Anomaloninae

Hymenoptera > Ichneumonoidea > Ichneumonidae > Anomaloninae >

Anomaloninae Viereck, 1918

Overview

Taxonomy

Key (genera)

Trichomma fulvidens

Description

Anomaloninae contains slender and often strikingly colored wasps. The metasoma is laterally compressed and elongate, the first sternite ending close to the end of the first segment. The legs, especially the hind-legs, are similarly elongated. Members of the largest of the two tribes, Gravenhorstiini, are recognized by the unique structure of their propodeum. It lacks defined carinae and is instead dominated by coarse rugose sculpture, a character not seen in any other subfamily. The smaller tribe Anomalonini (containing only one northern European species, Anomalon cruentatum) generally have some week carinae on the propodeum, instead being recognized by the single spur on the middle tibiae in combination with its unmistakable habitatus (short wings and Anomaloninae-like shape). All Anomalonines have fore wings without closed areolets.

Biology

Anomalonines are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera (Gravenhorstiini) or Tenebrionidae (Anomalonini). Females of Gravenhorstiini fly with a characteristic flight pattern when searching for their hosts, hovering above low vegetation while making gentle up-and-down movements. The elongate and often brightly colored hind legs make these females very conspicuous.

Distribution

Anomaloninae is a cosmopolitan subfamily with about 750 described species. Around 50 species are known to occur in northern Europe, many of which are rather common.

Identification

A key to all northern European genera and some species is provided here. For a tradional key, see Pénigot (2021).

References

Broad, G. R., Shaw, M. R., & Fitton, M. G. 2018. Ichneumonid wasps: (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): their classification and biology. Handbooks for the identification of British insects. Vol. 7, part 12. Royal Entomological Society.

Finlands Artdatacenter 2024. LAJI.FI: Anomaloninae. https://laji.fi/sv/taxon/MX.310678[2024-07-13]

Gauld, I. D., & Mitchell, P. A. 1977. Ichneumonidae: Orthopelmatinae & Anomaloninae. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol. 7, part 2(b). Royal Entomological Society.

Pénigot, W. 2021. Liste et clé d'identification pour les Anomaloninae de la faune de France, avec la description d'une espèce nouvelle du genre Therion (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 126(3), 253–328.

SLU Artdatabanken 2024. Artfakta: Anomaloninae. https://artfakta.se/taxa/1000051[2024-07-13]

Townes, H. K. 1971. The genera of Ichneumonidae, part 4. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 17, 1–372.

Yu, D.S.K., van Achterberg, C. & Horstmann, K. 2016. Taxapad 2016, Ichneumonoidea 2015 (Biological and taxonomical information), Taxapad Interactive Catalogue Database on flashdrive. Nepean, Ottawa.

BugWeb

BugWeb

Northern European genera

Keys

Gallery