Ex. No. 13 Observing The Characters of Hymenoptera

AEN 201 FUNDAMENTALS OF
ENTOMOLOGY (2+1)
Ex: No. Lecture title

Ex. No. Observing the characters of the Order Hymenoptera
13.
Dr. N. MUTHUKRISHNAN, Ph.D.

Professor (Agricultural Entomology)
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Department of Agricultural Entomology
Agricultural College and Research Institute
Madurai 625 104, Tamil Nadu
Hymenoptera insects
ORDER HYMENOPTERA
• Etymology: Hymen – membrane; Ptera –
wings
• Hymeno –god or marriage; Ptera – wings,
(Marriage on the wings) (union of fore and
hind wings by hamuli)
• Common names: Ichneumonflies, ants, bees,
wasps
Order characters
• Mouthparts-chewing- Mandibles -very well
developed- In bees both labium and maxillae-
integrated to form lapping tongue
• Thorax- modified for efficient flight:
Pronotum- collar like; Mesothorax-enlarged;
Metathorax-small- Both prothorax and
metathorax -fused with mesothorax
• Wings-stiff and membranous- FW- larger than
HW- Wing venation-reduced- FW and HW-
coupled by a row of hooklets (hamuli)- on
leading edge of HW
ORDER HYMENOPTERA
Order characters
• Abdomen-basally constricted: 1st abd.
segment- propodeum-fused with
metathorax-first pair of a abdominal
spiracles -located in propodeum- 2nd
segment-pedicel-connects thorax and
abdomen- Abdomen beyond pedicel -
gaster or metasoma
• Ovipositor-modified for oviposition or
singing or sawing or piercing plant tissue
• Metamorphosis- complete- grub- apodous
and eucephalous-rarely eruciform pupa-
exarate-enclosed in a silken cocoon
secreted from labial glands
• Sex-determined by fertilization of the
eggs-Fertilized eggs develop into females-
males produced from unfertilized eggs-
Males haploid and females diploid
TWO SUB-ORDERS
S. No. SYMPHYTA (Chalastogastra) APOCRITA (Clistogastra)

1. Abdomen-broadly joined to Abdomen- petiolated
thorax
2. Larva- caterpillar and belongs to Larva-grub and belongs to
eruciform type apodous eucephalous type
3. Stemmata- present Stemmata -absent
4. Both thoracic and abdominal legs Legs- absent
- present
5. Ovipositor-saw like and suited for Ovipositor-not saw like- suited
piercing plant tissue for piercing in parasitic
groups or for stinging in other
groups
6. Behavioural sophistication- less Behavioural sophistication- more
7. Phytophagous Generally parasitic
Sub-Order Symphyta
Family TENTHREDINIDAE: (Sawflies)
• Wasp like insects
• Abdomen-broadly joined to thorax
• Ovipositor-saw toothed- suited for slicing plant tissue
• Larva- eruciform- resembles a lepidopteran caterpillar- one pair of ocelli,
papillae (reduced antenna), three pairs of thoracic legs and 6-8 pairs of
abdominal legs- Prolegs lack crockets
• External feeders on foliage- Larvae while feeding have posterior part of body
coiled over edge of the leaf
Mustard sawfly: Athalia lugens proxima -defoliator on mustard and cruciferous
vegetables
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family ICHNEMONIDAE: (Ichneumonflies)
• Adults- diurnal and visit flowers; Fore wing- two recurrent veins
• Petiole-curved and expanded at the apex; Sternites of the gaster -
membranous
• Ovipositor- arising anterior to tip of abdomen- longer than body and
exerted out permanently
• Larvae-mostly parasites-less frequently hyperparasites
• Solitary parasites- spin cocoons in or outside host
• Eg. Eriborus trochanteratus -an exotic larval parasite of BHC
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family BRACONIDAE: (Braconid
wasps)
• Small, stout bodied insects; Fore
wings -one recurrent vein
• Petiole-neither curved nor
expanded at the apex; Gaster-
sessile or subsessile; Sternites of
gaster- partly membranous
• Abdomen-as long as head and
thorax together
• Parasitize lepidopteran larvae-
gregarious parasites; poly
embryony
• Pupation in silken cocoons-
externally on host or away from
host in groups
• Eg. Bracon brevicornis: It is mass
multiplied and released for BHC
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family BETHYLIDAE:
• Ant like, black coloured wasps-Females of
many species - wingless
• Goniozus nephantidis: Specific larval parasite
on coconut BHC
Family CHALCIDIDAE:
• Small to medium sized insects
• Hind coxae -five to six times larger than fore
coxae
• Hind tibial spurs -larger than mid tibial spurs
• Ovipositor- short and straight
• Eg. Brachymeria sp. -pupal parasite on
coconut BHC
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family EULOPHIDAE:
• Minute pupal parasites
• Fore wing-narrower with
pubescence on wing lamina-Hairs-
not arranged in rows
• Ovipositor-present at tip of
abdomen
• Eg. Tetrastichus israeli: Gregarious
pupal parasite -control of coconut
BHC
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE:
• Very tiny insects (0.3 to 1.0 mm long)-
Tarsus-3 to 4 segmented
• Fore wing-broad with pubescence
(microscopic hairs) in rows
• Hind wings-reduced and fringed with
hairs along margins
• Egg parasites on lepidopteran insects
Eg. Trichogramma sp. -biological control of
sugarcane moth borers
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family EVANIIDAE: (Ensign wasps)
• Petiole- long and abrupt
• Gaster- short, compressed and
attached to propodeum by slender
petiole- carried almost like a flag
• Parasitic on ootheca of cockroaches
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family ENCYRTIDAE:
(Encyrtid wasp)
• Small insect 1-2mm in
length
• Mesopleuron- small and
concave
• Egg parasitoid
• Polyembryony
• Example: Encarsia formosa
on green house whitefly and
Leptomastis dactylopia on
Planococcus citri
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family AGAONIDAE: (Fig wasp)
• Male- apterous and female -winged
• Female- long ovipositor
• Forelegs and hindlegs- stout, Middle legs- slender
• Live inside fig receptacles and pollinate and fractify flowers.
• Eg. Blastophaga pesenes develops in the capri fig (wild) and
pollinates Smyrna fig (edible cultivated fig)
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family VESPIDAE: (Yellow jackets,
hornets)
• Abdomen -conical
• Construct nest with ‘wasp paper’ a
substance made from fragments of
chewed wood mixed with saliva
• Solitary or social wasps
• Generally predaceous on
Lepidopteran caterpillars-paralyze
caterpillars -store in cells of nests-
• Eg. Yellow banded wasp Vespa
cincta- a bee enemy
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family SPHECIDAE: (Thread

wasted wasp, digger wasp,
mud dauber)
• Lateral extensions of
pronotum form rounded lobes
• Petiole- slender
• Nests- constructed by using
mud or dug out in ground-
use insects and spiders to
provision their nests
• Eggs-laid on paralyzed or
killed host
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family FORMICIDAE: (Ants)
• Common widespread insects Antennae-
geniculate
• Mandibles- well developed-Wings-
present in sexually mature forms-
Petiole- one or two spines
• Social insects with three castes viz.,
queen, males and workers
• Workers-sterile females-form bulk of
colony
• Exchange of food materials between
adults and immature insects-common-
Egg laying is started after divesting
wings- Queen not forage for food- only
mating and egg laying
• Many species -established symbiotic
relationship with homopteran insects
Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family APIDAE: (Honey bees)
• Body-covered with branching or plumose hairs
• Mouthparts-chewing and lapping type
• Mandibles-suited for crushing and shaping wax for
building combs
• Legs-specialized for pollen collection- Scopa (pollen
basket) -present on hind tibia
• Social insects with three castes viz., queen, drone
and workers- Temporal separation of duties- noticed
among workers
• Indian honey bee: Apis indica- a productive insect
Sub-ORDER APOCRITA
Family MEGACHILIDAE: (Leaf cutter

bees)
• Solitary bees- Mandibles- sharp and
scissors like
• Pollen gathering hairs (scopa)
present on venter of abdomen
• Cut circular or crescent shaped
pieces of leaves of rose, Redgram -
cut pieces of leaves used for
preparing leaf lined cells-provision
for brood (mixture of pollen mixed
with honey)
• Rose leaf cutter bee: Megachile
anthracena- pest on rose and red
gram
Sub-ORDER APOCRITA
Family XYLOCOPIDAE: (Carpenter

bees)
• Large, robust bees- Dorsum of
abdomen- bare
• Pollen baskets- absent in hind legs-
But brushes of hairs present on hind
legs
• Build nests in dead logs and in live
• Adults- not aggressive and not sting-
visit flowers and take nectar by
simply biting through base of flower
instead of sipping form the top

Ex. No. 13 Observing The Characters of Hymenoptera

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Ex. No. 13 Observing The Characters of Hymenoptera

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AEN 201 FUNDAMENTALS OF

Ex: No. Lecture title

Dr. N. MUTHUKRISHNAN, Ph.D.

S. No. SYMPHYTA (Chalastogastra) APOCRITA (Clistogastra)

Family SPHECIDAE: (Thread

Family MEGACHILIDAE: (Leaf cutter

Family XYLOCOPIDAE: (Carpenter

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