Aquatic Insects of Michigan

by Ethan Bright, Museum of Zoology Insect Division and School of Natural Resources and Environment
University of Michigan

Aquatic Hymenoptera (Wasps) of Michigan

Introduction

A number of parasitic wasps (parasitoids) have become adapted to the aquatic existence by attacking various life stages (principally eggs, larvae and/or pupae) of aquatic insect groups, especially those of Heteroptera and holometabolous orders (e.g., Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, etc.).

Genera are denoted in green; species denoted in bold blue have been recorded in Michigan; other species denoted in black bold are likely to occur based on their known distribution. You can use the Find function in your web browser to locate families, genera, and species. Synonomous species (indented) are listed below the current valid species (denoted in bold) with its taxonomic status indicated.

Information regarding the occurrence of aquatic Hymenoptera in Michigan is currently in preparation. Please email the author if you have records or information regarding this group in Michigan. Below is a list of genera parasitize aquatic insects found in Michigan. It is adapted from Bennett (2007, second printing), and with surveying of deposited collection material. Additional information is from Cebulski and O'Brien (2013).

BRACONIDAE (Ichneumonoidea)

Ademon Haliday, 1833*: 266 - parasitizes Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae) larvae-pupae

Asobara Förster, 1862* - parasitizes Parydra (Diptera: Ephydridae) larvae-pupae

Bracon Fabricius, 1805
Bracon lutus (=Microbracon) - parasitizes Archanara (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae


Chaenusa Haliday, 1839
Chaenusa bergi (Riegel, 1950) Chorebidella (orig.) - parasitizes Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae) eggs-pupae


Chorebus Haliday, 1839
Chorebus aquaticus Muesebeck, 1950 - parasitizes Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae) pupae

Dacnusa Haliday, 1833* - parasitizes Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae) pupae
Opius Wesmael, 1835: 115

Opius caesus (spelling?) Haliday, 1837 - parasitizes ephydrids (Hydrellia) larvae-pupae


Phaenocarpa Förster, 1862
Phaenocarpa antichaetae Fischer, 1974 - parasitizes Antichaeta (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) pupae

CHALCIDIDAE (Chalcidoidea)

Chalcis Dufour, 1834 - parasitizes Odonatomyia, Stratiomys, Hedriodiscus (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)
Chalcis canadensis (Cresson, 1872) Smicra (orig.) - Cowan 1979
(comb.) Spilochalcis canadensis (Cresson, 1872)

DIAPRIIDAE (Proctotrupoidea)

Diapria Latreille, 1796 - parasitizes Eristalis tenax (Diptera: Syrphidae)
Diapria conica (Fabricius, 1775) Ichneumon (orig.) - QB-CO, widespread with Eristalis tenax (Krombein et al. 1979: 1148)
(syn.) Cynips crassipes Fourcroy, 1785

Trichopria Ashmead, 1893 - parasitizes Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae), marsh flies Atrichomelina, Dictya, Elgiva, Sepedon (Diptera: Sciomyzidae), and the water penny Psephenus (Coleoptera: Psephenidae) pupae/prepupae
Trichopria columbiana (Ashmead, 1893) Diapria (orig.) - Krombein et al. 1979: 1146 (parasitizes Hydrellia bergi)
Trichopria popei (Muesebeck, 1950) Phaenopria (orig.) - Krombein et al. 1979: 1147 (parasitizes Sepedon fuscipennis, Elgiva sundewalli, Atrichomelina pubera, Dictya sp.)
Trichopria tabanivora Fouts, 1926 - MA-MB, SK (Krombein et al. 1979: 1148 (parasitizes Chrysops mitis, Tabanus reinwardtii, T. nigrovittatus)

EULOPHIDAE (Chalcidoidea)

Aprostocetus Westwood, 1833 - hyperparasite in Lestes (Odonata, Zygoptera: Lestidae) and Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata, Anisoptera: Aeschnidae) eggs
Aprostocetus nr. polynemae Ashmead, 1900 - hyperparasite of Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata, Anisoptera: Aeschnidae) eggs (Alger Co. - Cebulski and O'Brien 2013)
Aprostocetus mymaridis Girault, 1916 - hyperparasite of Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata, Anisoptera: Aeschnidae) eggs (Alger Co. - Cebulski and O'Brien 2013)

Mestocharis Förster, 1878 - parasitizes Dytiscus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) eggs

Tetrastichus Walker, 1842
Tetrastichus coerulescens Ashmead, 1898 - hyperparasite in, and parasite of, Lestes (Odonata, Zygoptera: Lestidae) eggs
Tetrastichus polynemae Ashmead, 1900 - hyperparasite in, and parasite of, Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata, Anisoptera: Aeschnidae) eggs (Alger Co. - Cebulski and O'Brien 2013)


FITIGIDAE (Cynipoidea)

