Thynnidae

Thynnidae (also known as thynnid wasps or flower wasps) are a family of large solitary wasps whose larvae are almost universally parasitoids of various beetle larvae, especially those in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. Until recently, the constituents of this family were classified in the family Tiphiidae, but multiple studies have independently confirmed that thynnids are a separate lineage.[1][2][3]

Thynnidae
Male Agriomyia sp. feeding on nectar
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Superfamily: Thynnoidea
Family: Thynnidae
Subfamilies

Anthoboscinae
Diamminae
Methochinae
Myzininae
Thynninae

Description

Most species are small, but they can be up to 30 mm long. The females of some subfamilies (all Diamminae, Methochinae, and Thynninae) are wingless, and hunt ground-dwelling (fossorial) beetle larvae, or (in one species) mole crickets. The prey is paralysed with the female's sting and an egg is laid on it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food. In species where both sexes are winged, males are similar in size to the females, but are much more slender. The males of species with wingless females, however, are often much larger than the females and have wings, the adults mating in the air, with the female carried by the male's genitalia. Adults feed on nectar and are minor pollinators. As some of the ground-dwelling scarab species attacked by thynnids are pests, some of these wasps are considered beneficial as biological control agents.

Taxonomy

Thynnidae genera are classified as follows:[1][4][5][3]

Diamma bicolor female (subfamily Diamminae) photographed in Australia
Myzinum quinquecinctum males (subfamily Myzinae) photographed in Oklahoma.
Agriomyia sp. male (subfamily Thynninae), photographed in Australia.
A pair of Zaspilothynnus sp. mating (subfamily Thynninae), photographed in Australia. The male is larger and has wings.

Subfamily: Anthoboscinae
  • Anthobosca Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
  • Anthosila Genise, 1985
  • Calchaquila Genise, 1985
  • Cosila Guérin-Méneville, 1838
  • Lalapa Pate, 1947
  • Odontothynnus Cameron, 1904
  • Paramyzine Berg, 1898

Subfamily: Diamminae

Subfamily: Methochinae
  • Methocha Latreille, 1804
  • Pterombrus Smith, 1869

Subfamily: Myzininae
  • Allomeria Boni Bartalucci, 2007
  • Braunsomeria Turner, 1912
  • Meria Illiger, 1807
  • Mesa Saussure, 1892
  • Myzinum Latreille, 1803
  • Poecilotiphia Cameron, 1902

Subfamily: Thynninae
  • Aelurus Klug, 1840
  • Aeolothynnus Ashmead, 1903
  • Agriomyia Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
  • Ammodromus Guérin-Méneville, 1838
  • Argenthynnus Genise, 1991
  • Ariphron Kimsey, 2007
  • Arthrothynnus Brown, 1996
  • Aspidothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Aulacothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Belothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Brethynnus Genise,, 1991
  • Campylothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Catocheilus Guérin-Ménéville, 1842
  • Chilothynnus Brown, 1996
  • Chrysothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Deuterothynnus Brown, 2010
  • Dimorphothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Doratithynnus Turner, 1910
  • Dythynnus Kimsey, 2001
  • Eirone Westwood, 1844
  • Elaphroptera Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
  • Elidothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Epactiothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Eucyrtothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Glottynnus Genise, 1991
  • Glottynoides Kimsey, 1991
  • Guerinius Ashmead, 1903
  • Gymnothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Hathynnus Kimsey, 2003
  • Heligmothynnus Brown, 2010
  • Hemithynnus Ashmead, 1903
  • Kaysara Carnimeo & Noll, 2018
  • Iswaroides Ashmead, 1899
  • Leiothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Lestricothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Lophocheilus Guérin-Ménéville, 1842
  • Macrothynnus Turner, 1908
  • Mesothynnus Kimsey, 1991
  • Neozeleboria Rohwer, 1910
  • Oncorhinothynnus Salter, 1954
  • Ornepetes Guérin, 1838
  • Pampathynnus Carnimeo & Noll, 2018
  • Phymatothynnus Turner, 1908
  • Pogonothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Psammothynnus Ashmead, 1903
  • Pseudelaphroptera Ashmead, 1903
  • Pseudoscotaena Carnimeo & Noll, 2018
  • Rhagigaster Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
  • Rhytidothynnus Brown, 2008
  • Scotaena Klug, 1810
  • Spilothynnus Ashmead, 1903
  • Tachynoides Kimsey, 1996
  • Tachynomyia Guérin-Ménéville, 1842
  • Tachyphron Brown, 1995
  • Tmesothynnus Turner, 1910
  • Thynnoides Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
  • Thynnoturneria Rohwer, 1910
  • Thynnus Fabricius, 1775
  • Zaspilothynnus Ashmead, 1903
  • Zeena Kimsey, 1991
  • Zeleboria Saussure, 1867

References
  1. Pilgrim, E.; von Dohlen, C.; Pitts, J. (2008). "Molecular phylogenetics of Vespoidea indicate paraphyly of the superfamily and novel relationships of its component families and subfamilies". Zoologica Scripta. 37 (5): 539–560. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00340.x.
  2. Johnson, B.R.; et al. (2013). "Phylogenomics Resolves Evolutionary Relationships among Ants, Bees, and Wasps". Current Biology. 23 (20): 2058–2062. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.08.050. PMID 24094856.
  3. Debevec, Andrew H.; Cardinal, Sophie; Danforth, Bryan N. (2012). "Identifying the sister group to the bees: a molecular phylogeny of Aculeata with an emphasis on the superfamily Apoidea" (PDF). Zoologica Scripta. 41 (5): 527–535. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00549.x.
  4. Brown, G. (2001). "Status of the Ariphron generic group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae): A critical review". Australian Journal of Entomology. 40 (1): 23–40. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6055.2001.00207.x.
  5. Waldren, George. "Family Thynnidae". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
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