Thynnidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Hymenopterida
Ordo: Hymenoptera
Subordo: Apocrita
Superfamilia: Thynnoidea
Familia: Thynnidae
Subfamiliae (5): Anthoboscinae - Diamminae - Methochinae - Myzininae - Thynninae
[list of subfamiliae after Pilgrim et al. (2008)]
Name

Thynnidae Klug, 1810

References

Given, B.B. 1954: A catalogue of the Thynninae (Tiphiidae, Hymenoptera) of Australia and adjacent areas. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research bulletin, 109: 1–89.
Given, B.B. 1954: Evolutionary trends in the Thynninae (Hymenoptera; Tiphiidae) with special reference to feeding habits of Australian species. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 105: 1–10.
Given, B.B. 1954: Notes on Australian Thynninae I. Ariphron bicolor Erichson. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 78: 258–261.
Given, B.B. 1958: Notes on Australian Thynninae II. The genera Dimorphothynnus, Rhagigaster and Eirone. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 83: 309–326.
Given, B.B. 1959: Notes on Australian Thynninae III. The genus Thynnoides. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 83: 327–336.
Pilgrim, E.M.; von Dohlen, C.D.; Pitts, J.P. 2008: Molecular phylogenetics of Vespoidea indicate paraphyly of the superfamily and novel relationships of its component families and subfamilies. Zoologica scripta, 37: 539–560.

The Thynnidae (also known as thynnid wasps or flower wasps) are a family of large, solitary wasps whose larvae are almost universally parasitoids of various beetle larvae, especially those in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. Until recently, the constituents of this family were classified in the family Tiphiidae, but multiple studies have independently confirmed that thynnids are a separate lineage.[1][2][3]

Description

Most species are small, but they can be up to 30 mm long. The females of some subfamilies (all Diamminae, Methochinae, and Thynninae) are wingless, and hunt ground-dwelling (fossorial) beetle larvae, or (in one species) mole crickets. The prey is paralysed with the female's sting, and an egg is laid on it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food. In species where both sexes are winged, males are similar in size to the females, but are much more slender. The males of species with wingless females, however, are often much larger than the females and have wings; the adults mate in the air, with the female carried by the male's genitalia. Adults feed on nectar, and are minor pollinators. As some of the ground-dwelling scarab species attacked by thynnids are pests, some of these wasps are considered beneficial as biological control agents.
Taxonomy

Thynnidae genera are classified as:[1][4][5][3]
Diamma bicolor female (subfamily Diamminae) photographed in Australia
Myzinum quinquecinctum males (subfamily Myzinae) photographed in Oklahoma.
Agriomyia sp. male (subfamily Thynninae), photographed in Australia
A pair of Zaspilothynnus sp. mating (subfamily Thynninae), photographed in Australia: The male is larger and has wings.
Subfamily: Anthoboscinae

Anthobosca Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
Anthosila Genise, 1985
Calchaquila Genise, 1985
Cosila Guérin-Méneville, 1838
Lalapa Pate, 1947
Odontothynnus Cameron, 1904
Paramyzine Berg, 1898

Subfamily: Diamminae

Diamma Westwood, 1835

Subfamily: Methochinae

Methocha Latreille, 1804
Pterombrus Smith, 1869

Subfamily: Myzininae

Allomeria Boni Bartalucci, 2007
Braunsomeria Turner, 1912
Meria Illiger, 1807
Mesa Saussure, 1892
Myzinum Latreille, 1803
Poecilotiphia Cameron, 1902

Subfamily: Thynninae

Aelurus Klug, 1840
Aeolothynnus Ashmead, 1903
Agriomyia Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
Ammodromus Guérin-Méneville, 1838
Argenthynnus Genise, 1991
Ariphron Kimsey, 2007
Arthrothynnus Brown, 1996
Aspidothynnus Turner, 1910
Aulacothynnus Turner, 1910
Belothynnus Turner, 1910
Brethynnus Genise,, 1991
Campylothynnus Turner, 1910
Catocheilus Guérin-Ménéville, 1842
Chilothynnus Brown, 1996
Chrysothynnus Turner, 1910
Deuterothynnus Brown, 2010
Dimorphothynnus Turner, 1910
Doratithynnus Turner, 1910
Dythynnus Kimsey, 2001
Eirone Westwood, 1844
Elaphroptera Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
Elidothynnus Turner, 1910
Epactiothynnus Turner, 1910
Eucyrtothynnus Turner, 1910
Glottynnus Genise, 1991
Glottynoides Kimsey, 1991
Guerinius Ashmead, 1903
Gymnothynnus Turner, 1910
Hathynnus Kimsey, 2003
Heligmothynnus Brown, 2010
Hemithynnus Ashmead, 1903
Kaysara Carnimeo & Noll, 2018
Iswaroides Ashmead, 1899
Leiothynnus Turner, 1910
Lestricothynnus Turner, 1910
Lophocheilus Guérin-Ménéville, 1842
Macrothynnus Turner, 1908
Mesothynnus Kimsey, 1991
Neozeleboria Rohwer, 1910
Oncorhinothynnus Salter, 1954
Ornepetes Guérin, 1838
Pampathynnus Carnimeo & Noll, 2018
Phymatothynnus Turner, 1908
Pogonothynnus Turner, 1910
Psammothynnus Ashmead, 1903
Pseudelaphroptera Ashmead, 1903
Pseudoscotaena Carnimeo & Noll, 2018
Rhagigaster Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
Rhytidothynnus Brown, 2008
Scotaena Klug, 1810
Spilothynnus Ashmead, 1903
Tachynoides Kimsey, 1996
Tachynomyia Guérin-Ménéville, 1842
Tachyphron Brown, 1995
Tmesothynnus Turner, 1910
Thynnoides Guérin-Ménéville, 1838
Thynnoturneria Rohwer, 1910
Thynnus Fabricius, 1775
Zaspilothynnus Ashmead, 1903
Zeena Kimsey, 1991
Zeleboria Saussure, 1867

References

Pilgrim, E.; von Dohlen, C.; Pitts, J. (2008). "Molecular phylogenetics of Vespoidea indicate paraphyly of the superfamily and novel relationships of its component families and subfamilies". Zoologica Scripta. 37 (5): 539–560. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00340.x.
Johnson, B.R.; et al. (2013). "Phylogenomics Resolves Evolutionary Relationships among Ants, Bees, and Wasps". Current Biology. 23 (20): 2058–2062. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.08.050. PMID 24094856.
Debevec, Andrew H.; Cardinal, Sophie; Danforth, Bryan N. (2012). "Identifying the sister group to the bees: a molecular phylogeny of Aculeata with an emphasis on the superfamily Apoidea" (PDF). Zoologica Scripta. 41 (5): 527–535. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00549.x.
Brown, G. (2001). "Status of the Ariphron generic group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae): A critical review". Australian Journal of Entomology. 40 (1): 23–40. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6055.2001.00207.x.
Waldren, George. "Family Thynnidae". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-05-16.