Biodiversity Literature Repository

Submit to community
Liberated Data
Published December 18, 2025 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Nature Reserve of Pantalica (Sicily, Italy)

Authors/Creators

  • 1. National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy|University of Siena, Siena, Italy
  • 2. University of Central Florida, Orlando, United States of America
  • 3. University of Siena, Siena, Italy|National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
  • 4. University of Siena, Siena, Italy
  • 5. Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Munich, Germany
  • 6. I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
  • 7. University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
  • 8. University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy|National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy

Description

The hymenopteran family Ichneumonidae (also known as Darwin wasps) represents one of the largest families of parasitoid insects. However, faunistic research is needed to fill the gaps in the knowledge of the biodiversity of this group in the Mediterranean area and Italy.

A faunistic survey on Darwin's wasps of the Nature Reserve of Pantalica (Siracusa, Sicily, Italy) is presented. A total of 81 species of ichneumonids belonging to 19 subfamilies were identified. Of these, 42 species are new records for Sicily and nine species are new records for Italy. The subfamilies Adelognathinae and Oxytorinae are reported for the first time in Sicily.

Misetus obscurus Berthoumieu, 1897 stat. rev. (Ichneumoninae, Phaeogenini), originally described as a colour form of M. oculatus Wesmael, 1845, is raised to species level, based on both morphological and molecular data.

Files

BDJ_article_175760.pdf

Files (1.4 MB)

Name Size
md5:71e077cc9b8242184cc307eb5a5a02d5
1.4 MB Preview Download

System files (560.4 kB)

Name Size
md5:1632ecba62a36b8609593004db507339
560.4 kB Download

Linked records

Additional details

Cites
Publication: 10.1080/21686351.1961.12279143 (DOI)
Publication: 10.3406/bsef.1963.20700 (DOI)
Publication: 10.3897/bdj.12.e132510 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1111/icad.12249 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1201/9781003211426-11 (DOI)
Publication: 10.3897/BDJ.3.e5057 (DOI)
Publication: 10.13133/2284-4880/239 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4374.4.8 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.4810.1.13 (DOI)
Publication: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e139683 (DOI)
Publication: 10.13133/2284-4880/1780 (DOI)
Publication: 10.11646/zootaxa.5023.3.1 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307404 (DOI)
Publication: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bty633 (DOI)
Publication: 10.4081/BollettinoSEI.2012.125 (DOI)
Publication: 10.4081/BollettinoSEI.2013.59 (DOI)
Publication: 10.3897/asp.83.e151385 (DOI)
Publication: 10.32614/r.manuals (DOI)
Publication: 10.3406/marb.1845.3439 (DOI)
Publication: 10.4081/bollettinosei.2014.41 (DOI)
Has part
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure12 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure13 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure5 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure15 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure17 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure2 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure16 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure18 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure7 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure8 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure10 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure1 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure14 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure3 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure4 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure11 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure6 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/BDJ.13.e175760.figure9 (DOI)

