Gasteruption jaculator (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bogusch, Petr, 2021, The genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1796 (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: distribution, checklist, ecology, and conservation status, Zootaxa 4935 (1), pp. 1-63 : 31

Gasteruption jaculator (Linnaeus, 1758)

Figs. 109–120 .

For synonymy see van Achterberg & Talebi (2014).

Diagnosis: The species body length varies with female length between 10–16 mm, male length 8–13 mm. Ovipositor length is very variable, between 7–16 mm. The ovipositor sheath is 3.8–5.4× as long as third tibia, with whitish apex 1.5–2.7× as long as third basitarsus. Typically, both sexes possess a wide and semitransparent occipital collar, head sculpture is very finely transversely rugulose, mesonotum shiny and conspicuously transversely rugose. Antesternal carina is small and ill-developed.

Distribution: ( Fig. 120 ): West-Palaearctic species. Recorded in Europe from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy + Sicily, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom ( Ferrière 1946; Šedivý 1958; Hedqvist 1973; Oehlke 1984; Madl 1989; Pagliano & Scaramozzino 2000; Broad & Livermore 2014; van Achterberg 2013; Strumia & Pagliano 2014; van Achterberg & Talebi 2014; Žikić et al. 2014; Ceccolini 2016; Vas 2016; Orlovskyté et al. 2018; Madl & Mitroiu 2019, Özbek 2020, Wiśniowski 2020, and personal records). In Asia it is recorded from Iran, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, known also from North Africa ( van Achterberg & Talebi 2014 and personal records). Much more common in central and northern Europe than in the south.

Šedivý (1958; 1989) recorded this species both from the Czech Republic ( Bohemia and Moravia) and from Slovakia. It is a widespread species, recorded in lower and middle altitudes throughout both countries. In higher altitudes it is much rarer. In the Czech Republic, it was recorded in 50 localities until 1990 and in 67 localities after the year 1990; in Slovakia in 21 localities until 1990 and in 30 localities after 1990 ( Tab. 2).

Biology: Recorded from May to September. This species was associated with many hosts of different groups by many authors. Most of the hosts are bees of the families Colletidae : Colletes daviesanus and Colletes sp. ( Höppner 1904; Oehlke 1984; van Achterberg & Talebi 2014; van Breugel 2014); Hylaeus annulatus (Linnaeus) , H. communis , Hylaeus difformis (Eversmann) , Hylaeus leptocephalus (Morawitz) , H. pectoralis and unidentified species of this genus ( Malyshev 1964; Oehlke 1984; Westrich 1989; Wall 1994; van Achterberg & Talebi 2014; Orlovskyté et al. 2018). It was also associated with the Megachilidae : Chelostoma florisomne , Heriades truncorum , Hoplitis tridentata , Osmia bicornis (Linnaeus) and Osmia leaiana (Kirby) ( Höppner 1904; Morley 1916; Crosskey 1951; Malyshev 1966; Oehlke 1984). Additional records are on the wasp hosts of the families Crabronidae : Pemphredon lugubris (Fabricius) ( Morley 1937; Oehlke 1984), Trypoxylon figulus ( Höppner 1904) and Lestiphorus bicinctus (Rossi) ( Oehlke 1984) , and Vespidae : Symmorphus murarius (Linnaeus) ( Oehlke 1984) . We have reared this species from the nests of Hylaeus confusus in oak galls. Both sexes can be found on flowers of the families Apiaceae , Asteraceae and Fabaceae ( Wall 1994) .

Conservation: This species is widespread and numerous in both countries. It is classified as LC—least concern ( Tab. 2).

Figures

FIGURE 120. Distribution map of Gasteruption jaculator in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Full circles represent distribution after 1990 and empty circles distribution until 1990.

FIGURES 109–119. Gasteruption jaculator (Linnaeus, 1758). 109—female, lateral habitus, 110—male, lateral habitus, 111— female, lateral head, 112—female, frontal head, 113—female, dorsal head, 114—female, lateral mesosoma, 115—female, dorsal mesosoma, 116—female, third leg, 117—female, ovipositor apex, 118—female, hypopygium, 119—female, first antennomeres. Scale bars represent 1 mm.