Megascolia procer

Megascolia procer, the giant scoliid wasp, is a solitary wasp in the family Scoliidae found across the Oriental region. It is one of the largest wasps in the world, with a wingspan of 11.6 cm (4.6 in).[2]

Megascolia procer
Female (top) and male (bottom) of Megascolia procer javanensis. Private collection, F. Turetta.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Scoliidae
Genus: Megascolia
Species:
M. procer
Binomial name
Megascolia procer
(Illiger, 1802)
Synonyms[1]
  • Triscolia procer (Illiger, 1802)
  • Scolia procer Illiger, 1802

Description
Female specimen

M. procer is a large tropical wasp with a body length of 46–77 mm (1.8–3.0 in).[2] The body is primarily black with yellowish markings on the front and vertex of the head, pronotum, scutellum, metanotum, medial spot on the first gastral tergite, and a pair of anterolateral spots on the third gastal tergite. The wings are brown with blue iridescent reflections.[1] This structural coloration is because the wing is made of chitin, made dark with melanin, and covered with a transparent overlayer 286 nm (1.13×10−5 in) thick that acts as an interference thin film.[3]

Distribution

The nominate subspecies has a broad range across the continent of Asia, including records in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Malaya, Thailand, Myanmar, and India.[1] There are also subspecies found in Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.[4][5][6]

Life cycle
The Atlas beetle, Chalcosoma atlas (male shown), is the host for M. procer.

The species is a parasitoid of the scarabaeid Atlas beetle, Chalcosoma atlas. The wasp paralyzes a beetle grub with its sting, then lays an egg on it and buries it in an underground cell. When the wasp larva hatches, it consumes its still-living host before pupating inside its remains.[7]

Subspecies

There are four subspecies of M. procer:[1][8]

  • Megascolia procer procer (Illiger, 1802)
  • Megascolia procer bimaculata (Gribodo, 1893)
  • Megascolia procer javanensis Betrem, 1964
  • Megascolia procer nigriventris (Mantero, 1903)


See also

References
  1. Gupta, Salil K; Jonathan, Joseph Kenneth (2003). The fauna of India and the adjacent countries / Hymenoptera: Scoliidae. Kolkata: Zoological Survey of India. p. 135-138. ISBN 81-8171-009-6.
  2. Sarrazin, Michael; Vigneron, Jean Pol; Welch, Victoria; Rassart, Marie (5 November 2008). "Nanomorphology of the blue iridescent wings of a giant tropical wasp Megascolia procer javanensis (Hymenoptera)". Phys. Rev. E 78 (5): 051902. arXiv:0710.2692. Bibcode:2008PhRvE..78e1902S. doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.78.051902. PMID 19113150. S2CID 30936410. Measurement scale on Figure 1.
  3. Sarrazin, Michael; Vigneron, Jean Pol; Welch, Victoria; Rassart, Marie (2008). "Nanomorphology of the blue iridescent wings of a giant tropical wasp Megascolia procer javanensis (Hymenoptera)". Physical Review E. 78 (5): 051902. arXiv:0710.2692. doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.78.051902. PMID 19113150. S2CID 30936410.
  4. Betrem, J. G.; Bradley, J. Chester (1964). "Annotations on the genera Triscolia, Megascolia and Scolia (Hymenoptera, Scoliidae)". Zoologische Mededelingen. 39 (43): 433–444.
  5. Burnie, David (2001). Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife (1st ed.). London: Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 632 pp. ISBN 90-18-01564-4.
  6. Smith, Frederick (1865). "Descriptions of New Species of Hymenopterous Insects from the Islands of Sumatra, Sula, Gilolo, Salwatty, and New Guinea, collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace". The Journal of the Linnean Society: Zoology. 8 (30): 61–94. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1865.tb02422.x.
  7. Piek, Tom (22 October 2013). Venoms of the Hymenoptera: Biochemical, Pharmacological and Behavioural Aspects. Elsevier. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-4832-6370-0.
  8. Osten, T. (2005). "Checkliste der Dolchwespen der Welt (Insecta: Hymenoptera, Scoliidae). Teil 1: Proscoliinae und Scoliinae: Campsomerini. Teil 2: Scoliinae: Scoliini. Teil 3: Literatur" [Checklist of the Scoliidae of the World. Part 1: Proscoliinae and Scoliinae: Campsomerini. Part 2: Scoliinae: Scoliini. Part 3: Literature] (PDF). Bericht der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Augsburg (in German). 62 (220–221): 1–62. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
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