Skip to main content

Tago pincer wasp (Gonatopus tagoi) and reassignment Agonatopus gracilis as Gonatopus gigantostratiotes

NEWS - A new name, Gonatopus tagoi from Japan, previously known as Agonatopus gracilis (Esaki & Hashimoto, 1932), has been redescribed based on a newly collected female. A. gracilis has been included in Gonatopus, but the name G. gracilis is still used as Kieffer (1905) and is now Gonatopus gigantostratiotes as a replacement name.

Tago pincer wasp (Gonatopus tagoi) and reassignment Agonatopus gracilis as Gonatopus gigantostratiotes

The pincer wasp (Gonatopus Ljungh, 1810, Hymenoptera, Dryinidae, Gonatopodinae) is a parasitoid and predator of Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera). In Japan, there are 16 known species, most of which are 2.0–4.5 mm in size, but Toshiharu Mita of Kyushu University found a series of females in Honshu and Kyushu exceeding 4.5 mm in length.

G. tagoi has a total body length of 4.70 mm, head length 0.57 mm and width 1.22 mm, antenna 2.72 mm, mesosoma 2.43 mm, procoxa 0.90 mm, protrochanter 0.67 mm, profemora 1.38 mm, protibia 1.27, T5 0.75. The etymology comes from Toshihiro Tago, a holotype collector, by raking nets from grasslands in the dry riverbed of the Edo-gawa River, Central Honshu.

G. gigantostratiotes has a total body length of 6.02-7.28 mm, head 0.89-0.92 mm long and 1.62-1.63 mm wide, antennae 4.0 mm, mesosoma 3.00-3.38 mm, procoxa 1.17-1.29 mm, protrochanter 1.02-1.06 mm, profemora 2.14-2.15 mm, protibia 1.90-2.05 mm, T5 1.20-1.23 mm. The body size of females appears smaller due to a reduced metasoma.

The etymology of the alternate name is derived from the Greek words, "gigantis" and "stratiotes" meaning Giant Warrior. This name refers to the very large species among the Japanese Gonatopus. This name is a noun in the singular nominative form standing as an apposition.

Previous research suggested A. gracilis should be moved to Gonatopus. However, the name G. gracilis was taken over by G. gracilis (Kieffer, 1905), a junior synonym of G. lunatus (Klug, 1810) and no junior synonym is available. The replacement name G. gigantostratiotes is intended to eliminate the nomenclature conflict.

Original research

Toshiharu Mita (2024). Taxonomy of Japanese Gonatopus (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae), with description of a new species. Zootaxa 5506 (1): 113-121, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.5506.1.7

Popular Posts

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Broad sword fern (Nephrolepis biserrata)

Broad sword fern ( Nephrolepis biserrata ) is a species of fern in the Nephrolepidaceae, epiphytic and terrestrial, with grayish-brown stems, brown hairs, and 10–130 cm long. The leaf blades are green, 7 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, and hairy brown on the underside. The sori are attached to the underside of the leaf blade, with about 60 sori along the edge and are brown in color. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Class: Polypodiopsida Subclass: Polypodiidae Order: Polypodiales Suborder: Polypodiineae Family: Nephrolepidaceae Genus: Nephrolepis Schott in Gen. Fil. (Vindob.): t. 3 (1834) Species: Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott in Gen. Fil. (Vindob.): t. 3 (1834) Homotypic Synonyms Aspidium biserratum Sw. in J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800(2): 32 (1801) Hypopeltis biserrata (Sw.) Bory in C.P.Bélanger, Voy. Indes Or., Bot. 2(1): 65 (1833) Lepidoneuron biserratum (Sw.) Fée in Mém. Foug., 5. Gen. Filic.: 301 (1852) Nephrodium biserratum (Sw.) C.Presl in Reliq. Haenk. 1: 31 (1825) Nephrolepis bise...

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)

Rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis ) is a plant species in Euphorbiaceae, a tree height of 15-25 m, but in the wild up to 43 m, a large trunk, grows straight and has a high branching above. The stem of this plant contains milk sap which is extracted as the main source of natural rubber. H. brasiliensis has a cylindrical rod, brown and the inner skin secretes latex if injured. The leaves have three leaflets, arranged in a spiral, elliptical, elongated with a tapered tip, flat edge and bare. The main leaf stalk has a length of 3-20 cm and a minor leaf stalk for 3-10 cm. Male and female flowers are separate, yellowish and have no petals. The fruit is a capsule that contains three and six seeds according to the amount of space, blackish brown with typical patterned spots and explosively open when ripe. Rubber trees need a tropical or subtropical climate with a minimum rainfall of 1,200 mm per year and no frost. Tapping is one of the main activities of exploitation of this plant by op...