Kyohei Watanabe

Revision of the Taiwanese species of the genus Leptophion Cameron, 1901 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), with a discussion of their phenology and distribution

We revise the Taiwanese species of the ophionine genus Leptophion Cameron, 1901. As a result, three species, including a new species, are recognized. Two of them were identified as L. maculipennis (Cameron, 1905) and L. radiatus (Uchida, 1956), both of which had been previously recorded in Taiwan; we redescribe them based on Taiwanese specimens. We describe a single new species as L. giganteus Shimizu & Watanabe, sp. nov. The phenology and distribution of the species are briefly discussed. A key to the Taiwanese species of Leptophion and additional couplets to the key proposed by Gauld & Mitchell (1981) are also provided.

Distinct parasitoid communities associated with host races of the leaf-mining moth Acrocercops transecta on distantly related host plants (Juglandaceae and Ericaceae)

Differences in host-plant species may affect the structure of parasitoid communities of phytophagous insects. Phytophagous insect species often consist of host races, and comparisons between host races enable us to infer the effects of host-plant differences on parasitoid communities. Here, we compare the parasitoid fauna of two host races of the leaf-mining moth Acrocercops transecta, which are associated with either Juglandaceae or Lyonia ovalifolia (Ericaceae). Field collection and subsequent laboratory rearing revealed a significantly higher parasitization ratio in the Juglandaceae race than in the Lyonia race. In the Juglandaceae race the majority of parasitoids were Braconidae, whereas in the Lyonia race the majority were Eulophidae. Furthermore, even within the same host race the most abundant parasitoid species differed between populations with different host associations. Hence, the present results strongly indicate that different host-plant taxa affect the structure of parasitoid communities even within a single phytophagous insect species.

New approach for evaluating habitat stability using scarce records for both historical and contemporary specimens: a case study using Carabidae specimen records

Natural history collections, such as specimen records, are crucial resources for conservation and habitat management. However, these data are usually scarce compared to physical environmental data (e.g., digital terrain maps) that we often have little species data and a lot of physical environmental data with which to evaluate habitats. In this paper, we propose a method for evaluating habitat stability using scarce natural history records and abundant physical environmental data. We used both historical and contemporary specimen records of carabid beetles (areas in which records of the same species were recorded during both periods) and evaluated the attributes of these areas using terrain characteristics. We found two common terrain characteristics among the occupied areas: large total river length and low variation in elevation. These terrain characteristics suggest that habitats of carabid species have been conserved in disturbed and wet environments for a long time. These results are consistent with the ecological characteristics of carabid beetles. Our study shows that scarce natural history collections, combined with ingenuity, can be useful for evaluating habitats.

Revision of the genus Arotes Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Acaenitinae) from Japan

Three Japanese species of the genus Arotes Gravenhorst, 1829 are revised. A new species, A. japonicus Ito & Watanabe, sp. nov., is described from the four main islands of Japan. This species can easily be distinguished from congeneric species by the black body without yellow markings and the entirely black hind tibia. Arotes sugiharai Uchida, 1934 is newly recorded from the islands of Kyushu and Tsushima, and the males of this species are described for the first time. The synonymy of A. moiwanus (Matsumura, 1912) and its color variant alboannulatus Uchida, 1928 are confirmed by DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene. The key to the worlds species of Arotes proposed by Castillo et al. (2011) is updated and a key to the Japanese species is provided.

Tanzawana flavomaculata (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ctenopelmatinae), a new genus and species of parasitoid of Fagineura crenativora (Tenthredinidae, Nematinae), a serious pest of beech tree

We describe a new genus, and a new species, of parasitoid--Tanzawana flavomaculata Watanabe & Kasparyan (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae)--based on material collected in Honshu, Japan. As T. flavomaculata is found on Fagineura crenativora Vikberg & Zinovjev, 2000 (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), a serious pest of beech tree, this parasitoid is an important natural enemy of F. crenativora that can be used for the biological control of this pest.

Discovery of the genus Leptophion Cameron, 1901, from Japan and the Palaearctic region, with description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae)

The genus Leptophion Cameron, 1901, which belongs to the subfamily Ophioninae Shuckard, 1840, is recorded from Japan and the Palaearctic region for the first time based on two new species, L. parvus sp. nov. from Amamioshima Island and L. septentrionis sp. nov. from Yakushima and Amamioshima Island. A key to the Japanese and Taiwanese species is also provided.

Arms race between leaf rollers and parasitoids: diversification of plant‐manipulation behavior and its consequences

Understanding the determinants of community structure remains a challenging ecological task; the plant–host insect–parasitoid community is a particularly important community because of its overwhelming biomass in terrestrial ecosystems. Some ecological and phylogenetic factors are determinants of community structure; however, the relative importance of these factors remains to be entirely elucidated because we cannot separately analyze individual factors. Here, we compared parasitoid communities among 23 weevil species. We demonstrated that the parasitoid community structures were significantly influenced by types of maternal plant manipulation and larval feeding, but not by the phylogeny of the host plant or weevil, which has diverse feeding niches even within closely related species, through maternal plant manipulation for immature weevils (e.g., shoot/petiole/seed borers, leaf miners, and leaf roll feeders). Weevil phylogenetic data indicate that although plant-cutting behavior may have evolved as an a...

Revision of the genus Apophua Morley, 1913, from Japan (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Banchinae)

Japanese species of the genus Apophua Morley, 1913, are revised. Eleven species are found from Japan and two of them, A. elegans sp. nov. and A. yamato sp. nov., are newly described. Distribution data and an updated key to Japanese species are provided.

Diversity of Aulacidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea) in the oceanic Ogasawara Islands (Japan), with description of a new species from Anijima Island

In the context of the biodiversity conservation of the oceanic Ogasawara Islands, the parasitoid species of Aulacidae are reviewed. We examined material from eight islands with or without invasion of the introduced lizard Anolis carolinensis (Voigt 1832) (green anoles): two species of Pristaulacus Kieffer 1900, P. boninensis Konishi, 1989, and P. anijimensis sp. nov., are recognized. The former species is widely distributed in the islands, whereas the latter species is found from a single island only, Anijima Island. Although this island appears to be currently well preserved, the recent introduction of green anoles will probably affect the conservation status of many species, including the endemic P. anijimensis sp. nov. A description of the new species, detailed drawings and descriptions of genitalia of both recognized species, an updated key to Japanese Aulacidae, and a brief discussion on the conservation aspects of Aulacidae in the Ogasawara Islands are provided.

Taxonomic notes on Exetastes fukuchiyamanus Uchida, 1928 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Banchinae), with description of a new species from Japan and China

Exetastes fukuchiyamanus Uchida, 1928 (Ichneumonidae, Banchinae) is redescribed and its taxonomic status and distribution in Japan and China is reviewed. A new species, E. compressus sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected from China and Japan.