Hexacola Förster, 1869 - parasitizes Parydra, Scatella (Diptera: Ephydridae) larvae-pupae
Kleidotoma Westwood, 1833 - parasitizes Parydra (Diptera: Ephydridae) larvae-pupae
Kleidotoma parydrae Beardsley, 1992

ICHNEUMONIDAE (Ichneumonoidea)

Apsilops Förster, 1868 (=Neostricklandia, =Trichocryptus, =Trichestema) - parasitizes (Occidentalia, Chilo, Schoenobius, Nymphula (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae
Apsilops bicolor (Cushman, 1927) Trichocryptus (orig.) - MA-AB, MD-CA, widespread (Krombein et al. 1979: 447)
(syn.) Trichocryptus atlanticus Cushman, 1930
Apsilops hirtifrons (Ashmead, 1896) Cryptus (orig.) - MA-MN, s. to TX, widespread (Krombein et al. 1979: 447)
(syn. nom.nud.) Cryptus cyaniventris Riley, 1890
Apsilops sericata (Viereck, 1925) Neostrictlandia (orig.) - Frohne 1939; Krombein et al. 1979: 447
(syn.) Trichestema helcostizoides Cushman, 1927

Bathythrix Förster, 1868 (=Hemiteles) - parasitizes Gyrinus (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) larvae in pupal cases
Bathythrix triangularis (Cresson, 1868) Mesoleptus (orig.)

Cremastus Gravenhorst 1829 - parasitizes Occidentalia, Chilo, Nymphula (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae and pupae
Cremastus bilineatus Cushman, 1917
Cremastus incompletus (Provancher, 1875) Mesoleptus (orig.)
Cremastus orbus (Davis 1898) Leptopygus (orig.) - IN

Medophron Förster, 1869 - parasitizes Agabus, Dytiscus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) pupae

Mesoleptus Gravenhorst 1829 - parasitizes Antichaeta (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) pupae
Mesoleptus declivus (Provancher, 1886) Hemiteles (orig.)
Mesoleptus incompletus (Provancher, 1886) Pyracmon (orig.)

Oecotelma Townes, 1970(=Hemiteles) - parasitizes Gyrinus (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) larvae in pupal cases

Phygadeuon Gravenhorst 1829 - parasitizes Antichaeta (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) pupae
Phygadeuon aciculatus Provancher, 1882

Pleurogyrus Townes, 1970 (=Hemiteles) - parasitizes Gyrinus (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) larvae in pupal cases

Sulcarius Townes, 1970 - parasitizes Limnephilus (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) larvae in cases

Theroscopus Forster, 1850 (=Eriplanus) - parasitizes Gyrinus (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) larvae in pupal cases

MYMARIDAE (Chalcidoidea)

Anagrus Haliday, 1833 - parasitizes Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata: Aeshnidae) eggs
Anagrus cf. subfuscus Förster, 1847 - parastizes Aeshna tuberculifera eggs; Alger Co. (Cebulski and O'Brien 2013)

Caraphractus Walker, 1846 - parasitizes (Notonecta (Heteroptera: Notonectidae), Gerris (Heteroptera: Gerridae), Dytiscus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), and Agabus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) eggs

Polynema Haliday, 1833 - parasitizes Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata: Aeshnidae) eggs
Polynema nr. needhami Ashmead, 1999; - parastizes Aeshna tuberculifera eggs; Alger Co. (Cebulski and O'Brien 2013)

POMPILIDAE (Vespoidea)

Anoplius Dufour, 1834 - parasitizes Dolomedes triton sexunctatus, D. scriptus, D. striatus, D. tenebrosus (Araenea: Pisauridae) adult spiders
Anoplius depressipes Banks, 1919 - WI, widespread eastern to ME, s. to TX-FL (Krombein et al. 1979: 1560)



PTEROMALIDAE (Chalcidoidea)

Dineuticida Boucek 1993 - parasitizes Gyrinus and Dineutes (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) larvae in pupal cases
Dineuticida dineutes (Ashmead, 1894) Cyrtogaster (orig.)

Gyrinophagus Ruschka, 1914 - parasitizes Sisyra (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) pupae

Sisyridivora Gahan, 1951 - parasitizes Climacia (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) larvae and pupae in cocoons
Sisyridivora cavigena Gahan, 1951

Urolepis Walker, 1846 - parasitizes (Ephydra (Diptera: Ephydridae), Parydra (Diptera: Ephydridae), Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae), Dimecoenia (Diptera: Ephydridae) pupae

SCELIONIDAE (Proctotrupoidea)

Pseudanteris Fouts, 1927 - parasitizes Metrobates?
Pseudanteris insignis Fouts, 1927 - OH, eastern (Krombein et al. 1979: 1157 (record at Ohio State University from Allen Co., Ohio, may be found in southern Michigan)

