AW Insect Book: Sawflies, Wasps, Bees & Ants (Hymenoptera)

Post by **BluTuna** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 4:37 pm

Ichneumon Wasp Camptotypus sp.
Superfamily: Ichneumonoidea. Family: Ichneumonidae. Subfamily: Pimplinae. Tribe: Pimplini

© BluTuna
Garden in Johannesburg

Ichneumon wasps of the genus Camptotypus are parasitoids of Lepidoptera (Drepanidae) and Hymenoptera (Vespidae, Polistinae).

Links: WaspWeb Camptotypus

Post by **Toko** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 5:27 pm

Family Chrysididae (Cuckoo Wasps)
The solitary wasps belonging to the family Chrysididae are sometimes called cuckoo wasps because they do not make nests. Cuckoo wasps have the habit of the bird after which they are named, of laying their eggs in the nests of other wasps and leaving them to be fed by the owner of the nest. As the larva develops, it either turns out the proper occupant of the cell or devours it.
Cuckoo Wasps are small to medium (body length 4-20 mm), sometimes metallic-blue or metallic-red, such as in Spintharina; usually bright metallic green, as in Stilbum cyanurum and many Chrysis species, or combinations of these colours as in Chrysis concinna. The shining coloration made of iridescent blue, green, purple is an interference coloration, while true pigments (red, brown and white) are very rare. The typical brilliance is emphasized by the exoskeleton sculpture, which is carved by a complex punctuation and by projections, crests, holes from micrometric to millimetric size.
Body stout and extremely hard and strongly sculptured to resist attack by hosts. Large eyes, short antennae. Head and thorax pitted. Legs short.
Most species lay eggs in nests of solitary wasps and bees, their larvae feeding on host's provisions or larvae. Roll up into a ball in self-defence.
Adults visit flowers for nectar.
Widespread in most terrestrial habitats. May be seen on mud walls or termitaria at midday, investigating nests of potential hosts.

Biology
These wasps, with one exception, (Praestochrysis) are nest parasites of wasps and bees. They actively enter nests, whether the host is present or not. These adult hosts are capable fighters, equipped with powerful mandibles and stingers. However, chrysidine morphology allows them to roll up into an impenetrable ball if they happen to be attacked by the host. The rigid cup-like abdomen effectively covers vulnerable intersegmental membranes and leg joints.
The biology of only a small percentage of chrysidid species has been investigated and this mainly to identify hosts. The nature of the primary food source is practically a subfamilial character in Chrysididae. Thus, Amiseginae and Loboscelidiinae attack walking stick eggs, Cleptinae parasitize sawfly prepupae, and Chrysidinae (except Praestochrysis) use aculeate wasp and bee larvae.
There are two basic host stages attacked by chrysidids. Most species studied oviposit on, or adjacent to, the host prepupa. The egg hatches immediately and the resulting larva consumes the host and provisions, or the larva attaches to the host and only begins to feed when the host molts to the prepupal stage. The second method is apparently the more primitive of the two strategies used by chrysidids. The host has already eaten and physiologically processed the provisions. As a result, the chrysidid probably requires less digestive specialization than it would if it ate the host egg or larvae and provisions, which could be bugs, spiders, caterpillars, pollen balls, and so on.

Post by **ExFmem** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:04 pm

Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis sp.
Superfamily: Chrysidoidea. Family: Chrysididae. Subfamily: Chrysidinae

© ExFmem
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mata Mata

© ExFmem
Cuckoo wasp exploring potential host nests

Chrysidids, commonly called cuckoo wasps, are well represented in southern Africa. Typically they are of brilliant metallic colours such as green, blue, red or combinations of these.
All species are ‘parasitic’. The majority develops within the cells of wasps and bees, usually first feeding on the host’s egg or larva and then on the provision laid in for the latter or in some cases on the host’s fully grown larva. The egg of the cuckoo wasp is generally introduced into the host’s cell whilst cell provisioning is taking place.

WaspWeb - Genus Chrysis

Post by **BluTuna** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:11 pm

Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis sp.
Superfamily: Chrysidoidea. Family: Chrysididae. Subfamily: Chrysidinae

© BluTuna
Garden in Johannesburg

Post by **Toko** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:14 pm

Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis sp.
Superfamily: Chrysidoidea. Family: Chrysididae. Subfamily: Chrysidinae

© BluTuna
Ngwenya Lodge

Post by **Toko** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 7:32 pm

Formicidae (Ants)
Ants have a conspicuous demarcation between head and thorax, 1- or 2-segmented waist, and antennae elbowed at the first joint. All are social, with well-differentiated castes. Workers are wingless, usually sterile females. Males and reproductive females generally have wings, which are discarded by females after mating. The shape of the head and mandibles varies greatly with caste and even within the worker caste. Some ants have stings, sometimes modified for spraying defensive chemicals. Nests very variable in structure and location. Some species are nomadic; others make small nests in hollow twigs, reeds or thorns, construct subterranean nests as deep as 6 m or more, or nest under stones. Others build aerial nests in bushes and trees.

Links:
The Ants of Africa, Distribution Records - South Africa

Post by **Toko** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 8:12 pm

Subfamily Formicinae
The Formicinae are a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.
Diagnostic Features: Pedicel of a single segment, usually with a narrow connection to the gaster so that the petiole has a distinct posterior face. Eyes usually present. Clypeus developed so that the antennal insertions are some distance behind the anterior margin of the head. Frontal carinae may cover antennal insertions. No sting and apex of gaster with a circular acidopore formed from the hypopigium, this structure often projecting as a nozzle and fringed with hairs. Occasionally the orifice of the acidopore is hidden by a projection of the pygidium, in which case the pronotum, petiole or both are armed with spines.

