[NatureNS] Pelecinid wasp in Lunenburg, Aug. 5/11

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2011 22:23:30 -0300
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Hi Jim,

They are a fabulous beast. It is certainly Pelecinus polyturator,  
since this is a mono-specific genus. Males are occasionally found in  
southern latitudes, but in the Maritimes it is an exclusively  
parthenogenically-reproducing female species.

Cheers,

Chris

On 7-Aug-11, at 8:09 PM, James W. Wolford wrote:

> AUGUST 5 & 6, 2011 - Pat & I drove to Lunenburg for 2 of the 3.5-day  
> Folk Harbour Festival.
>
> On our first afternoon there, on the lawn behind the Lincoln House  
> ex-B&B, we found a very-long-bodied female Pelecinidae black wasp  
> that hunts and preys on grubs/larvae of May beetles or June beetles  
> under the sod.  Very probably this was a Pelecinus polyturator ,  
> which exists as nearly all females in most or all areas of  
> occurrence.   The species has a wide range in North America and  
> apparently exists under several different names.  Since they are  
> nearly all females, the eggs they lay, one at a time on each beetle  
> larva found, must be parthenogenic, i.e. not needing fertilization,  
> and probably formed by a modified form of meiosis.
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.



Christopher Majka  <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia,  
Canada

* Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm
* Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/
* Subject Editor: ZooKeys | http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index
* Review Editor: Zootaxa | http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/taxa/Coleoptera.html
* Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html
* Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/index.html
* Editor: Bugguide, Coleoptera http://bugguide.net

Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war- 
horse at the sound of a trumpet. - Charles Darwin


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Jim,<div><br></div><div>They =
are a fabulous beast. It is certainly&nbsp;<i>Pelecinus polyturator</i>, =
since this is a mono-specific genus. Males are occasionally found in =
southern latitudes, but in the Maritimes it is an exclusively&nbsp;<span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-size: =
12px; ">parthenogenically-reproducing female =
species.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br></div><div>=
Chris</div><div><br><div><div>On 7-Aug-11, at 8:09 PM, James W. Wolford =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: =
space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>AUGUST =
5 &amp; 6, 2011</b> - Pat &amp; I drove<b> to Lunenburg</b> for 2 of the =
3.5-day<b> Folk Harbour Festival</b>.&nbsp; &nbsp;</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">On our =
first afternoon there, on the lawn behind the Lincoln House ex-B&amp;B, =
we found a <b>very-long-bodied female Pelecinidae black wasp</b> that =
hunts and preys on grubs/larvae of May beetles or June beetles under the =
sod.&nbsp; Very probably this was a <i>Pelecinus polyturator</i> , which =
exists as nearly all females in most or all areas of occurrence. &nbsp; =
The species has a wide range in North America and apparently exists =
under several different names.&nbsp; Since they are nearly all females, =
the eggs they lay, one at a time on each beetle larva found, must be =
parthenogenic, i.e. not needing fertilization, and probably formed by a =
modified form of meiosis.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville.</font></div> </div></blockquote></div><br></div><br><br><div =
apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
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