The Braconidae, a family of parasitic wasps, constitute a major taxonomic challenge with an estimated diversity of 40,000 to 120,000 species worldwide, only 18,000 of which have been described to date. The skeletal morphology of braconids is still not adequately understood and the terminology is partly idiosyncratic, despite the fact that anatomical features form the basis for most taxonomic wo...

Many specialist herbivores eat foods that are apparently low quality. The compensatory benefits of a poor diet may include protection from natural enemies. Several bee lineages specialize on pollen of the plant family Asteraceae, which is known to be a poor-quality food. Here we tested the hypothesis that specialization on Asteraceae pollen protects bees from parasitism. We compared rates of br...

Intake of sugar-rich foods by adult parasitoids is crucial for their reproductive success. This is an aspect of parasitoid biology that warrants special attention in the biological control of pests. Facilitating access to suitable foods might help optimize the efficacy of parasitoids as biological control agents. In situations where nectar is not readily available, homopteran honeydew can be a ...

The new book, FLIES, tells us a lot about what gnats and their relatives have to tell us about nature, would we but listen attentively. The author, Stephen Marshall, began his biological interests in beetles and then somehow went to the dark side, FLIES. This reviewer began his career in beetles and stayed put; that is what qualifies him as a reviewer of this simply superb book Steve Marshall h...

Potter wasps belong to the subfamily Eumeninae of the family Vespidae. Potter wasp is a common name given for a group of caterpillar hunting wasp which builds the pot-shaped mud nests. Initially the wasp constructs the nest and then starts hunting for its prey, the caterpillars. The prey is stung and paralyzed by the wasp then brought to the nest. It is perhaps a very highly specific behavior o...

Reproductive manipulations of hosts by maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts often result in an increase in the proportion of infected female hosts in the population. When this involves the conversion of incipient males to genetic or functional females, it presents unique difficulties for symbionts invading hosts with sex-specific reproductive behaviours, such as the autoparasitic Encars...

A major cause for biodiversity may be biodiversity itself. As new species form, they may create new niches for others to exploit, potentially catalyzing a chain reaction of speciation events across trophic levels. We tested for such sequential radiation in the Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) complex, a model for sympatric speciation via host plant shifting. We report that the parasi...

Three new species of parasitic wasps (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from southern India are described and illustrated. Glyptapanteles clanisae sp. nov., a remarkable gregarious endoparasitoid, was bred from the caterpillar of Clanis phalaris Cramer (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) on the host plant Pongamia pinnata (L.) (Leguminosae) along with a hyperparasitoid, Eurytoma sp. (Eurytomidae). Glyptapantel...

We have identified a previously undescribed transmembrane protein, Hemese, from Drosophila melanogaster blood cells (hemocytes), by using a monoclonal pan-hemocyte antibody. Heavy glycosylation is suggested by the heterogeneous size distribution, ranging between 37 and 70 kDa. Hemese expression is restricted to the cell surfaces of hemocytes of all classes, and to the hematopoietic organs. The ...

Symbiotic microorganisms have had a large impact on eukaryotic evolution, with effects ranging from parasitic to mutualistic. Mitochondria and chloroplasts are prime examples of symbiotic microorganisms that have become obligate for their hosts, allowing for a dramatic extension of suitable habitats for life. Out of the extraordinary diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in insects, most are fac...