Telenomus Haliday, 1833* - parasitizes Tabanus and Chyrsops (Diptera: Tabanidae) eggs
Telenomus olsenni Johnson, 1984 Phanurus (orig.) - ON, widespread (Krombein et al. 1979: 1168, hosts: Tabanus lineola, T. punctifer, Chrysops aestuans, C. mitis)
(syn.) Phanurus emersoni Girault, 1916
(syn.) Telenomus emersoni (Girault, 1916)
Telenomus tabanivorus (Ashmead, 1895) Phanurus (orig.) - IL, OH, MA-IL and south (Krombein et al. 1979: 1170)
[note: a third species, Telenomus goniopis Crawford, 1913, parasitizes the non-aquatic tabanid Goniops chrysocoma, is found from MA-AR, and may be found in our area. Krombein et al. 1979: 1168]

Thoron Haliday, 1833- parasitizes Nepa cinerea (Heteroptera: Nepidae) eggs
Thoron metallicus Haliday, 1833 - IN, OH, ON (Pt. Pelee) (Johnson and Masner, 2004: 11-13, expect in southern Michigan)
(comb.) Teleas (Thoron) metallicus Blanchard, 1840
(syn.) Teleas fornicatus Nees von Esenbeck, 1834
(syn.) Teleas solidus Nees von Esenbeck, 1834
(syn.) Thoron gibbus Ruthe, 1859
(syn.) Anteris nepea Ferrière, 1916

Tiphodytes (Marchal, 1900) Limnodytes (orig.) - parasitizes Gerris, Trepobates, and Limnoporus (Heteroptera: Gerridae) eggs
Tiphodytes gerriphagus Marchal, 1900 - Krombein et al. 1979: 1159 (see also Spence, 1986)

TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE (Chalcidoidea)

Hydrophylita Ghesquiere, 1946 - parasitizes Ischnura (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) eggs

Lathromeroidea Girault, 1912 - parasitizes Lestes (Odonata: Lestidae) and Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata: Aeshnidae) eggs
multiple species of unknown identity (as Centrobiopsis and Lathromeroidea and have been observed in Aeshna tuberculifera eggs by Cebulski and O'Brien (2013)

Paracentrobia Howard, 1897 - parasitizes Lestes (Odonata: Lestidae) eggs

Prestwichia Lubbock, 1864 - parasitizes Nepa (Heteroptera: Nepidae), Ranatra (Heteroptera: Nepidae), and Dytiscus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) eggs

Trichogramma Westwood, 1833 - parasitizes water mites (Hydracarina), Sialis (Megaloptera: Sialidae), Corydalus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), Sepedon (Diptera: Sciomyzidae), Elgiva (Diptera: Sciomyzidae), and Tetanocera (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) eggs

References

Cebulski BC, O'Brien MF. 2013. Observations on egg parasitism of Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata: Aeshnidae) by Eulophidae, Trichogrammatidae and Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) in Alger County, Michigan. The Great Lakes Entomologist 46(3-4):145-153.
Cowan DP. 1979. The function of enlarged hind legs in oviposition and aggression by Chalcis canadensis (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 12(1): 133-136.
Förster A. 1862. Synopsis der Familien und Gattungen der Braconen. Verhandlungen des naturhistorischen Vereines preussischen Rheinlande und Westphalens, 19: 225- 288, 1 pl.
Frohne WC. 1939. Semiaquatic Hymenoptera in north Michigan lakes. Transactions of the American Microscopy Society 58: 228-240.
Haliday AH. 1833. An essay on the classification of the parasitic Hymenoptera of Britain which correspond with the Ichneumones Minuti of Linnaeus. The Entomological Magazine 1: 259-276.
Johnson NF, Masner L. 2004. The Genus Thoron Haliday (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), egg-parasitoids of waterscorpions (Hemiptera: Nepidae), with key to world species. American Museum Novitates 3452:1-16, 4 figs.
Krombein KV, Hurd PD, Smith DR, Burks BD. 1979. Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of Mexico (3 volumes). Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington, D.C. 2735 pp.
Spence JR. 1986. Interactions between the scelionid egg parasitoid Tiphodytes gerriphagus (Hymenoptera) and its gerrid hosts (Heteroptera). Canadian Journal of Zoology 64:2728-2738.
Wesmael C. 1835. Monographie des Braconides de Belgique. Nouveaux Memoires de l'Academie Royale des Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Bruxelles 9: 1-252.

Page edits:

November 05, 2013

• Updated information for Eulophidae, Mymaridae, and Trichogrammatidae from Celubski and O'Brien 2013

January 03, 2013

• Updated information for Diapriidae, Pompilidae, and Scelionidae from Kronbein et al. 1979

November 04, 2012

• Beginning to keep track of changes to the web site pages
• Removed individual pages for families into one long list, families accessed from left menu via anchor redirects within page