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Cuckoo Paper Wasp
The name cuckoo paper wasp refers to a monophyletic species group of brood-parasitic paper wasps in the genus ''Polistes''. This species group contains only four species; ''Polistes atrimandibularis'', '' P. austroccidentalis'', '' P. maroccanus'', and '' P. semenowi'',Schmid-Egger C, van Achterberg K, Neumeyer R, Morinière J, Schmidt S (2017) Revision of the West Palaearctic ''Polistes'' Latreille, with the descriptions of two species – an integrative approach using morphology and DNA barcodes (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). ZooKeys 713: 53-112. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.713.11335Carpenter, James M. "Phylogeny and Biogeography of ''Polistes''." Natural History and Evolution of Paper-wasps. Ed. Stefano Turillazzi and Mary Jane. West-Eberhard. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996. 18-57. Print. all of them obligate social parasites on other ''Polistes'' species. These species, three of which occur in Europe, were originally classified as the subgenus ''Sulcopolistes'' by Blüthgen in 1938, bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic groups are typically characterised by shared derived characteristics ( synapomorphies), which distinguish organisms in the clade from other organisms. An equivalent term is holophyly. The word "mono-phyly" means "one-tribe" in Greek. Monophyly is contrasted with paraphyly and polyphyly as shown in the second diagram. A ''paraphyletic group'' consists of all of the descendants of a common ancestor minus one or more monophyletic groups. A '' polyphyletic group'' is characterized by convergent features or habits of scientific interest (for example, night-active primates, fruit trees, aquatic insects). The features by which a polyphyletic group is differentiated from others are not inherited from a common ancestor. These definitions have t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In contrast, a monophyletic group (a clade) includes a common ancestor and ''all'' of its descendants. The terms are commonly used in phylogenetics (a subfield of biology) and in the tree model of historical linguistics. Paraphyletic groups are identified by a combination of Synapomorphy and apomorphy, synapomorphies and symplesiomorphy, symplesiomorphies. If many subgroups are missing from the named group, it is said to be polyparaphyletic. The term was coined by Willi Hennig to apply to well-known taxa like Reptilia (reptiles) which, as commonly named and traditionally defined, is paraphyletic with respect to mammals and birds. Reptilia contains the last common ancestor of reptiles a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hymenoptera Of Europe
Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are parasitic. Females typically have a special ovipositor for inserting eggs into hosts or places that are otherwise inaccessible. This ovipositor is often modified into a stinger. The young develop through holometabolism (complete metamorphosis)—that is, they have a wormlike larval stage and an inactive pupal stage before they mature. Etymology The name Hymenoptera refers to the wings of the insects, but the original derivation is ambiguous. All references agree that the derivation involves the Ancient Greek πτερόν (''pteron'') for wing. The Ancient Greek ὑμήν (''hymen'') for membrane provides a plausible etymology for the term because species in this order have membranous wings. However, a key characteristic of this order is that the hindwings ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emery's Rule
In 1909, the entomologist Carlo Emery noted that social parasites among insects (e.g., kleptoparasites) tend to be parasites of species or genera to which they are closely related.Emery, C. "Über den Ursprung der dulotischen, parasitischen und myrmekophilen Ameisen". ''Biologisches Centralblatt'' 29, 352–362 (1909) Over time, this pattern has been recognized in many additional cases, and generalized to what is now known as Emery's rule. The pattern is best known for various taxa of Hymenoptera. For example, the social wasp ''Dolichovespula adulterina ''parasitizes other members of its genus such as '' Dolichovespula norwegica'' and '' Dolichovespula arenaria''. Emery's rule is also applicable to members of other kingdoms such as fungi, red algae, and mistletoe. The significance and general relevance of this pattern are still a matter of some debate, as a great many exceptions exist, though a common explanation for the phenomenon when it occurs is that the parasites may h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polistes Biglumis
''Polistes biglumis'' is a species of social wasp within ''Polistes'', the most common genus of paper wasp. It is distinguished mainly by its tendency to reside in montane climates in meadows or alpine areas. Selection pressure from the wasp's environment has led to several idiosyncrasies of its behavior and lifecycle with respect to its relative species in the genus ''Polistes''. It alone among paper wasps is often polyandrous. In addition, it has a truncated nesting season that gives rise to unique competitive dynamics among females of the species. ''P. biglumis'' wasps use an odor-based recognition system that is the basis for all wasp-to-wasp interaction of the species. The wasp's lifecycle is highly intertwined with that of ''Polistes atrimandibularis'', an obligate social parasite wasp that frequently invades the combs of ''P. biglumis'' wasps. Taxonomy and phylogeny Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus described ''Polistes biglumis'' in 1758. Its species name biglumis is a Latin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polistes Gallicus
