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Paul Williams @paulwilliamsnhm.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Some rare bumblebees (saltuarius, sushkini, tichenkoi) scattered across northern Eurasia appear from barcodes and morphology to be parts of just one poorly known species. Now this has a newly described sister species in the east Tibetan Plateau, B. hongyuanensis. www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Bumblebee species of the genus Bombus Latreille, 1802, subgenus Megabombus von Dalla Torre, 1880, are re-assessed world-wide with a species-coalescent analysis of COI barcodes. An integrative analysis of this evidence together with morphological characters shows (1) support for the widespread Eurasian species B. consobrinus Dahlbom, 1832 including as synonyms the taxa B. yezoensis Matsumura, 1932, syn.n. (from Japan) and B. przewalskiellus (Skorikov, 1933), syn.n. (from North China); (2) support for B. tichenkoi (Skorikov, 1926) s. l. as a widespread but under-recognised species in Asia that includes as synonyms the taxa B. saltuarius (Skorikov, 1931), syn.n. (from Russia), B. sushkini (Skorikov, 1931) syn.n. (from Central Asia and Mongolia), B. morawitzianus Pittioni, 1939, syn.n. (from Mongolia), B. pseudoligusticus Podbolotskaya, 1988, syn. n. (from Kamchatka), and B. kurilensis Sakagami, 1954 (from the Kuril Islands); and (3) support for B. hongyuanensis Williams, sp.n. as a previously unrecognised vicariant sister-species from the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

This is a Meteorus Braconidae, rather than a Mesochorus Ichneumonidae

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Rod Page @rdmpage.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Tool to display the use of a taxonomic name over time based on @biodivlibrary.bsky.social data is online at iphylo.org/bhl-name-tim..., the screenshot shows results for Physeter catodon versus Physeter macrocephalus (names for the sperm whale). This will be part of @tdwg.org workshop on BHL in Oslo.

Occurrences of scientific names across the Biodiversity Heritage Library, over time for Physeter catodon and Physeter macrocephalus

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Pemberley Natural History Books @pemberleybooks.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

August Book of the Month is here! 🐝 Discover the world of #DarwinWasps with this richly illustrated #PhotographicGuide covering every #British species of #Pimplini & #Theroniini. Get your copy here: tinyurl.com/darwinwasps #Entomology #Ichneumonidae #InsectID @royentsoc.bsky.social

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I was not certain. However Mark says 'cocoons are of a Microgastrinae (Braconidae). The black pupae within are Eulophidae hyperparasitoids (probably pseudohyperparasitoids, ie attacking the primary parasitoid after it has made cocoons). Maybe subfamily Eulophinae, other possibilities (Entedontinae)

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Received copies of my book today! Very grateful to the Publishers and Editors for all their efforts towards bringing it to life. I’m very pleased with the end result. #Ichneumonidae #Pimplini #Pimplinae

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Looks like the male of Ichneumon gracilicornis

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Blacus (Brachistinae) perhaps. Males of several species are known to form swarms. Clearly a Braconidae

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Heuvelrugtuinier @heuvelrugtuinier.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Een gewone sluipwesp (Eurylabus tristis) heeft zojuist een rups van een silene-uil geparasiteerd. Dat wil dus zeggen dat deze rups in ieder geval geen vlinder wordt. De rups doet blijkbaar nog een poging om zijn/haar onvrede te tonen..

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Paul Williams @paulwilliamsnhm.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Our evolutionary tree for all world bumblebees paper on the cover of Insects! One conclusion: males with enlarged eyes and short antennae are evolutionarily convergent which may be associated with truly territorial mate-searching behaviour (competing for perches) www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Male of Bombus (Mendacibombus) margreiteri mate-searching in a meadow in Qinghai, China - males compete for perches, for which there is turnover in occupany - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230668921_The_Bumble_Bees_of_the_Kashmir_Himalaya_Hymenoptera_Apidae_Bobini

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

It's a female of Amblyteles armatorius (ichneumonid)

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

The insertion of the metasoma into the propodeum is nearly above the hind coxae. Your're right with Macrocentrinae, but they are parasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae and looking more closely the ovipositors are too long for Helconinae. I lead myself to Helcon with the mention of Beetles

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

They're Braconids. Helcon sp (Helconinae)

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

That is about right for the ‘Tribe’. 25 females and 25 males of each species, each dealt with separately and some extralimital species (and subspecies) that I thought would be useful to include

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Pleased to have been told by the publishers this will be available for release from the 26th June (ebook 19th). Many thanks to the reviewers, editors and others who gave their time and expertise towards getting this finalised. I Hope readers find it useful. tinyurl.com/5br4skkv #Ichneumomonidae

tinyurl.com

The Darwin Wasps of the British Isles – Tribe Pimplini (family Ichneumonidae, subfamily Pimplinae) | CABI Books

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Details unclear, perhaps Liotryphon Certainly not R. persuasoria

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Steve Wells @lifeonaquarteracre.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

In the last week or so Western Giant Ichneumonid Wasps (Megarhyssa notrtoni) have oviposited on a dying spruce tree in our yard. Today a female horntail (Xeris indecisus) is ovipositing on the same tree, with a couple male horntails hanging around. The ichneumons parasitize the horntail larvae.

