Brachycyrtus Kriechbaumer is the single genus of Brachycyrtinae Ichneumonidae subfamily, distributed through the tropics, but a few species can be found in the Neartic and Paleartic regions (Gauld and Ward, 2000). As far as is known, brachycyrtines are idiobionts ectoparasitoids of cocooned pupae and prepupae of Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), but biological information is very scarce. Previously this group was known to belong to the Labeninae subfamily, but it was removed and elevated to sub-familial rank by Wahl (1993). Porter (1998) elevated Pedunculus Townes, 1969 to subfamily rank but later Gauld and Ward (2000) placed this genus with Adelphion and Monganella in the Pedunculinae subfamily and Brachycyrtus in Brachycyrtinae. Only four among fifteen described species were recorded from Brazil:
The wasp Hymenoepimecis silvanae Loffredo and Penteado-Dias, 2009, was recorded parasitising females of Araneus venatrix. The male of H. silvanae is described and illustrated. Specimens were collected in the Parque Estadual de Intervales and Reserva Biológica Serra do Japi, both located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.Keywords: Polysphincta, Hymenoepimecis, parasitoid of spider, host.
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Behavioral manipulation involving Zatypota (Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) parasitoids and their spider hosts is usually associated with an increase in web complexity at the location where the parasitoid larva builds its cocoon. A higher number of web threads at this location may improve stability and provide a physical barrier against potential predators. However, we observed that parasitized individuals of Achaearanea tingo attacked by Z. alborhombarta change the three‐dimensional structure of their webs to a very simple and strong structure composed of two cables attached to the surrounding vegetation. This structure holds the curled leaf formerly used by the spider as a shelter. The parasitoid larva remains protected within this shelter after killing the host. The architectural pattern of the cocoon webs of A. tingo indicates that host manipulation is characterized by the repetition of one specific subroutine involved in web construction. Similar alterations have been previously described for cocoon webs constructed by parasitized orb‐weavers, but not for the three‐dimensional webs of theridiids.
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