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Overview

Species in the genus Melittobia belong to the family Eulophidae of the Order Hymenoptera. They are tiny wasps about 1.5 mm long and they show a remarkable plasticity of behavior. Uninseminated females can survive and eventually produce progeny of both sexes even in the absence of preferred hosts. They exhibit arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, and are gregarously developing ectoparasitoids of a wide range of hosts (pupae and prepupae) in various insect orders including Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera. After mating, females produce a clutch of progeny in which about 95 % of the offspring are females. Melittobia displays pronounced sexual dimorphism with males being blind and flightless, very rapid life cycle (about 25 days). Males produce a pheromone that attracts females, and they have an elaborate courtship ritual. If males contact other males, they engage in ferocious battles. They are excellent organisms for laboratory experiments and are also valuable as classroom animals to aid in the study of genetics, ecology, biology and evolution.

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Life cycle

Click on image to enlarge
English Life Cycle of Melittobia digitata	Spanish Ciclo de Vida de Melittobia digitata

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Phylogeny

Taxonomic Category Scientific Name Common Name Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods Class Insecta Insects Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera Superfamily Chalcidoidea Parasitoid wasps Family Eulophidae Eulophids Genus Melittobia

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Geographic distribution

Described from North Carolina, U.S., it can be found also in Mexico and Canada. It is quite common in the southeastern U.S. where its natural hosts are mud daubers and potter wasps. It is commerciably available as a model insect used for teaching various concepts in different biological fields and many activities have been developed with them.

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References

• Dahms E. 1984. Revision of the genus Melittobia (Chalcidoidea; Eulophidae) with the description of seven new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 21(2): 271 - 336.
• Dahms E. 1984. A review of the biology of species in the genus Melittobia (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) with in terpretations and additions using observations on Melittobia australica. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 21(2): 337 - 360.
• González JM, Matthews RW. 2002. Life history development and sex ratio of Melittobia australica and M. digitata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on M. rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) and Trypoxylon politum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 35(1): 85 - 91.
• Matthews RW. 1997. Teaching ecological interactions with mud dauber nests. The American Biology Teacher 59(3): 152 - 158.
• Matthews RW, Flage LR, Matthews jr. 1997. Insects as teaching tools in primary and secondary education. Annual Review of Entomology 42: 269 - 289.
• Matthews RW, Koballa jr. TR, Flage LR, Pyle EJ. 1996. WOWBugs: New Life for Life Science. Riverview Press, Athens, GA. 318 pp.

• http://www.wowbugs.com
• González JM, Gaiani MA. 1990. Comentarios bionómicos sobre dos nidos de Euglossa cordata (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini). Boletín de Entomología Venezolana (N.S.) 5(18): 141 - 143.
  http://www.redpav-fpolar.info.ve/entomol/
• González JM, Matthews RW, Matthews JR. 1985. A sex pheromone in males of Melittobia australica and M. femorata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Florida Entomologist 68: 279 - 286.
  http://webluis.fcla.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/fclwlv3/wlv3/DBQB/DI369701228/DGref/SSKIPk%3dGonzalez/RO1/RP33/CM34/P15
• González JM, Matthews RW, Terán JB. 1996. Cortejo en las avispas parasitoides Melittobia acasta y Melittobia australica (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Revista de Biología Tropical 44: 687 - 692.
  http://www.ots.duke.edu/tropibiojnl/claris/44-2/!GONZA%7E1.HTM
• González JM, Terán JB. 1996. Parasitoides del género Melittobia Westwood (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) en Venezuela. Distribución y hospederos. Boletín de Entomología Venezolana (N.S.) 11: 139 - 147.
  http://www.redpav-fpolar.info.ve/entomol/
• Matthews RW. 1997b. Weird wonderful WOWBugs. Carolina Tips 60: 9 - 11.
  http://www.carolina.com/tips/97mar/0397a.asp

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Acknowledgements

My thanks to John Pickering and Denise Lim for help developing the Melittobia pages and Jonathan Dye for illustrations.

Discover Life | All Living Things | Insecta | Hymenoptera | Chalcidoidea | Eulophidae | Melittobia digitata