Pimpla turionellae♀︎

Last update: 13 February 2022


Common

SPECIES: Pimpla turionellae
GENUS PIMPLA
FAMILY ICHNEUMONIDAE (Ichneumon wasps)



OBSERVATION:
2019-VI-10

YEARS:
2019

MONTHS:
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec


Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, on nest Apple ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus)

1. DISTRIBUTION

Pimpla turionellae is a common wasp that can be found across the Netherlands [2].

 

2. BEHAVIOUR

2.1. ACTIVITY

The species is active from May to October [4].

2.2. DEVELOPEMENT

The species has two generations per year [4] and overwinters possibly sometimes as adult [4].

 

3. PARASITIC RELATIONS

P. turionellae is an idiobiont endoparasitoid [7] on butterflies and moths, hunting on smaller to middle-large pupae, in cocoons and sometimes bare, from the following species occuring in the Netherlands [4]:

COSMOPTERIGIDAELimnaecia phragmitella
DEPRESSARIIDAEDepressaria radiella
PYRALIDAEAcrobasis consociella
Ephestia kuehniella [6]
Galleria mellonella[6]
PYRIDAEPieris rapae [6]
TORTRICIDAECydia pomonella
Rhyacionia buoliana
Tortrix viridana
YPONOMEUTIDAEYponomeuta cagnagella
Yponomeuta evonymella
Yponomeuta malinellus [5,6]
YPSOLOPHIDAEYpsolopha vittella

I’ve observed the species on a nest of Apple ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus), see here.

The following hosts have been observed in the garden:

Whites
(PYRIDAE)
Small white (Pieris rapae)
Ermine moths
(YPONOMEUTIDAE)
Apple ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus)

 

4. IDENTIFICATION

It is a middle large wasp.

 

Characteristics of the genus [3,4]:

1. Front wing vein 2m-cu with two bullae
2. Front wing vein 3rs-m present, not pigmented

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, front wing with 2 bulla on vein 2m-cu, vein 3rs-m present and unpigmented

3. Ovipositor straight

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, Ovipositor females straight

4. Hind tarsus segment 2 about as long as segment 5

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, Hind tarsus segment 2 about as long as segment 5

5. Face black
6. Eyes weakly concave just above the antenna implant

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, eyes weakly concave just above antenna implant

7. Antennae slender
8. Antennae not subclavate (slightly enlarged at the end), often attenuate apically

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, antennae slender, not subclavate, often attenuate apically

8. Antenna flagellum segment 2 at least 3x longer than wide

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, Antenna flagellum segment 2 at least 3x longer than wide

 

Characteristics of the species [4]:

Females

1. Hind coxa black

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, coxa hind leg black

2. Face black with light hairs, whitish or sometimes light yellow

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, Face black with light hairs, whitish or sometimes light yellow

3. Space between rear ocelli is about 2x the space between ocelle and edge eye

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, space between ocelli (a) about 2x space between ocelle and edge eye (b)

4. Mesopleuron centrally densely punctuated, space between punctures about the diameter of the puncture

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎,Mesopleuron centrally densely punctuated, space between punctures about equal to diameter puncture

5. Pronotum often with yellow stripe on rear corner

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, pronotum with yellow stripe on hind corner

6. Length ratio ovipositor : hind tibia = 0.9 – 1.1

Pimpla turionellae ♀︎, ratio length ovipositor : hind tibia = 0.9 – 1.1

 

Males

1. Face black with whitish hairs

2. Space between rear ocelli is about 2x the space between ocelle and edge eye


References

1 Nederlands Soortenregister

2 Waarneming.nl

3 BROAD, Gavin. Identification key to the subfamilies of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera). Natural History Museum, London, 2011.

4 FITTON, Michael Geoffrey, et al. Pimpline ichneumon-flies. Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae (Pimplinae). Pimpline ichneumon-flies. Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae (Pimplinae)., 1988, 7.1.

5 KOLAROV, JANKO. A catalogue of the Turkish Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera). Entomofauna.

6 KANSU, I. A., et al. Investigations into the biological relationships between Pimpla turionellae (L.)(Hym.-Ichneumonidae) and some lepidopterous pupae hosts. Doğa Bilim Dergisi, 1984, 8.2: 160-173.

7 Uçkan, Fevzi & Si̇nan, S. & Savaşçi, Ş & Ergi̇n, E.. (2009). Determination of Venom Components from the Endoparasitoid Wasp Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 97. 775-780. 10.1603/0013-8746(2004)097[0775:DOVCFT]2.0.CO;2.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *