Rogadinae

Description

Rogadines, also known as "mummy wasps", are a subfamily consisting of small to medium sized and often nocturnal insects most easily recognized by the characteristic first tergites. These are almost always distinctly longitudinally striate, with the grove between the first and second tergite deep. Additionally, is the posteroventral margin of the first tergite and anteroventral margin of the second tergite normally distinct. (these characters do not fully apply to the genus Clinocentrus). Additional characters include strongly concave clypeus and labrum, three submarginal cells, a at least partial occipital carina and the absence of spines of the front tibia (such as the ones found in Doryctinae).

The subfamily contains four northern European genera of which Aleiodes is by far the most common and species rich.

Ecology

Rogadines are generally solitary egg-larval parasitoids of Lepidoptera caterpillars. The larvae earn the subfamily’s nickname by essentially “mummifying” their host, a process that is not fully understood. It is speculated that the parasitoid induce a sort a premature pupation in the caterpillar since a thin cuticular layer normally seen in pupae is present in the mummies. The wasps then usually use the hard and dried up shell of the host to pupate and/or overwinter.

Distribution

Rogadinae is a cosmopolitan subfamily.

References

SUBFAMILY ROGADINAE sharkeylab.org sharkeylab.org (website down). Retrieved 03 Mars 2023

Achterberg, Cornelis van; Shaw, Mark R. (2016). Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 1: Introduction, key to species groups, outlying distinctive species, and revisionary notes on some further species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 639: 1-164

SLU Artdatabanken (2024). Artfakta: Rogadinae. https://artfakta.se/taxa/1000057 [2024-04-24]

Finlands Artdatacenter (2024). LAJI.FI: Rogadinae. https://laji.fi/sv/taxon/MX.296542 [2024-04-24]

BugWeb

Rogadinae

Northern European genera

Keys

Gallery

References