Erol Yildirim

Refining the Roots of the Beewolf-Streptomyces Symbiosis: Antennal Symbionts in the Rare Genus Philanthinus (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae)

ABSTRACT Insects engage in symbiotic associations with a large diversity of beneficial microorganisms. While the majority of well-studied symbioses have a nutritional basis, several cases are known in which bacteria protect their host from pathogen infestation. Solitary wasps of the genera Philanthus and Trachypus (beewolves; Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) cultivate the actinomycete “Candidatus Streptomyces philanthi” in specialized antennal gland reservoirs. The symbionts are transferred to the larval cocoon, where they provide protection against pathogenic fungi by producing at least nine different antibiotics. Here we investigated the closest relatives of Philanthus and Trachypus, the rare genus Philanthinus, for the presence of antennal gland reservoirs and symbiotic streptomycetes. Molecular analyses identified “Ca. Streptomyces philanthi” in reservoirs of Philanthinus quattuordecimpunctatus. Phylogenies based on the 16S rRNA gene suggest that P. quattuordecimpunctatus may have acquired “Ca. Streptomyces philanthi” by horizontal transfer from other beewolf species. In histological sections and three-dimensional reconstructions, the antennal gland reservoirs were found to occupy six antennal segments (as opposed to only five in Philanthus and Trachypus) and to be structurally less complex than those of the evolutionarily more derived genera of beewolves. The presence of “Ca. Streptomyces philanthi” in antennal glands of Philanthinus indicates that the symbiosis between beewolves and Streptomyces bacteria is much older than previously thought. It probably evolved along the branch leading to the monophyletic tribe Philanthini, as it seems to be confined to the genera Philanthus, Trachypus, and Philanthinus, which together comprise 172 described species of solitary wasps.

Insecticidal Effects of Monoterpenes on Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Twenty eight monoterpenes including monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes (borneol, borynl acetate, camphene, camphor, 3-carene, carvone, 1,8-cineole, citronellal, β-citronellene, β-citronellol, dihydrocarvone, fenchol, fenchone, geranyl acetate, isomenthol, limonene, limonene oxide, linalool, linalyl acetate, menthol, menthone, myrcene, nerol, neryl acetate, α-pinene, β-pinene, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol), the active compounds of essential oils obtained from different plant species were tested against adults of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky under laboratory conditions. The monoterpenes were applied at contents of 10, 20 and 30 μl for liquid compounds and 10, 20 and 30 μg for solid compounds. The results show that most of the monoterpenes have significantly insecticidal effect on the tested insects. Insecticidal effects of monoterpene hydrocarbons were found to be lower than those of oxygenated monoterpenes. The ketone and aldehyde and epoxide derivatives of oxygenated monoterpenes were also found to be more toxic as compared with their other derivatives. Mortality percentage of S. zeamais adults, after 96th h of exposure at the maximum dose (30 μl/μg) of oxygenated monoterpenes including borneol, fenchol, linalool, menthol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol (alcohols group); 1,8-cineole, limonene oxide (epoxides group); camphor, carvone, citronellal, dihydrocarvone, fenchone, menthone (ketones and aldehydes group) and neryl acetate (esters group) attained 100%. Concurrently, 3-carene from monoterpene hydrocarbons showed 100% mortality after 96th h of exposure at the maximum dose (30 μl). Carvone, dihydrocarvone, fenchone, limonene oxide, menthone and terpinen-4-ol from these compounds showed 100% insecticidal effect after 48th h of exposure. Among the monoterpenes tested, carvone, dihydrocarvone, menthone and terpinen-4-ol showed the strongest insecticidal activities with 100% of mortality at all doses (96 h after treatment) and then 1,8-cineole, fenchone, linalool and limonene oxide showed stronger insecticidal activities in comparison with other monoterpenes with lethal doses (LD50) values of 1.989, 2.445, 2.445 and 3.235 μl (96 h after treatment) against the test insects, respectively. Mortality rate of S. zeamais adults increased significantly (p < 0.01), as the dosage level and/or exposure time increased. Based on the present results, it can be concluded that the oxygenated monoterpenes may have a potential action for control of S. zeamais adults.

The Pompilidae (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) fauna of Turkey: Part II. Pompilinae

Abstract Records of 154 species and subspecies in 28 genera of the subfamily Pompilinae have been collected by the authors since 1966 throughout almost the whole of Turkey. This review also includes museum material and literature records. 6 genera and 66 species and subspecies are new for the Pompilidae fauna of Turkey. New distribution records are given for many species and subspecies

The Pompilidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) fauna of Turkey. Part 1: Ceropalinae and Pepsinae

Abstract This study of the spider wasps of the family Pompilidae of Turkey is based mainly upon our own material which has been collected since 1966 almost throughout the country, but also includes museum material and literature records. From the subfamilies Ceropalinae und Pepsinae 93 species and subspecies in 10 genera have been found in Turkey to date. Of these, two genera and 34 species and subspecies are recorded from Turkey for the first time in this paper.