References

  • Aubert JF (1961) Les Ichneumonides de Corse (Hym). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 130: 159‑188. https://doi.org/10.1080/21686351.1961.12279143
  • Aubert JF (1963) Les Ichneumonides du rivage méditerranéen français (Hym.). 6e serie: Pimplinae, Banchinae, Tryphoninae, Scolobatinae, Orthocentrinae, Diplazoninae, Metopiinae, Microleptinae de l'Hérault et des Bouches-du-Rhône. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 68: 91‑100. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.1963.20700
  • Aubert JF (1969) Deuxième travail sur les Ichneumonides de Corse (Hymenoptera). Veröffentlichungen der Zoologischen Staatssammlung (München) 13: 27‑70. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/VeroeffZSM_013_0027-0070.pdf
  • Aubert JF (1982) Nouvelle série d'Ichneumonides inédites. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de Mulhouse 38: 33‑40.
  • Badano D, Funari R, Di Giovanni F (2024) First record of the antlion Solter liber Navás, 1912 in Italy (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 12. https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.12.e132510
  • Berthoumieu V (1897) Ichneumonides d'Europe et des pays limitrophes. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 65: 285‑418. URL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8312957#page/297/mode/1up
  • Constantineanu MI (1965) Familia Ichneumonidae, subfamiliile Phaeogeninae si Alomyinae. [Family Ichneumonidae, subfamilies Phaeogeninae and Alomyinae]. Fauna Republicii Populare Române, 9. Academiei Republicii Populare Române, Bucureşti, 508 pp.
  • Corcos D, Inclán DJ, Cerretti P, Mei M, Di Giovanni F, Birtele D, Rosa P, De Biase A, Audisio P, Marini L (2017) Environmental heterogeneity effects on predator and parasitoid insects vary across spatial scales and seasons: a multi-taxon approach. Insect Conservation & Diversity 10 (6): 462‑471. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12249
  • Delrio G, Prota R (1987) Researches on grape-vine moths in Sardinia. In: Cavalloro R (Ed.) Integrated Pest Control in Viticulture. Proceedings of a meeting of the EC Experts' Group, Portoferraio, 26–28 September 1985. CRC Press, Balkema, Rotterdam, 57-67 pp. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003211426-11
  • De Stefani T (1895) Catalogo degli Imenotteri di Sicilia. Naturalista Siciliano 14: 169‑182. URL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/42762#page/213/mode/1up
  • Di Giovanni F, Reshchikov A, Riedel M, Diller E, Schwarz M (2015) New records of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) for the Italian fauna. Biodiversity Data Journal 3 (e5057): 1‑36. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5057
  • Di Giovanni F, Reshchikov A (2016) Contribution to the knowledge of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) in Italy. Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (1): 495‑505. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0048_1_0495-0505.pdf
  • Di Giovanni F, Riedel M (2017) New records of Campopleginae for Italy (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Fragmenta entomologica 49 (1): 109‑114. https://doi.org/10.13133/2284-4880/239
  • Di Giovanni F, Scaramozzino PL, Diller E (2018) A new species of Misetus Wesmael, 1845 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Phaeogenini) from Italy, with updated key to the females of Palaearctic species. Zootaxa 4374 (4): 594‑600. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4374.4.8
  • Di Giovanni F, Scaramozzino PL (2019) Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae of Montecristo Island (Tuscan Archipelago), with some new records for the Italian fauna. Naturalista Siciliano 43 (1): 101‑111.
  • Di Giovanni F, Scaramozzino PL, Diller E (2020) Description of the male of Misetus strumiai Di Giovanni, Scaramozzino & Diller, 2018 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Phaeogenini) from Italy. Zootaxa 4810 (1): 198‑200. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4810.1.13
  • Di Giovanni F, Dal Pos D, Khalaim AI (2025a) Updated list of Tersilochinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of Italy. Biodiversity Data Journal 13 (e139683): 1‑32. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e139683
  • Di Giovanni F, Schwarz M, Turrisi GF (2025b) Microleptinae, a new subfamily for the fauna of Italy (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Fragmenta entomologica 57 (1): 113‑116. https://doi.org/10.13133/2284-4880/1780
  • Diller E (1993) Die westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattung Stenodontus Berthoumieu, 1896 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Phaeogenini). Entomofauna 14 (17): 305‑312. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/publikation_articles.php?id=42602