A female horntail with a long ovipositor is laying an egg in a dead of dying spruce tree. The head, thorax, and wings are black, and the abdomen is red.

A male horntail sits motionless on a dead spruce tree. It is mostly black (except for the abdomen, which is red) and about 20 mm long

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Yes, it should be. You can find a nice background summary of it here wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/8-1...

wellcomeopenresearch.org

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Its an ichneumonid in the subfamily Pimplinae. Cannot place the genus for certain without the specimen. Colour of the hind femur is interesting anyway. It may be feeding on a possible host. You might want to rear the remaining Coleophora and see what emerges

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Paul Williams @paulwilliamsnhm.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

New evolutionary tree for all of the world's bumblebee species, from (1) slow-evolving nuclear genes, (2) fast-evolving mitochondrial genes, and (3) results from genomic data, to provide a complete starting point for comparative studies of all bumblebees www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Evolutionary tree for all 289 extant accepted published bumblebee species from 93 million MCMC generations (post convergence) by BEAST 2 for two mitochondrial genes, four nuclear genes, and ge-nomic-supported group priors, with outgroups removed. Bayesian posterior support values for each node are shown with node and descendant branch colours indicating values from blue for high values to red for low values. Selected groups are indicated with larger spots: pale blue LT/LG for long-tongued Lowland Grassland species; pale green ST/MG for short-tongued Montane Grassland species; black spots for parasitic or ‘cuckoo’ species that lack workers, including the subgenus Psithyrus and B. inexspectatus, B. hyperboreus, B. natvigi. Subgenera are named in the outer grey ring. Taxon names not appearing in this figure are interpreted as synonyms (see text).

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David Notton @davidnotton.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

The ultimate honour 😄

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Nice views today during a stroll over some Shropshire Hills

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Its a male Pimpla spp (Pimplinae). Either P. flavicoxis or P. insignatoria

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

On this year's Earth Day let us marvel at one the more odd wasps that can be found in the High Weald. Mymaromma anomalum is in a genus of its own, and a family on its own. It has net-like wings that are on stalks, a two-part petiole, and bellows on its head. The natural world is truly wondrous.

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I think it's Thaumatogelis gallicus

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Its a female in the genus Ichneumon. You would need to look at a specimen up close to be certain, but perhaps I. suspiciosus. Certainly not Protichneumon or Amblyjoppa

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Entomologist's Monthly Magazine @entmonmag.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

In Issue 1 of the #EMM for 2026: new species, new host-plants, distributional records, and novel biological observations covering #Lepidoptera, #Hymenoptera, #Diptera, and #Coleoptera. Read more below 👇, or subscribe now for complete access: tinyurl.com/EMM-subscribe

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I think it is Wachsmannia spathiiformis

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Dolichomitus tuberculatus. An uncommon pimpline parasitoid of wood-boring Coleoptera. Species often identified by the arrangement of the ovipositor teeth, males by the form of their parameres.

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Dichrogaster aestivalis, a Phygadeuontine ichneumonid. Parasitoids of cocooned Neuroptera. #Ichneumonidae #parasitoid

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Yes, it looks good for A. praetor. The description, along with photos can be found in here- filming-varwild.com/articles/mar...

filming-varwild.com

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Brandon Claridge @ichsofna.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

New #IONA feature! The choropleths on the genus page now not only show diversity per state/province, but when you click on one, it will show you the list of recorded species. ichsofna.org/Ichneumonina... #wasps #JS #ichneumonidae #entomology #biodiversity #taxonomy

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

It is a Braconidae, looks like Aleiodes. No need to worry!, just take it through Gavins nocturnal species key first, see where u get, then there are Mark Shaws Aleiodes keys u can work through if needed

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Cumbria Wildlife Trust @cumbriawildlife.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

📢 Rare parasitic wasp found in #Carlisle 😮 Check out this ichneumon wasp that was found by one of our volunteers, Jane Orgee, in an oak tree at our Gosling Sike site. 👀 #Cumbria #LakeDistrict (1/3)

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Irish Naturalists Journal @injournal.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Volume 41 – Ciarán Byrne reports on Microterys seyon, a parasitoid wasp new to Ireland from Co. Carlow, and comments on the genus . For subscription details visit: irishnaturalistsjournal.org #IrishNaturalistsJournal #Zoology #Wasps

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Your right, it is Eutanyacra picta, not uncommon. There are quite a number of records on irecord. Not certain if NBN has the resources to keep up with the mapping of ichneumonid records

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Its a Ctenopelmatinae ichneumonid. I think its Protarchus testatorius or possbly P. melanurus, their parasitoids of Cimbicidae sawfly larvae, nice find!

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Axel Steiner - natur-in-nrw.de @natur-in-nrw.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Von #Diplazontinae, einer kleinen Unterfamilie der #Schlupfwespen ist bekannt, dass die ♂️mit ihren Antennen die der ♀️ so umschlingen, dass sich drüsige Sinnesfelder an den jeweiligen Antennen berühren. #artenvielfalt #natur #nature #insekten #Ichneumonidae #insects #Hautflügler #Hymenoptera

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Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

I think it might be an Adeliinae, Adelius sp, but best to take it through the Braconidae key, www.royensoc.co.uk/wp-content/u...

royensoc.co.uk

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