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Title: A NEW LEUCOSPIS (HYMENOPTERA: LEUCOSPIDAE), THE FIRST KNOWN GREGARIOUS SPECIES

Author
item Grissell, Edward
item CAMERON, SYDNEY - U. OF ILLINOIS, URBANA,IL

Submitted to: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Solitary bees are the major pollinators of many crop plants and provide untold monetary benefits through the increased production and quality of food. With the decline of honeybees due to mite infestations, their role in pollination is being taken over by native solitary bees. This paper describes a new species of parasite that attacks orchid bees, which are vital pollinators of the vanilla orchid. This new parasite is important no only because it attacks an important pollinator, but also because it is the first species in its family shown to be gregarious. Gegarious parasites produce many more progeny per host than solitary ones and are potentially more beneficial. This paper will be of use to scientists who study pollination and parasitism and to growers of vanilla orchids who rely on pollination for crop production.

Technical Abstract: Leucospis pinna Grissell and Cameron, new species, is described from Ecuador. It is a parasitoid of the orchid bee Eulaema meriana (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Apidae). It is the first species of Leucospis reported to parasitize bees in the tribe Euglossini and the first known member of the family reported to have gregarious larvae.