  • Diller E, Horstmann K (1994) Typenrevision der von Victor Berthoumieu beschriebenen Phaeogenini (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae). Spixiana 17 (3): 247‑260. URL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28201533#page/265/mode/1up
  • Faggioli D (1933) Elenco degli Insetti più interessanti raccolti in Italia ed entrati a far parte delle collezioni del R. Istituto di Entomologia di Bologna. I. Bollettino dell'Istituto di Entomologia della Reale Università degli Studi di Bologna 6: 7‑24.
  • Folmer O, Black M, Hoeh W, Lutz R, Vrijenhoek R (1994) DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 3: 294‑299.
  • Generani M, Pagliano G, Scaramozzino PL, Strumia F (2000) Nuovi imenotteri dell'isola di Montecristo (Arcipelago Toscano) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae, Gasteruptiidae, Evaniidae, Ichneumonidae, Chrysididae, Tiphiidae, Scoliidae, Formicidae, Sphecidae, Apoidea). Frustula Entomologica 21 (34): 75‑83.
  • Grandi G (1959) Contributi alla conoscenza degli Imenotteri Aculeati. XXVIII. Bollettino dell'Istituto di Entomologia della Università degli Studi di Bologna 23: 239‑292.
  • Gravenhorst JLC (1829) Ichneumonologia Europaea. Pars II. Sumtibus auctoris, Vratislavae, 989 pp. URL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/43936#page/7/mode/1up
  • Gribodo G (1881) Escursione in Calabria. (1877-78). Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 13 (1): 43‑74. URL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10368966#page/53/mode/1up
  • Gupta S (1983) The ichneumonid parasites associated with the Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 19 (7): 1‑168.
  • Holmgren AE (1890) Ichneumonologia suecica. Tomus tertius. Ichneumonides pneustici. Norstedt & filii, Holmiae, 343-466 pp.
  • Horstmann K (2011) Verbreitung und Wirte der Dusona-Arten in der Westpaläarktis (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae. Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (2): 1295‑1330. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0043_2_1295-1330.pdf
  • Humala AE (2007) Subfamily Orthocentrinae (Microleptinae + Orthocentrinae sensu Townes). In: Leley AS (Ed.) Key to the insects of Russian Far East. Vol. IV. Neuropteroidea, Mecoptera, Hymenoptera. Pt 5. Dal'nauka, Vladivostok, 680–718 pp.
  • Izquierdo I (1982) Las especies canarias de Enicospilus Steph. (Hym., Ichneumonidae). EOS Revista Española de Entomologia 57: 117‑126.
  • Izquierdo I (1984) Especies paleárcticas de Enicospilus Steph., 1832 (Hym. Ichneumonidae Ophioninae) del Instituto Español de Entomologia. Boletín de la Asociación española de Entomología 8: 95‑100. URL: https://www.entomologica.es/publicaciones-boletin/art247
  • Johansson N (2021) Contribution to the subfamily Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Southern Europe with the description of one new genus and 15 new species. Zootaxa 5023 (3): 301‑334. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5023.3.1
  • Johansson N (2024) Review of the Swedish species of Lissonota Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Banchinae). Entomologisk Tidskrift Supplement (2024): 1‑349. URL: https://www.sef.nu/lissonota/
  • Johansson N, Astafurova Y (2025) Revision of the Swedish species of Exochus Gravenhorst, 1829 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae) with an illustrated key to the species of the Western Palaearctic. Entomologisk Tidskrift Supplement (2025): 1‑153. URL: https://www.sef.nu/revision-of-the-swedish-species-of-exochus/
  • Kasparyan DR (1990) Фауна СССР. Насекомые перепончатокрылые. Том III, выпуск 2. Ихневмониды. Подсемейство Tryphoninae: триба Exenterini. Подсемейство Adelognathinae. [Fauna of USSR. Insecta, Hymenoptera. Vol. III, N 2. Ichneumonidae. Subfamily Tryphoninae: Tribe Exenterini. Subfamily Adelognathinae]. 3. Nauka Publishing House, Leningrad, 341 pp.
  • Korenko S, Di Giovanni F (2019) Spider parasitoids of the tribe Ephialtini (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) in Italy and their host association. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 71 (4): 473‑486.
  • Kusigemati K (1974) A new species of the genus Misetus Wesmael from Japan (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Memoirs of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University 10: 57‑60.
  • Meier N, Gordon M, van Noort S, Reynolds T, Rindos M, Di Giovanni F, Broad G, Spasojevic T, Bennett A, Dal Pos D, Klopfstein S (2024) Species richness estimation of the Afrotropical Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). PLOS One 19 (7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307404
  • Minelli A, Ruffo S, La Posta S (1995) Checklist delle specie della fauna italiana. Fascicoli 1-110. Edizioni Calderini, Bologna.
  • Pagliano G, Scaramozzino PL (1995) Arthropoda di Lampedusa, Linosa e Pantelleria (Canale di Sicilia, Mar Mediterraneo). Hymenoptera Gasteruptionidae, Ichneumonidae e Aculeata (esclusi Chrysidoidea, Mutillidae e Formicidae). Naturalista Siciliano 19: 723‑738.
