Official name
Synonyms
Gelis bicolor [1]
Ichneumon bicolor
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CONTENTS
1. Distribution
2. Behaviour
3. Plant relations
4. Parasitic relations
5. Identification
1. DISTRIBUTION
The ichneumon wasp Gelis bicolor is a common wasp in the Netherlands [2].
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The females can be found the whole year through and overwinter as adult [3].
2.2. DEVELOPMENT
The species develops in spider and is an idiobiontic ectoparasitoid [3]. Normally one wasp develops per eggsack [3] and the larva will eat the entire contents [4].
3. FOOD PLANTS
The adults wasps feed on nectar and honeydew [3]. Flower visits are limited to specific weather conditions, like during drizzle or muggy weather and is probably secondary to licking up honeydew and moist from leaves [3]. Possibly pollen grains stuck on the sticky surfaces of hairy leaves are eaten as well [3].
In literature the following plants and groups are cited in the context of licking up food and moisture:
| Birch family (Betulaceae) | – Corylus avellana (Common hazel) [3] – Alnus alnobetula (Green alder) [3] |
| Netle family (Urticaceae) | – Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle) [3] |
Garden species
In the garden the following plants are present:
| Birch family (Betulaceae) | – Corylus avellana (Common hazel) |
| Netle family (Urticaceae) | – Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle) |
4. PARASITIC RELATIONS
The species parasitizes the eggsacks of spiders as food for the larvae [3,4].
The following prey groups and species occurring in the Netherlands [1] are cited in literature:
| Spiders (Araneae) | Dictynidae (Mesh-webbed spiders) Dictyna – Dictyna sp. [7] Linyphiidae (Money spiders) Floronia – Floronia bucculenta [4] Mimetidae (Pirate spiders) Ero – Ero cf. furcata [4] Theridiidae (Comb-footed spiders) Paidiscura – Kleine boskogelspin (Paidiscura pallens) [7] |
5. IDENTIFICATION
Length: 2,2 – 4,0 mm
Females are apterous [4].
Males are brachypterous or macropterous [4].
Genus
The genus Gelis can be recognized by the following characters:
1. 2nd and 3rd tergite fully separated, or only partially or unclearly merged [5]
2. 1st tergite with or without dorsal lateral carinae [5]
3. 1st tergite not or seldom apically striped [5]
4. If tergite 1 apically striped than laterotergite of 2nd abdominal segment separated [5] (Here not the case)
♀
HEAD
1. Head black [6]
2. Antennae with 20-22 segments [6]
3. Antennal segment 3 is 2,5-3,4x longer than wide (lateral view) [6]
3. Antennal segment 7 is 1,3-1,8x longer than wide (lateral view) [6]
4. Distance between hind ocelli ( OOL ) is about 0,7-1,0x the distance between the hind ocellus and the inner eye edge ( POL ) [6]
5. Clypeus under edge convex [6]
6. Genal groove deep [6]
7. Occipital carina connected with hypostomal carina at mandible base [6]
THORAX
1. Thorax and propodeum usually orange, in smaller specimen black to brown [6]
2. Mesonotum without clear medial longitudinal furrow [6]
3. Mesonotum about 0,8-1,1x longer than wide [6]
4. Scutellum not clearly limited, very short [6]
5. Length mesonotum = 0,8-1,5x length area anterior [6]
6. Slope rear mesonotum and propodeum unequal [6]
7. Propodeum about as high as mesonotum [6]
8. Transverse carina on middle propodeum clear, straight not arched [6]
9. Thigh (femur) hind leg 3,3-4,1x longer than high hoog (lateral view) [6]
ABDOMEN
1. Tergite 1 with dorsal lateral carinae, partly [6]
2. Abdomen from tergite 2 black [6]
3. Abdomen densely haired [6]
4. Ovipositor tip with fine to clear teeth ventrally
♂
References
1 Nederlands Soortenregister2 Waarneming.nl
3 SCHWARZ, M. Revision der westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattungen Gelis THUNBERG mit apteren Weibchen und Thaumatogelis SCHMIEDEKNECHT (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Teil 2.
4 Finch, Oliver-David. (2005). The parasitoid complex and parasitoid-induced mortality of spiders (Araneae) in a Central European woodland. Journal of Natural History - J NATUR HIST. 39. 2339-2354. 10.1080/00222930500101720.
5 SCHWARZ, Martin. Revision der westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattungen Gelis Thunberg mit apteren Weibchen und Thaumatogelis Schmiedeknecht (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Teil 1. na, 1995.
6 SCHWARZ, Martin. Revision der westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattungen Gelis Thunberg mit apteren Weibchen und Thaumatogelis Schwarz (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Teil 3. na, 2002.
7 Schwarz, Martin & Shaw, Mark. (1999). Western Palaearctic Cyptinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in the National Museum of Scotland, with nomenclatural changes, taxonomic notes, rearing records and special reference to the British check list. Part 2. Genus Gelis thunberg (Phygadeuontini Gelina). Entomologist's Gazette. 50. 117-142.
