An alternative host of Hymenoepimecis japi (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) on a novel family (Araneae, Araneidae), with notes on behavioral manipulations

By

Messas, Yuri F.
Sobczak, Jober F. (Jober Fernando)
Vasconcellos-Neto, João

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2017

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

60

Pages

111-118

Subjects

Cocoon web , parasitoid wasp , Polysphincta genus-group , polysphinctine , Serra do Japi

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.60.14817

 

Abstract

Polysphinctine wasps of the genus Hymenoepimecis act as koinobiont ectoparasitoids of orb-weaver spiders. Hymenoepimecis japi is already known to parasitize the tetragnathid spider Leucauge roseosignata. Here, we record the dome-weaver spider Mecynogea biggiba as a second host for H. japi, as well as the behavioral manipulations induced by the parasitoid. We found that H. japi alters the web construction behavior of M. biggiba, resulting in a complex three-dimensional cocoon web. This modified web differs from that of L. roseosignata, which is a simpler structure composed of a few support threads. Our finds add to the literature the first case of a Hymenoepimecis species parasitizing spiders of two distinct families.