The first data on the nesting biology of the invasive blue nest-renting wasp, Chalybion turanicum (Gussakovskij, 1935) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae, Sceliphrinae) in the Crimea

Abstract

The nesting biology of Chalybion turanicum (Gussakovskij, 1935) has been studied, with a total of 31 nests being examined. All studied nests were located inside the old nest cells of Sceliphron destillatorium (Illiger, 1807). Each nest of Ch. turanicum consisted of a single cell. Females hunted for spiders, with 18 species in five families being identified among their prey. Two most abundant victim groups were Theridiidae (eight species, 54% of specimens) and Araneidae (seven species, 33% of specimens) spiders. A spider number stored in a cell varied from five to 31 (mean = 17.6 ± 5.4). In the Crimea, Ch. turanicum has one generation per year with reproductive success of 67%. Two species of the nest parasites were reared from cells of Ch. turanicum: Chrysis taczanovskii Radoszkowski, 1876 and Acroricnus seductor (Scopoli, 1786). Chalybion turanicum is the seventh invasive species of Sphecidae naturalized in Europe.

Are invasive hymenopteran species replacing native mud dauber wasp-associated taxa on the Seychelles Archipelago?

“…Several other Chalybion taxa are known to nest in mud cells of Sceliphron spp., e.g. those from North America (Ward 1970), Europe (Fateryga et al 2020), and Asia (Pham et al 2019). This wasp collects small spiders for offspring provisioning (Vesey-Fitzgerald 1950).…”

“…These materials were collected during the period of 1936-1938(Vesey-Fitzgerald 1950Madl et al 1996). Additional data on the ranges and life history of certain species were obtained from the body of available literature (Vachal 1907;Scott 1910;Turner 1911;Cockerell 1912;Dover 1921;Ward 1970;Madl et al 1996;Pauly et al 2001;Gerlach & Madl 2003;Gusenleitner & Madl 2013;Madl 2013a, b;Pauly & Madl 2013;Dang & Nguyen 2019;Pham et al 2019;Fateryga et al 2020;Pulawski 2021).…”

“…For example, the nests of mud dauber and potter wasps may host a wide array of other invertebrate species that could serve as inquilines, successors, kleptoparasites, parasitoids, and commensals (Matthews & Naumann 1988;Camillo 2002;Polidori et al 2005;Verves & Protsenko 2019;Martynova 2020;Fateryga et al 2020). Web-building spiders could reduce the parasitoid load from mud dauber wasp nesting sites by catching adult dipteran and hymenopteran parasitoids (Obin 1982).…”

A study of the genus Chalybion Dahlbom, 1843 (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) in India

“…The wasp cleans the nest cell and provisions it with paralyzed spider prey as food for developing larvae (Landes et al, 1987;Pham, 2020). Chalybion species hunt for various spiders with the preference to the families Araneidae and Theridiidae (Fateryga et al, 2020). To date, 16 species of Chalybion are reported from the Oriental region.…”

New records of cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) from Karadag State Natural Reserve and adjacent territories of Crimea Peninsula

“…В фауне Восточной Украины может быть обнаружено 139 видов (достоверно известно 107 видов) [Martynova, 2015], в фауне России и Кавказа насчитывается 379 видов и 13 подвидов из 23 родов [Rosa et al, 2019]. Фауна ос-блестянок Крыма насчитывает более 100 видов [Nikolskaya, 1978;Ivanov, Fateryga, 2006;Fateryga, Ivanov, 2009;2016;Fateryga, 2012;Martynova, Fateryga, 2015;Rosa et al, 2019] [Martynova, Fateryga, 2014;2015;Rosa, 2018;Rosa et al, 2019;Shorenko, 2019;Fateryga et al, 2020].…”