Ichneumon Wasps of the genus Campoplex
are parasitiods of Beetles and Moths (i.e. their larvae live inside Beetles and
Moths, eating their living host as they mature) found predominantly in Europe
and Western Asia, with species also recorded from East and Southeast Asia,
North America and Africa. Eleven species have previously been recorded from
China.
In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 18 December 2014, Yu-Xiang
Zhao of the The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation at Beijing Forestry University and the General Station of Forest Pest Management of the
State Forestry Administration and Mao-Ling Sheng also of the General Station of
Forest Pest Management of the State Forestry Administration, describe a new
species of Campoplex from Qinghai
Province in China.
The new species is named Campoplex bazariae,
in reference to its host species the Moth Bazaria turensis.
Females of the Wasp are 7.5-8.0 mm in length, males 8.0-8.2 mm. Both are
predominantly black with some brown areas.
Female Campoplex bazariae inlateral
view. Zhao & Sheng (2014).
The species was discovered while investigating an outbreak of Bazaria turensis (a form of Snout Moth) in a forest in
Qinghai. The Wasps emerged from the cocoons of the Moths, both within clusters
of leaves in the tree canopy and buried in soil on the forest floor.
See also…
Two new species of Ichneumon Wasps from Fennoscandia and Hungary. Ichneumon Wasps are parasitoids whose larvae develop on or in the
bodies of other Arthropods, typically Insects or Spiders. Since Insect species
are always described from adult specimens, species of parasitoid Wasps are
generally named from specimens taken from the wild as adults, and the larval
host of often unknown. However some scientists have developed an alternative
method...
Two new species of Ichneumon Wasps from Africa. Ichneumon Wasps are large parasitoid Wasps (the largest species can
exceed 5 cm) closely related to Braconids. They are noted for their
reproductive behaviour, in which the females sting another Insect or... 
Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.
