Weaving a new web: gregarious parasitism in Idris Forster (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) attacking spider eggs.

ABSTRACT: The present study, conducted in West Bengal, India, explored the unique 'multi-chambered' appearance of certain spider eggs, leading to the discovery of gregarious parasitism in the idiobiont endoparasitoid Idris Förster (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Little is known about the roles of parasitoid Hymenoptera in regulating spider populations. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I marker identified five distinct species of Idris. These five gregarious species, identified in association with various spider hosts across multiple locations during a two-year study, offer new insights into host-parasitoid interactions and their adaptability in different host systems. Additionally, six novel host associations between egg parasitoids and five spider species from two f

SUBMITTER: Rajmohana K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11856503 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature