New records of two spider-parasitoids of the genus Polysphincta (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ephialtini) from Central Europe, with notes on their host interactions

Abstract

A polysphinctine wasp Polysphincta longa, associated with the orb web building spider Araneus angulatus, was recorded for the first time in Slovakia. Further, the congener Polysphincta tuberosa was recorded in association with a new spider host Araneus sturmi. New distribution records of Polysphincta species from the Czech and Slovak Republics are presented. The final stage larva of both, P. longa and P. tuberosa, induced a specific alteration in web architecture: the spider constructed a unique 3D tangle of silk – so called “cocoon web” – to protect the parasitoid during the pupal stage. The host range of wasps belonging to the genus Polysphincta in Europe is discussed.

Keywords

• behavioural alteration
• diversity
• spider host