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Observations on the mating behavior of a dryinid and first record of sexual cannibalism in the hymenoptera

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Abstract

Sexual cannibalism is a phenomenon that has been reported in a wide variety of invertebrate predators. In arthropods, it has been documented mostly in arachnids. The Dryinidae, a small cosmopolitan family of aculeate hymenopterans, are exclusively parasitic of the hemipteran suborders Cicadomorpha and Fulgoromorpha. They include some species that have been successfully employed in biological control programs. The ecology and biology of the Dryinidae is generally little known. In this short communication, studying biological traits of Gonatopus chilensis, a parasitoid of planthoppers, we report two novel facts for dryinid species: occasionally virgin females were re-mated by the same male, and after mating, occasionally young females caught the male and devoured its gaster. This is the first record of sexual cannibalism for the family Dryinidae and, to our knowledge, for the order Hymenoptera.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PROIMI- Biotecnología – CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pje Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina

    Eduardo Gabriel Virla

  2. Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina

    Eduardo Gabriel Virla

  3. UNdeC (Universidad Nacional de Chilecito), 9 de Julio 22, Chilecito, La Rioja, Argentina

    Martin Sebastián Espinosa

  4. CONICET, Godoy Cruz, 2290, CABA, Argentina

    Martin Sebastián Espinosa

Authors
  1. Eduardo Gabriel Virla
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  2. Martin Sebastián Espinosa
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Correspondence to Martin Sebastián Espinosa.

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Virla, E.G., Espinosa, M.S. Observations on the mating behavior of a dryinid and first record of sexual cannibalism in the hymenoptera. acta ethol 22, 145–147 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-019-00315-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-019-00315-9

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