The Hymenoptera associated with spiders in Europe

Abstract

The Hymenoptera known to be obligatory parasitoids or predators of spiders or their eggs in Europe form a rather diverse assemblage. Their biologies are briefly reviewed; known host associations are summarized for each genus; and a key is given to the genera of Hymenoptera (other than Pompilidae) involved.

The genus Nipponaetes (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae) in Costa Rica, with a reassessment of the generic limits

“…These specimens, all females, are labelled as "ex spider eggs", from "India: Orissa, Cuttack 1981" and presented by the Commonwealth Institute of Entomology. The form of the ovipositor, tapered to a point, lacking nodus and obvious teeth, compares well with other cryptine genera with known spider egg sac associations (Fitton et al, 1987;Schwarz & Shaw, 2000).…”

Modification of Tetragnatha montana (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) web architecture induced by larva of the parasitoid Acrodactyla quadrisculpta (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Polysphincta genus-group)

“…A. quadrisculpta is thought to be exclusively associated with spider hosts of the genus Tetragnatha (e.g. Nielsen 1937;Fitton et al 1987Fitton et al , 1988this study). Although araneid spiders of the genus Araniella were assumed to be hosts of A. quadrisculpta by Nielsen (1937), clear evidence linking it to this host is missing.…”

“…Polysphinctine wasps (the Polysphincta genus-group sensu Gauld and Dubois 2006), which are all external parasitoids of spiders, exhibit a unique trait within the Ichneumonidae in terms of development (Fitton et al 1987). Their larva is attached to the dorsal side of the spider's opisthosoma/prosoma, where it develops while the spider continues foraging.…”

First record of egg sac predation on a wall crab spider Selenopidae (Araneae) by the wasp Camera lunavenatrix sp. n. (Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae)

“…Some groups of wasps are egg parasitoids, including members of the families Encyrtidae, Eulophidae (Hieber 1984, Austin 1985, Schoeninger et al 2015 and Platygastridae (Fitton et al 1987, Godfray 1994, Stevens and Austin 2007, Bowden and Buddle 2012. In this case, each of these wasp larvae consumes only one egg of the spider host (LaSalle 1990).…”

“…Other wasp lineages, including members of Eupelmidae, Eulophidae, Eurytomidae, Pteromalidae and Ichneumonidae (e.g. Gelis festinans), are known to act as predators in attacking and consuming successive eggs in the sacs (Fitton et al 1987, Baarlen et al 1994, Quicke 2015. In the temperate zone, several genera of Cryptinae (Ichneumonidae) are recorded preying on egg sacs of various groups of spiders, including Agasthenes, Gelis, Hidryta, Idiolispa, Thaumatogelis and Trychosis (Townes 1970, Schwarz and Shaw 1998, 1999, 2000.…”