Oxyrrhexis

Förster, 1869

Oxyrrhexis is a of ichneumon in the Pimplinae, tribe Ephialtini, belonging to the Polysphincta genus-group. The genus comprises four described worldwide. All species are specialized in attacking , primarily of the Theridiidae, though one record documents of a titanoecid spider. The genus was first recorded from Egypt in 2017.

Oxyrrhexis by (c) Tyler Bishop, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tyler Bishop. Used under a CC-BY license.

Bulletin - United States National Museum (1960) (19886751864) by United States National Museum;
Smithsonian Institution;

United States. Dept. of the Interior. Used under a No restrictions license.

Oxyrrhexis.carbonator.-.lindsey by James K. Lindsey. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Oxyrrhexis: //ˌɒksɪˈrɛksɪs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Members of Oxyrrhexis can be distinguished from other Polysphincta -group genera by morphological characters associated with the Pimplinae and Ephialtini tribe. Specific diagnostic features for the genus are not detailed in available sources. -level identification requires examination of morphological characters described in original species descriptions.

Images

Habitat

Ground-living environments, based on the Enoplognatha serratosignata being ground-living. associations likely follow those of their theridiid spider hosts.

Distribution

West Palaearctic (two ); Norway ( locality for O. zephyrus); Alaska (O. carbonator texana); Finland, Sweden, Norway (O. carbonator nominate subspecies); Egypt (first record for , O. carbonator). GBIF records indicate presence in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Host Associations

Enoplognatha serratosignata - Theridiidae; confirmed of O. zephyrus in Norway
Steatoda bipunctata - Theridiidae; confirmed of O. carbonator in northern Europe based on extensive reared material from Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Nurscia albomaculata - Titanoecidae; first record for Polysphincta -group, documented from Egypt

Life Cycle

development on . The develops externally on the living host, which continues to feed and grow until the parasitoid completes development. are formed after the host is consumed.

Behavior

Specialized attacking . Exhibits lifestyle, allowing the to remain active during parasitoid development.

Ecological Role

regulating of theridiid . Functions as a natural agent of spider populations in ground-living and associated .

Similar Taxa

Other Polysphincta genus-group generaShares lifestyle on ; distinguished by morphological characters of the Pimplinae and Ephialtini tribe

Misconceptions

Earlier literature records of Oxyrrhexis carbonator parasitizing other than Theridiidae and non-spider are considered erroneous based on extensive reared material from northern Europe.

More Details

Taxonomic placement

Belongs to the Polysphincta -group within the Pimplinae, tribe Ephialtini

Host specificity

Strongly specialized on Theridiidae , with one documented exception (Titanoecidae). The Egyptian record of O. carbonator from Nurscia albomaculata represents an unexpected and the first such record for the entire Polysphincta -group