''Polistes gallicus'' is a species of paper wasp found in various parts of Europe, excluding England, Denmark, and Scandinavia, from warmer climates to cooler regions north of the Alps. Nests of these social insects are created in these various conditions. The ''Polistes'' species use an oral secretion to construct their nests, which consist of a combination of saliva and chewed plant fibers. This structural mixture physically protects the nest from various harsh elements and from weathering over time. Description and identification ''P. gallicus'', like other members of the subgenus ''Polistes (Polistes)'', has recognizable, bright yellow and black markings. They have smaller bodies than many of its allies that overlap in range, and their bodies are largely hairless. The species may be separated from allies through the following traits. Females are identified by having 12 antennal segments and 6 abdominal segments. The antennae are orange and paler on the ventral surface than i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polistes Dominula
The European paper wasp (''Polistes dominula'') is one of the most common and well-known species of social wasps in the genus '' Polistes''. Its diet is more diverse than those of most ''Polistes'' species—many genera of insects versus mainly caterpillars in other ''Polistes''—giving it superior survivability compared to other wasp species during a shortage of resources. The dominant females are the principal egg layers, while the subordinate females ("auxiliaries") or workers primarily forage and do not lay eggs. This hierarchy is not permanent, though; when the queen is removed from the nest, the second-most dominant female takes over the role of the previous queen. Dominance in females is determined by the severity of the scatteredness in the coloration of the clypeus (face), whereas dominance in males is shown by the variation of spots of their abdomens. ''P. dominula'' is common and cosmopolitan due to their exceptional survival features such as productive colony cycle, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polistes Nimpha
''Polistes nimpha'' is a eusocial paper wasp found all over Europe, with particular sightings in Turkey, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia. It is also found in northern Africa, Pakistan, Iran, India (especially in the northern states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. The climate in these areas is relatively cold and snowy in the winter, while summers are usually hot and dry, with steppe vegetation. ''Polistes nimpha'' colonies are relatively small and easily manipulated. Taxonomy and phylogeny The genus ''Polistes'' is known for its morphological and behavioral uniformity. Richards (1973) was the first to propose a global classification of ''Polistes''. The Polistinae have a large tropical distribution and are the most diverse subfamily of the Vespidae. The genus ''Polistes'' is extensive and inhabits North America, all the way to Eurasia. ''Polistes'' members exhibit a wide range of varying black and yellow color patterns. ''Polistes nimph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Ancestor
Common descent is a concept in evolutionary biology applicable when one species is the ancestor of two or more species later in time. All living beings are in fact descendants of a unique ancestor commonly referred to as the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all life on Earth, according to modern evolutionary biology. Common descent is an effect of speciation, in which multiple species derive from a single ancestral population. The more recent the ancestral population two species have in common, the more closely are they related. The most recent common ancestor of all currently living organisms is the last universal ancestor, which lived about 3.9 billion years ago. The two earliest pieces of evidence for life on Earth are graphite found to be biogenic in 3.7 billion-year-old metasedimentary rocks discovered in western Greenland and microbial mat fossils found in 3.48 billion-year-old sandstone discovered in Western Australia. All currently living organisms on Earth s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
August Victor Paul Blüthgen
August Victor Paul Blüthgen (25 July 1880 in Mühlhausen, Thüringen – 2 September 1967 in Naumburg) was a German entomologist who specialised in Hymenoptera. He was a Doctor of Law Jurist and court adviser. Blüthgen described very many new species of Aculeata Aculeata is a subclade of Hymenoptera containing ants, bees, and stinging wasps. The name is a reference to the defining feature of the group, which is the modification of the ovipositor into a stinger. However, many members of the group cannot ... (bees and wasps). References *Anonym 1955 luthgen, A. V. P.'' Neues Deutschland'' (30. 6. 1955) (Verleihung Leibniz-Medaille), Portr. Konvolut Dorn *Gusenleitner, F. 1991 ''Wildbienenforschung in Österreich''. - Kataloge des Oberösterr. Landesmuseums NF (2. Auflage) 10 103-153 103 - 153, Portrait. * Nonveiller, G. 1999 ''The Pioneers of research on the Insects of Dalmatia''. Zagreb, Hrvatski Pridodoslovni Muzej : 1-390 149. *Rommel, R.-P. 2002: Biographien Nordw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brood Parasite
Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own, usually using egg mimicry, with eggs that resemble the host's. The evolutionary strategy relieves the parasitic parents from the investment of rearing young. This benefit comes at the cost of provoking an evolutionary arms race between parasite and host as they coevolve: many hosts have developed strong defenses against brood parasitism, such as recognizing and ejecting parasitic eggs, or abandoning parasitized nests and starting over. It is less obvious why most hosts do care for parasite nestlings, given that for example cuckoo chicks differ markedly from host chicks in size and appearance. One explanation, the mafia hypothesis, proposes that parasitic adults retaliate by destroying host nests where rejection has occurred; there ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. Comprising the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia, it shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Africa and Asia. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and Asia to the east. Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea and the waterways of the Turkish Straits. "Europe" (pp. 68–69); "Asia" (pp. 90–91): "A commonly accepted division between Asia and Europe ... is formed by the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus Mountains, and the Blac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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