Latina (wasp)

Latina is a genus of South American chalcid wasps in the family Eucharitidae. There are four known species of Latina with three known in Argentina and one from Venezuela.

Latina
Latina guriana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Eucharitidae
Genus:
Latina

Koçak & Kemal, 2008
Species

L. bonariensis
L. guriana
L. rugosa
L. vianai

Synonyms

Laurella Heraty, 2002

Originally the genus was named Laurella in 2002, but it turned out that the name had already been assigned to a genus of bee flies 30 years prior, and so the name Latina was adopted as a replacement, in honor of Latin America where the genus occurs.[1]

Biology

Like all members of the Euchratidae, Latina wasps are ant parasitoids. The wasp lays eggs on the undersides of leaves near the nests of Ponerine ants. Within a few days the eggs hatch into planidial larvae that are mobile and can leap. They enter the ant colony, most likely being carried by, or riding on, the ants. Once inside, they seek out ant larvae as hosts. There the planidia attach to ant host larvae or prepupae where they feed. On completing their development they emerge, leaving the remains of the ant larva.[2]

Species
  • Latina bonariensis - Argentina
  • Latina guriana - Venezuela
  • Latina rugosa - Argentina
  • Latina vianai - Argentina

References
  1. Koçak, A.Ö.; Kemal, M. (2008). "Nomenclatural notes on the genus group names in the order Hymenoptera (Chalcidoidea)". Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara Miscellaneous Papers. 143: 3–7.
  2. Torréns, Javier (2013). "A Review of the Biology of Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Argentina". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 2013: 1–14. doi:10.1155/2013/926572. hdl:11336/12016.


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