Links:
The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE
Wikipedia

Post by **BluTuna** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 8:27 pm

Common Pugnacious Ant Anoplolepis custodiens (Malmier)
Family: Formicidae. Subfamily: Formicinae. Tribe: Lasiini

© BluTuna
Garden Johannesburg

Description
A robust reddish-brown formicine. Queen: 12-14mm. Workers: 5-10 mm.
Polymorphic, colour yellowish-brown to reddish-brown or even somewhat darker with abdomen dark-brown to almost blackish-brown, therefore easily confused with workers of the black pugnacious ant. Separated from latter species by chequered pattern on abdomen, caused by reflection of light on pubescent hairs, which are arranged in two different directions on each side. Few pilose hairs also present, particularly on head, apical borders of abdominal segments and on femora. Anterior border of cypeus angular in the middle, acutely so in some specimens; in lateral view less convex than in black pugnacious ant. Scale of petiole rather flattened in larger workers and fairly deeply emarginate above; scale narrowed dorsally in minors and emargination generally almost obsolete. The chequered pattern on abdomen and form of the clypeus are not as distinct as in the majors or media and this caste is therefore difficult to identify in the absence of larger workers. The convex epinotum is characteristic of the workers of the subgenus Zealleyella, and seen from the side it is almost as high as the promesonotum in the majors; in the minors it may be much higher.

Antenna 11-segmented. Antennal club indistinct. Antennal scape length less than 1.5x head length. Eyes large; do not break outline of head. Antennal sockets and posterior clypeal margin separated by a distance equal to or greater than the minimum width of antennal scape. Dorsum of mesosoma with metanotal impression, but never with a deep and broad concavity. Propodeum and petiolar node both lacking a pair of short teeth. Propodeum lacking posteriorly projecting protrusion. Metapleuron with a distinct gland orifice. Propodeal declivity less than twice length of propodeal dorsum. Waist 1-segmented. Petiole upright and not appearing flattened. Gaster armed with acidopore. Distinct constriction not visible between abdominal segments 3+4. Hairs not long thick and produced in pairs. Reddish-brown with a darker gaster.

Distribution
Native to sub-saharan Africa. South Africa, Swaziland, Zanzibar and Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and the Ethiopian region.

Habitat
Widespread and abundant. In its natural habitat in the southern Karoo, this ant nests in open, well insulated soil and feeds on dead and live animal matter as well as honeydew and nectar. A pest in vineyards.

Biology
The species is polygynous, highly aggressive, and is known to exhibit extreme dominance over other ant species in agricultural landscapes, especially when honeydew food resources are available.
Anoplolepis custodiens squirts formic acid from its abdomen. This species is used for anting by several bird species.

Links: AntWeb; The Ants of Africa

Post by **ExFmem** » Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:55 am

Bal-byter or Yellow-haired Sugar Ant Camponotus fulvopilosus
Superfamily: Vespoidea. Family: Formicidae. Subfamily: Formicinae. Tribe: Camponotini

The Afrikaans word, Bal-byter, is a rather crude yet humorous moniker that refers to its notorious reputation for inflicting a rather painful bite to one’s nether regions, when inadvertently trapped in this sensitive spot!

© ExFmem
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Description
Very large, workers range from 10-18 mm and the queen between 17- 20 mm (minor workers about 12 mm, majors large up to 20 mm, few intermediates). They are black all over, while the gaster (or bulbous posterior section) is covered in dense yellow hair – nature’s warning of what to expect from this end of the ant. Workers have a more slender head and thorax, while major workers and soldiers have much enlarged heads.
They forage by day and are quick.

Distribution
Afrotropical Region: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa

Habitat
Arid savanna and woodland with sandy soil. Often on melbas.

Biology
A member of the subfamily Formicinae, they have reduced stings and enlarged venom reservoirs, with the venom gland specialized for the production of formic acid. The ants therefore don’t sting, but rather shoot formic acid at attackers by tucking in the abdomen under the thorax. The smell of the formic acid is offensive to humans, but will cause blindness in other insects and act as a powerful repellent to larger animals. They possess surprisingly powerful mandibles which can inflict a painful pinch if they sink them into you.
They don’t run in small trails like most other ants or form big armies, but instead they move about in stealth looking for termites and other insects to take back to the nest in their massive jaws. Nests are not very big and usually found at the bases of dead trees, bushes or under rocks. Colonies are small, with one queen in each nest.
Workers visit mealy bugs on bushes for honeydew.

Links:
The Ants of Africa - Camponotus fulvopilosus
Large Camponotus sp: very large Sugar ants

Post by **BluTuna** » Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:11 am

Spotted Sugar Ant Camponotus maculatus group
Family: Formicidae. Subfamily: Formicinae

© BluTuna
Hartebeespoort Dam area, North West Province

The Camponotus maculatus group includes a wide diversity of forms that have been variously referred to as species, subspecies, varieties and races.
The worker caste of the genus is polymorphic, a colony will produce workers of various sizes. The largest workers are often referred to as majors, or soldiers, and can appear quite different from smaller workers of the same nest.
Spotted Sugar Ants are large. They can be coloured from pale yellow to dark reddish brown, and older individuals are often darker. There are usually from 2 to 4 distinct patches of a different colour on the gaster, hence the common name.
They nest in small colonies under stones and spray attackers with formic acid.

Links:
The Ants of Africa
Large Camponotus sp: very large Sugar ants

Africa Wild