Contribution to the knowledge of the Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) fauna of Turkey

This study is based upon material of the family Ichneumonidae collected from Erzurum and Tunceli provinces of Turkey between 2011 and 2012. 64 species in 49 genera of the family Ichneumonidae were recorded. Among them, Alloplasta tomentosa (Gravenhorst, 1829), Lissonota (Lissonota) accusator (Fabricius, 1793), Dusona nidulator (Fabricius, 1804), Olesicampe fulviventris (Gmelin, 1790), Olesicampe proterva (Brischke, 1880), Olesicampe radiella (Thomson, 1885), Aptesis nigrocincta (Gravenhorst, 1815), Cryptus moschator (Fabricius, 1787), Pleolophus brachypterus (Gravenhorst, 1815), Hadrodactylus flavofacialis Horstmann, 2000, Lagarotis semicaligata (Gravenhorst, 1820), Coelichneumon (Coelichneumon) consimilis (Wesmael, 1845), Hoplismenus axillatorius (Thunberg, 1822) and Eridolius pictus (Gravenhorst, 1829) are new to the Turkish fauna. A short zoogeographic characterisation is given for each species.

Overview of the distribution and biogeography of Crabronidae in Turkey (Hymenoptera: Aculeata)

Faunistic and systematic studies on Crabronidae of Turkey are reviewed and the distribution and biogeography of the Turkish Crabronid wasp fauna is analyzed. In this study, 21 species and subspecies of 2 genera of Astatinae, 122 species and subspecies of 19 genera of Bembicinae, 72 species and subspecies of 3 genera of Philanthinae, 61 species and subspecies of 13 genera of Pempherdoninae, 2 species of 1 genus of Mellininae, 1 species of 1 genus of Dinetinae and 238 species and subspecies of 26 genera of Crabroninae are recorded. In total, 502 species and 15 subspecies belonging to 65 genera of Crabronidae are recorded from Turkey. Among them, 44 species and 6 subspecies comprising 9,7% of Turkish crabronids are endemic. Furthermore, the type localities of 69 species and 10 subspecies of Crabronidae are located in Turkey. Species composition, diversity and proportion of endemism varies considerably between the biogeographic subregions of the country.

A contribution to the knowledge of Spheciformes of Turkey: Tribes Astatini, Dinetini, Larrini, Palarini and Trypoxylini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Crabronidae)

Abstract Between 1967 and 2000, a total of 48 species of Spheciformes (tribes Astatini, Dinetini, Larrini, Palarini and Trypoxylini) was collected in Turkey, mainly in the eastern part of the country. Five of them are new to the Turkish fauna: Astata apostata Mercet, Astata gallica Beaumont, Ancistromma asiaticum Gussakovskij, Trypoxylon latilobatum Antropov, and Trypoxylon syriacum Mercet.

First contribution to the bionomics of the pollen wasp Ceramius palaestinensis (Giordani Soika, 1957) (Hymenoptera : Vespidae : Masarinae) in Turkey

Data about the bionomics of the pollen wasp Ceramius palaestinensis (Giordani Soika, 1957) are presented for the first time. Ceramius palaestinensis is characterized by the following ethological elements: (i) the nest is excavated in non‐friable soil; (ii) the burrow is surmounted by a turret from earth extracted from within the burrow; (iii) the nest is possibly perennial; (iv) the nest has a relatively short, vertical to sub‐vertical main shaft with an expansion at the bottom; (v) the main shaft is not terminated by a cell; (vi) secondary shafts are absent; (vii) the cells are sub‐horizontal, all at different depths; (viii) brood cells are constructed mud‐cells built within an excavated cell, formed from earth excavated within the burrow; (ix) imagines visit only flowers of Trifolium (Fabaceae) and brood cells are provisioned exclusively with pollen from this plant genus; Trifolium species varying considerably in inflorescence morphology lead to different positions of foraging wasps on the inflorescences during flower visits; Trifolium resupinatum or T. clusii inflorescences with resupinate flowers function as a disc‐shaped pseudanthium with the vexilla of the flowers arranged on the outer periphery serving as petal‐like exhibition organs; and (x) males patrol and perch at water collection sites, at flowers and within nesting aggregations; copulations or copulatory attempts are observed there.