  • Pagliano G (2003) Ricerche imenotterologiche nelle isole di Lampedusa e Pantelleria. Naturalista Siciliano 27 (1-2): 115‑149.
  • Pagliano G (2009) Le collezioni del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino. Ichneumonidae della fauna d'Italia e citazioni nuove per il Piemonte (Hymenoptera). Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino 27 (1): 153‑240.
  • Paradis E, Schliep K (2018) ape 5.0: an environment for modern phylogenetics and evolutionary analyses in R. Bioinformatics 35 (3): 526‑528. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/bty633
  • Riedel M, Tomarchio S (2012) A contribution to the Ichneumoninae fauna of Sicily (Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae). Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 144 (3): 125‑135. https://doi.org/10.4081/BollettinoSEI.2012.125
  • Riedel M, Turrisi GF (2013) Contribution to the knowledge of Ichneumonidae from Sicily. II. Ichneumoninae (Hymenoptera). Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 145 (2): 59‑68. https://doi.org/10.4081/BollettinoSEI.2013.59
  • Riedel M (2017) Die westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattung Campoletis Förster. Spixiana 40 (1): 95‑137. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Spixiana_040_0095-0137.pdf
  • Riedel M (2023) The genus Exetastes Gravenhorst in the West Palaearctic region, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Banchinae). Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (2): 641‑692. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0055_2_0641-0692.pdf
  • Santos BF, Bordera S (2025) Phylogenomics and taxonomic revision of Stenarella Szépligeti (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 83: 463‑511. https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.83.e151385
  • Scaramozzino PL (1995) Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae. In: Minelli A, Ruffo S, La Posta S (Eds) Checklist delle specie della fauna italiana. 94. Edizioni Calderini, Bologna.
  • Schwarz M (1989) Revision der Gattung Enclisis Townes (Ichneumonidae, Hymenoptera). Linzer biologische Beiträge 21 (2): 497‑522. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0021_1_2_0497-0522.pdf
  • Schwarz M, Shaw MR (1998) Western Palaearctic Cryptinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in the National Museums of Scotland, with nomenclatural changes, taxonomic notes, rearing records and special reference to the British check list. Part 1. Tribe Cryptini. Entomologist's Gazette 49 (2): 101‑127.
  • Schwarz M (2007) Revision der westpaläarktischen Arten der Gattung Hoplocryptus Thomson (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (2): 1161‑1219. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0039_2_1161-1219.pdf
  • Schwenke W (1999) Revision der europäischen Mesochorinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonoidea, Ichneumonidae). Spixiana Supplement 26: 1‑124. URL: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29541279#page/385/mode/1up
  • Selfa J, Diller E (1995) Addition to the knowledge of the Palearctic species of Misetus Wesmael [1845] (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Phaeogenini). Linzer biologische Beiträge 27 (2): 795‑806. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/publikation_articles.php?id=827
  • Team RC (2025) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria https://doi.org/10.32614/r.manuals
  • Turrisi GF, Schönitzer K, Diller E (2007) Ichneumon flies from Sicily, with descriptions of new taxa (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae: Phaeogenini and Diplazontinae). Mitteilungen Muenchener Entomologischen Gesellschaft 97: 115‑126. URL: https://www.zobodat.at/publikation_articles.php?id=141409
  • Vidal S (1997) Determination list of entomophagous insects. Nr. 13. IOBC/WPRS Bulletin 20 (2): 1‑53. URL: https://www.openagrar.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/openagrar_derivate_00012588/1997_0040.pdf
  • Wesmael C (1845) Tentamen dispositionis methodicae Ichneumonum Belgii. Nouveaux mémoires de l'Académie royale des sciences et belles-lettres de Bruxelles 18: 1‑238. https://doi.org/10.3406/marb.1845.3439
  • Yu DS, van Achterberg C, Horstmann K (2016) Taxapad 2016, Ichneumonoidea 2015. Database on flashdrive. Nepean, Ontario, Canada.
  • Zangheri P (1969) Repertorio della flora e fauna della Romagna. Tomo IV. Regno Animale, da Coleoptera Phytophaga a Vertebrata e fossili Plantae-Animalia. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona. Memorie Fuori Serie 1: 1415‑1963. URL: https://www.pietrozangheri.it/pubblicazioni-zangheri/REP-IV.pdf
  • Zwakhals K, Turrisi GF (2014) Contribution to the knowledge of Ichneumonidae from Sicily. III. Pimplinae and Poemeniinae (Hymenoptera). Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 146 (1): 41‑46. https://doi.org/10.4081/bollettinosei.2014.41