and Ypsistocerinae, and might be most closely related to the last one of these; whether the Rogadinae are also part of this group is not known with certainty.
Description and ecology
Doryctine wasps are found across almost the entire size range of Braconidae; some speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are quite large by the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
's standards, and even in the small species the head is massive and the body, while slender, remarkably elongated. Also, Doryctinae tend to be small-winged; many have very much reduced wings, and numerous species in this family are unable to fly or even lack wings entirely. They have a characteristic row of stout spines running lengthwise along the foreleg tibia
Arthropod leg
The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. Many of the terms used for arthropod leg segments are of Latin origin, and may be confused with terms for bones: coxa , trochanter , femur, tibia, tarsus, ischium, metatarsus, carpus, dactylus ,...
, and a cyclostome
Cyclostome
Cyclostome is a biological term used in a few different senses:* for the taxon Cyclostomata, which comprises the extant jawless fishes: the hagfish and the lampreys . This was thought for a time to be a paraphyletic group and this usage of the term was deprecated by some...
depression above the mandible
Mandible (arthropod)
thumb|250px|The mandibles of a [[Bull ant]]The mandible of an arthropod is either of a pair of mouthparts used for biting, cutting and holding food. Mandibles are often simply referred to as jaws. Mandibles are present in the extant subphyla Myriapoda , Crustacea and Hexapoda...
s.
Like the Mesostoinae
Mesostoinae
The Mesostoinae, is a subfamily of wasps endemic to Australia.It contains four genera:* Andesipolis* Hydrangeocola* Mesostoa* Proavga...
(a small subfamily endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), some Doryctinae are known to form gall
Gall
Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...
s on plants. In general however, they are koinobionts, as is usual for Braconidae. The food of the koinobiont Doryctinae larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are most often the larvae of wood-boring beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s – such as jewel beetle
Jewel beetle
Buprestidae is a family of beetles, known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,000 species known in 450 genera...
s (Buprestidae) –, on which the wasp larvae feed as ectoparasitoids. Other species parasitize lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
n (butterfly and moth) or symphytan (sawfly) larvae. Several doryctine wasps are of economic importance as biocontrol
BioControl
BioControl is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Science+Business Media covering all aspects of basic and applied research in biological control of invertebrate, vertebrate, and weed pests, and plant diseases. The journal was established in 1956 as Entomophaga and published by...
agents, e.g. against eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
pests.