First Contribution to the Bionomics of the Pollen Wasp Ceramius caucasicus Andre´ 1884 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae) in Turkey

Abstract The bionomics of Ceramius caucasicus André was studied over a period of 14 days in the vicinity of Erzurum, East Anatolia. Following the concept of Gess and Gess (1988) the nesting and flower association of Ceramius caucasicus can be characterised by the following ethological elements: a. Nest excavated in clayey but quite crumbly soil; b. Burrow surmounted by a turret constructed using mud extracted from within the burrow; c. Re-use of nest unknown; d. Nest with a relatively short, vertical to sub-vertical main shaft; e. Main shaft continues into an oblique to subhorizontal secondary shaft terminated by a cell; f. Existence and form of further secondary shafts unknown; g. Cells sub-horizontal; h. No constructed mud-cell within an excavated-cell; i. Pollen of cell provision, Campanulaceae and Lamiaceae. Pollen of Campanulaceae and Lamiaceae is also present in the alimentary tract of males and females. Furthermore, the alimentary tract of males contains pollen of Resedaceae, Fabaceae and Dipsacaceae in lower proportions. Foraging males also visit Papaveraceae. Water is used to soften the soil. Females visit water collection sites. During water uptake they stand on wet ground, on or in dense vegetation or on soil covered by a thin film of water. Mating occurs at water collection sites and at flowers. Males and females mate repeatedly. Copulation lasts much longer than in the sister species. Females seem to avoid males. Activity at water collection sites indicates proterandry.

Three new records from Phylinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) for the Turkish fauna

Miridae Hahn, 1833 (or plant-bugs) is a family of Miroidea, which comprises eight subfamilies worldwide. In the world, they are represented by more than 11 000 species (Namyatova and Cassis, 2016; Çerçi and Dursun, 2017). This family consists of eight subfamilies: Mirinae Hahn, 1833, Bryocorinae Baerensprung, 1860, Isometopinae Fieber, 1860, Deraeocorinae Douglas & Scott, 1865, Phylinae Douglas & Scott, 1865, Cylapinae Kirkaldy, 1903, Orthotylinae Van Duzee, 1916, and Psallopinae Schuh, 1976 (Cassis and Schuh, 2012). Individuals of the subfamily Phylinae are small, rarely medium-sized, usually phytophagous, often with narrow food specialization; less commonly zoophytophagous or predacious, hibernating as eggs (with very rare exceptions) and it is the largest subfamily (Lehr, 1988; Yazıcı and Yıldırım, 2016). The Phylinae is a subfamily of worldwide distribution with substantial diversity in most continental areas, but with very limited diversity in the New World tropics. The classification of the group has been substantially refined since 1974. Approximately 290 genera are currently recognized and placed in 5 tribes. In temperate regions of the world, members of the group are univoltine and for the most part show strong host specificity. Many phylines are brown or somber in coloration; a few are black but none are aposematic. At least four lineages are strongly myrmecomorphic. Turkey is one of the most biogeographically interesting countries in the West Palearctic region. The aim of this paper was to present new collection and biological data on Phylinae in Turkey. The material of the Phylinae was collected from different localities in Turkey between 1984 and 2014, the oldest collections are now part of the collections of the Entomological Museum, Erzurum. The material was obtained by sweeping from meadow and pasture lands containing a variety of flowering plants. Provinces of the collected specimens are given in alphabetical order in the following list. The material is stored in the Entomology Museum, Erzurum, Turkey (EMET). The species were identified by Dr Rauno Linnavuori (Finland) and Prof. Dr. Jacek Gorczyca (Poland). Important morphological characters of Criocoris crassicornis (Hahn 1834), Europiella artemisiae (Becker 1864), and Paredrocoris pectoralis Reuter 1878 were examined. The specimens were dissected for examination, and abdomens were removed and placed in a cold 10% KOH solution for 10–20 min. Then the general parts of the specimens were removed. Digital photographs were captured on a Leica DFC290 camera mounted on a Leica Z16 APO stereo zoom macroscope, using the Leica application suite (version 2.7.0). Illustrations were done using CorelDRAW (version 12.0). In the present study, three species from the subfamily Phylinae, Criocoris crassicornis (Hahn, 1834), Europiella artemisiae (Becker, 1864), and Paredrocoris pectoralis Reuter, 1878, were recorded for the first time from Turkey. Family Miridae Hahn, 1833 Subfamily Phylinae Douglas & Scott, 1865 Tribe Phylini Douglas & Scott, 1865 Abstract: This study was conducted in the Erzurum province of Turkey during 2009–2014. The species Criocoris crassicornis (Hahn, 1834), Europiella artemisiae (Becker, 1864), and Paredrocoris pectoralis Reuter, 1878 were recorded for the first time from Turkey. The important taxonomic characters are described and photographs or illustrations are provided.