Dusona

Cameron, 1901

Species Guides

Dusona is a large of in the Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae, with 442 described . It is the most species-rich genus in its subfamily and has a distribution. Members are morphologically distinctive within Campopleginae and primarily parasitize Lepidopteran larvae.

Dusona by (c) gailhampshire, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Dusona by (c) Steve Kerr, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Kerr. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Dusona: //duːˈsoʊ.nə//

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Identification

Distinguished from other Campopleginae by the combination of: elongated oval or slit-shaped propodeal ; strongly compressed metasoma; closed areolets; and petiolar that are obliterated or positioned very low anteriorly. Many reach unusually large body sizes compared to other campoplegines. Species-level identification requires detailed examination and reference to specialized keys.

Images

Appearance

Medium to large-bodied ichneumonid wasps, with some exceeding 20 mm. Diagnostic features include elongated, oval or slit-shaped propodeal ; strongly compressed metasoma; closed areolets in wing venation; and petiolar that are often obliterated or positioned very low anteriorly. and typically uniformly black; variable in coloration including black, red, brown, orange, and yellow, with first and outermost tergites most commonly black.

Distribution

. Documented from Sweden, Switzerland, Iran (Fars, Kerman, Mazandaran, Golestan, West Azerbaijan provinces), Denmark, Norway, and additional global localities. Western Palaearctic fauna particularly well-documented with 125 .

Seasonality

periods indicate both and patterns among ; specific timing varies by species and geography.

Host Associations

Lepidoptera - Main are larvae of Lepidopterans; host typically killed as , occasionally as pupa
Monoctenus juniperi - Only known non-lepidopteran ; reported for Dusona minor, a (Hymenoptera: )

Life Cycle

development; killed as in most , rarely as pupa. Voltinism varies: five species documented as , others as based on period data.

Ecological Role

of Lepidopteran larvae, contributing to of and . One documented exception parasitizes a species.

Similar Taxa

Other Campopleginae generaDusona distinguished by diagnostic combination of propodeal shape, metasomal compression, areolet structure, and petiolar position; many Dusona also notably larger-bodied

More Details

Species richness

With 442 described , Dusona is the most species-rich in Campopleginae and among the most diverse genera of Darwin wasps (Ichneumonidae).

Molecular identification challenges

has limitations for this : several morphologically distinct show barely discriminatory COI barcode sequences (p-distances < 2%) or paraphyly, indicating that barcodes alone are insufficient for species identification in Dusona.

Taxonomic accessibility

Recent photographic guides to diagnostic characters and detailed plates have been developed for Western Palaearctic species to facilitate identification by non-.