485
Serphitoidea (
†
Serphitidae), Chalcidoidea (Eulophidae, Eupelmidae, Mymaridae,
Rotoitidae, Tetracampidae, Torymidae, Trichogrammatidae), Ichneumonoidea
(Braconidae, Ichneumonidae) and the aculeate Chrysidoidea (Bethylidae,
Chrysididae, Dryinidae, Scolebythidae) and Apoidea (Sphecidae) (Carpenter et al.
1937; Evans 1969; Yoshimoto 1975; Poinar Jr and Huber 2011; Perrichot et al.
2011; McKellar and Engel 2011a, b, 2012, 2014; McKellar et al. 2013; Engel et al.
2013c; Skidmore 2018) (Table 11.1). Parasitoid Hymenoptera consists of 27 families and 112 described species in Canadian Amber, representing somewhat fewer
families but a greater number of species than that of Myanmar Amber. The parasitoid wasp fauna from Canadian Amber houses very few extinct lineages and the first
documented occurrences of some modern parasitoid lineages, reflecting a relatively
flat level of diversity during the middle of Phase 3, after the MMPR (Fig. 11.19), but
with evident taxonomic turnover.
The third deposit toward the end of Phase 3 is Messel, in Hesse, western Germany,
and consists of a maar lake resulting from a deep, explosive eruption of rhyolitic
magma that formed a deep depression subsequently infilled by sediment (Lorenz
and Kurzlaukis 2007). The resulting small lake trapped microorganisms, plants,
insects and vertebrates that were excellently preserved (Dunne et al. 2014). The
sediments consist of an oil shale that contain fossils entombing a wealth of micromorphological detail, including leaf cuticle, differential hues representing original
color patterns, insect setae and other delicate features (Felder and Harms 2004). The
Messel Biota was ecologically characterized in a food-web study, consisting of
approximately 700 biological species or trophic groups, and the resulting, highly
resolved food web (Fig. 11.22) was constructed for the full ecosystem and the separate lake and terrestrial sub-ecosystems (Wedmann 2005; Dunne et al. 2014). The
parasitoid community of the Messel Biota is well established (Dunne et al. 2014;
Labandeira and Dunne 2014) from both the primary literature and its ecological
context in the associated DRYAD data (Labandeira and Dunne 2014). A single parasitoid species represents Hemerobioformia (Mantispidae), and coleopteran parasitoids consisted of Caraboidea (Carabidae), Staphylinoidea (Staphylinidae), and
Scarabaeoidea (Scarabaeidae). The sole Strepsiptera parasitoid is Neostrepsiptera
(Myrmecolacidae). The Diptera parasitoids were Culicomorpha (Chironomidae),
Bibionomorpha (Cecidomyiidae), Nemestrinimorpha (Nemestrinidae) and
Muscomorpha–Asiloidea (Asilidae). The Hymenoptera provided the overwhelming
bulk of parasitoid taxa, consisting of Proctotrupoidea (family indeterminate),
Chalcidoidea (Chalcididae, Eucharitidae, Eulophidae, Torymidae), Ichneumonoidea
(Braconidae, Ichneumonidae), the aculeate Vespoidea (Pompilidae, Scoliidae,
Tiphiidae), and Apoidea (Sphecidae) (Dunne et al. 2014). The hymenopteran parasitoids of the Messel Biota consisted of 11 families and 12 species. For such a
diverse ecosystem, this is a modest account of parasitoidism for the Messel Biota
towards the end of Phase 3 (Fig. 11.19). Nevertheless, in the food web analysis
11 The History of Insect Parasitism and the Mid-Mesozoic Parasitoid Revolution
Serphitoidea (
†
Serphitidae), Chalcidoidea (Eulophidae, Eupelmidae, Mymaridae,
Rotoitidae, Tetracampidae, Torymidae, Trichogrammatidae), Ichneumonoidea
(Braconidae, Ichneumonidae) and the aculeate Chrysidoidea (Bethylidae,
Chrysididae, Dryinidae, Scolebythidae) and Apoidea (Sphecidae) (Carpenter et al.
1937; Evans 1969; Yoshimoto 1975; Poinar Jr and Huber 2011; Perrichot et al.
2011; McKellar and Engel 2011a, b, 2012, 2014; McKellar et al. 2013; Engel et al.
2013c; Skidmore 2018) (Table 11.1). Parasitoid Hymenoptera consists of 27 families and 112 described species in Canadian Amber, representing somewhat fewer
families but a greater number of species than that of Myanmar Amber. The parasitoid wasp fauna from Canadian Amber houses very few extinct lineages and the first
documented occurrences of some modern parasitoid lineages, reflecting a relatively
flat level of diversity during the middle of Phase 3, after the MMPR (Fig. 11.19), but
with evident taxonomic turnover.
The third deposit toward the end of Phase 3 is Messel, in Hesse, western Germany,
and consists of a maar lake resulting from a deep, explosive eruption of rhyolitic
magma that formed a deep depression subsequently infilled by sediment (Lorenz
and Kurzlaukis 2007). The resulting small lake trapped microorganisms, plants,
insects and vertebrates that were excellently preserved (Dunne et al. 2014). The
sediments consist of an oil shale that contain fossils entombing a wealth of micromorphological detail, including leaf cuticle, differential hues representing original
color patterns, insect setae and other delicate features (Felder and Harms 2004). The
Messel Biota was ecologically characterized in a food-web study, consisting of
approximately 700 biological species or trophic groups, and the resulting, highly
resolved food web (Fig. 11.22) was constructed for the full ecosystem and the separate lake and terrestrial sub-ecosystems (Wedmann 2005; Dunne et al. 2014). The
parasitoid community of the Messel Biota is well established (Dunne et al. 2014;
Labandeira and Dunne 2014) from both the primary literature and its ecological
context in the associated DRYAD data (Labandeira and Dunne 2014). A single parasitoid species represents Hemerobioformia (Mantispidae), and coleopteran parasitoids consisted of Caraboidea (Carabidae), Staphylinoidea (Staphylinidae), and
Scarabaeoidea (Scarabaeidae). The sole Strepsiptera parasitoid is Neostrepsiptera
(Myrmecolacidae). The Diptera parasitoids were Culicomorpha (Chironomidae),
Bibionomorpha (Cecidomyiidae), Nemestrinimorpha (Nemestrinidae) and
Muscomorpha–Asiloidea (Asilidae). The Hymenoptera provided the overwhelming
bulk of parasitoid taxa, consisting of Proctotrupoidea (family indeterminate),
Chalcidoidea (Chalcididae, Eucharitidae, Eulophidae, Torymidae), Ichneumonoidea
(Braconidae, Ichneumonidae), the aculeate Vespoidea (Pompilidae, Scoliidae,
Tiphiidae), and Apoidea (Sphecidae) (Dunne et al. 2014). The hymenopteran parasitoids of the Messel Biota consisted of 11 families and 12 species. For such a
diverse ecosystem, this is a modest account of parasitoidism for the Messel Biota
towards the end of Phase 3 (Fig. 11.19). Nevertheless, in the food web analysis
11 The History of Insect Parasitism and the Mid-Mesozoic Parasitoid Revolution