''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s of the family

Eulophidae The Eulophidae are a large family of hymenopteran insects, with over 4,300 described species in some 300 genera. The family includes the genus '' Elasmus'', which used to be treated as a separate family, "Elasmidae", and is now treated as a su ...

Biology

''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

, Lepidoptera and Diptera. One species has been reared from puparia of ''

Anastrepha ''Anastrepha'' is the most diverse genus in the Americas, American tropics and subtropics. Currently, it comprises more than 300 described species, including nine major pest species, such as the Mexican fruit fly (''A. ludens''), the South Americ ...

fruit flies Fruit fly may refer to: Organisms * Drosophilidae, a family of small flies, including: ** ''Drosophila'', the genus of small fruit flies and vinegar flies ** ''Drosophila melanogaster'' or common fruit fly ** '' Drosophila suzukii'' or Asian fruit ...

collected from fallen fruits in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. They show intrasexual and intersexual dimorphism, with the males being blind and flightless and two castes of females, one long winged and one short winged, which are probably determined by nutrition. The females exhibit primitive social traits while the males are competitive, ferociously fighting and killing their male siblings. The males attract the females using a

pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...

and they have an elaborate courtship ritual. They have a skewed sex ratio with 95% of the offspring being females which are from fertilised eggs but males are produced asexually through

arrhenotoky Arrhenotoky (from Greek -τόκος ''-tókos'' "birth of -" + ἄρρην ''árrhēn'' "male person"), also known as arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, is a form of parthenogenesis in which unfertilized eggs develop into males. In most cases, parthen ...

. The females have overlapping adult generations and show close ties of kinship, parental care and altruistic cooperative escape behaviors. The best studied species from which most of the information about these wasps has been derived are ''

Melittobia acasta ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'', ''

Melittobia australica ''Melittobia australica'' is a species of chalcid wasp from the family Eulophidae which is a gregarious ecto-parasitoid of acuealate Hymenoptera. Description ''Melittobia australica'' is a small wasp between 1.1 and 1.4 mm in length but ha ...

'' and '' Melittobia digitata''. These wasps are potentially economically harmful due to their lack of host specificity, fecundity, cryptic behaviour and behavioural flexibility. They have a rapid life cycle of 25 days. They breed well in the laboratory and are seen as potential model organisms in the study of

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar worki ...

developmental biology Developmental biology is the study of the process by which animals and plants grow and develop. Developmental biology also encompasses the biology of regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of ste ...

and

ethology Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour, usually with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions, and viewing behaviour as an evolutionarily adaptive trait. Behaviourism as a term also describes the scientific and objective ...

Distribution

''Melittobia'' is found throughout the world.

Species

The following species are included in the genus ''Melittobia'': *''

'' (

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

, 1839) *''

Melittobia assemi ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' Dahms, 1984 *''

Girault Girault is a surname, and may refer to: In people: * Alexandre Arsène Girault (1884–1941), American entomologist. Arsène Napoleon Girault's great-grandson. * Charles Girault (1851–1932), French architect * Hubert Girault (b. 1957), Swiss ele ...

, 1912 *''

Melittobia bekiliensis ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' Risbec, 1952 *''

Melittobia chalybii ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' Ashmead, 1892 *''

Melittobia clavicornis ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' (

Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 1 ...

, 1908) *'' Melittobia digitata'' Dahms, 1984 *''

Melittobia evansi ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' Dahms, 1984 *''

Melittobia femorata ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' Dahms, 1984 *''

Melittobia hawaiiensis ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Cole ...

'' Perkins, 1907 *''

Melittobia megachilis ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Co ...

'' ( Packard, 1864) *''

Melittobia scapata ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Co ...

'' Dahms, 1984 *''

Melittobia sosui ''Melittobia'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae. Biology ''Melittobia'' wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids on solitary bees, honeybee and wasps, and also of any insect cohabitants of their hosts' nests, such as Co ...

'' Dahms, 1984

References

Key to Nearctic eulophid generaUniversal Chalcidoidea Database
Eulophidae Taxa named by John O. Westwood Hymenoptera genera {{Eulophidae-stub