Some Observations on the Biology of the Parasitic Beetle Metoecus Paradoxus Linn. (Rhipiphoridae: Coleoptera) on Mud Dauber Wasp Grubs

2 Pages·1999·1.2 MB·

by  G Srinivasan

MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
Head length 3.9 to 4.1 times in standard length. KMTR and Mr. Sornappan, ACF, for their
Eye diameter 4.3 to 4.6 times in head length. support. The authors are grateful to Mr. A.
Laterallinecompletewith28-29scales.Predorsal Vanarajan and K. Sankar (Project assistants -
scales 10-12. DBT) for their assistance and help during the
survey.
Acknowledgements
May 30, 1998 M. ARUNACHALAM,
One ofthe authors (M.A) is thankful for A. SANKARANARAYANAN
financial assistance from Department of Sri Paramakalyani Centrefor
Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Environmental Sciences,
Technology,GovernmentofIndia.WethankDr. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University,
V.K. Melkani, Field Director, Project Tiger, Alwarkurichi 627412, TamilNadu.
References
AjithkumarC.R.&V.S.Vijayan(1988):Onthefishfauna Menon,A.G.K.(1992):Conservationoffreshwaterfishes
ofKeoladeoNationalPark,Bharatpur(Rajasthan) ofPeninsularIndia.Unpublishedreport(GrantNo.
J. Bombaynat.Hist. Soc. 85(1):45-49. 14/24/87-MAB/RE). MinistryofEnvironment&
Day(1994):TheFishesofIndia;(4thed.)JagmanderBook Forests,Govt,ofIndia,pp. 136,
Agency,NewDelhi,778pp. Raj Tilak & D.N. Tiwarj (1976): On the fish fauna of
Jeyaram, K.C. (1981): The freshwater fishes of Poona District(Maharashtra). Newsl. Zool. surv.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma and Sri India. 2(5): 193-199.
Lanka.HandbookZoologicalSurveyofIndia,pp. Rema Devi, K. et al. (1977): Ichthyofauna of the
xii+475. Tamiraparani river systems, Tamil Nadu, Zoos
Jeyaram, K.C. (1991): Revision ofthe genus Puntius print. 12(7): 1-2.
HamiltonfromtheIndianregion.Rec.Zool.Surv. Shaji, C.P., P.S. Easa & S. Chand Basha (1995):
India. Occ.PaperNo. 135. 178pp. Freshwater fish diversity in Aralam Wildlife
Johnsingh, A.J.T. & D. Vickram (1987): Fishes of Sanctuary,Kerala,SouthIndia.J.Bombaynat.Hist.
MundanthuraiWildlifeSanctuary,TamilNadu,J. Soc. 92:360-364.
Bombaynat.Hist. Soc. 84(3):526-533. Talwar, P.K. & A.G. Jhingran (1991): Inland fishes of
Kulkarni, C.V. & M.R. Ranade (1974): Gazette of India and adjacent countries. Oxford & IBH
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MaharashtraState.Fauna:47-63. PublishingCo.,Pvt.Ltd., 1 2,pp.l158.
SOMEOBSERVATIONS ONTHEBIOLOGYOF
22.
THE PARASITICBEETLEMETOECUSPARADOXUSLINN.
(RHIPIPHORIDAE COLEOPTERA) ONMUD DAUBERWASP GRUBS
:
(With oneplate)
The Rhipiphorid beetles Metoecus 1910). The female first selects a place such as
paradoxusLinn, areseeningrasslandvegetation buildings, tree-twigs, or undisturbed human
and are parasitoids on mud dauber wasp grubs habitats for constructing a cell. The wasp then
ofthe family Eumenidae. takes water in its mouth from a nearby water
The mud dauber wasps such as Eumenes source, goestothemudcollectingplace, usually
conica Fab., E. edwardsii Sauss. and Rhychium a termitarium or dryland, regurgitates water on
nitidulum Fabr. belonging to Eumenidae build thesoilsurfaceandwiththehelpofitsmandibles
smallpotlikecellstoraisetheirprogeny(Ayyar, andforelegs starts scraping thewet soilto make
JOURNAL. BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 337
MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
asmallglobular,shinymudpellet.Thewaspthen fully grown red and black coloured adult in a
takes this pellet with its mandibles and forelegs periodof38 to 42 days (Fig. F).
to a previously selected place to build a small One interesting fact as far as the mud cell
potlike cell with a small funnel likemouth. The is concerned is that the parasitoid Rhipiphorid
female wasp inserts the abdomen tip into the beetle, after the completion of its complicated
mouth and deposits an egg inside the cell. Then life cycle, cannot escape out ofthe cell because
the wasp goes foraging to provide paralyzed it cannot gnaw out ofthe hard mud cell due to
caterpillars as foodforthehatchingyoung wasp the second layer of mud coated by the female
grub. wasp brought from the termitarium. The beetle
The Rhipiphorid beetles lay their eggs in escapes if the mud cell is broken accidentally,
thesurroundingvegetation.Theeggsonhatching otherwiseitgetstrappedanddiesinsidethemud
into triungulin larvae want to catch hold ofthe cell.Incaseofpaperwasps,sandwaspsandbees,
legofwaspscomingintheirwayduringforaging. the young Rhipiphorid beetles can emerge
The triungulin larva attaches itselfto the wasp becausetheirnestsareopeninnaturehencethey
leg and reaches the mud cell. It passes into a survive. This is the firstrecord ofaRhipiphorid
periodofwaiting stage about8 to 12 days inside parasitoidbeetle fromthe cells ofthe mudnests
the cell. Duringthisperiodthewaspegghatches ofEumenid wasps in India.
andbecomesafleshylemonyellowgrubinabout
8 to 10 days, forming a thin white membrane Acknowledgement
lining the cell wall as a whole. The minute
triungulin Rhipiphorid larva at this stage loses We thank Dr. S. Balasubramaniam,
its legs and penetrates the wasp grub, feeds as Department of Botany, Bharathiar University
an endoparasitoid for 3 to 4 days. Then it is for his ready co-operation in taking the
ectoparasitoid for about 20 days, holding the photographs.
anteriorpart ofthe head ofthe wasp grub like a
collar (Fig. A andFig. B). Throughoutthe grub October27, 1997 G. SRINIVASAN
stage, the parasitoid beetle grub secretes a K. SASIKALA
digestive enzyme which it ejects at the point of Department ofZoology
contact with the eumenid grub, keeping it from Bharathiar University
decay for about 18-20 days. Within this period Coimbatore 641 046.
MOHANASUNDARAM
the Rhipiphorid grub completes its feeding and
startspupatingwithinthesamecell(Fig. C). The Professor ofEntomology (Retd.)
pupal stages (Fig. D & E) lasts between 7 to 9 T.N.A.U.
daysandthenslowlychangestothecharacteristic Coimbatore 641 003
Reference
Ayya.r,T.V.R.(1910): LifehistorynotesonthecaterpillarhuntingwaspEumenesconica.J.Bombaynat.Hist.Soc.20.
PREDATION BY ANTS ON FROGS AND INVERTEBRATES
23.
On November 29, 1995, while we were forestoneitherside ofthe stream. The ants were
walkingalongaperennialstreambedinPhansad abouta centimetre inlengthandmade abuzzing
Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra), at around sound when we blew on the densely packed
10:30inthemorning,wenoticedsomearmyants columns. Though we were unable to identify
moving incolumns alongthe ground. Therewas theseants,fromthedescriptionsgivenbyLefroy
338 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY. 96(2) AUG. 1999