The Methocha (Hymenoptera: Thynnidae: Methochinae) of Hong Kong (China), a preliminary faunal list with descriptions of five new species and sexual associations rendered through molecular analysis

  • Christophe Barthélémy Sai Kung, Hong Kong https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8234-6237
  • Mamoru Terayama Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan
  • Emily Shui Kei Poon School of Biological Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Simon Yung Wa Sin School of Biological Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Keywords: Thynnoidea, morphometrics, Cicindelinae, DNA barcoding, phylogenetic

Abstract

Five new species of Methocha Latreille, 1804 are described from Hong Kong: two species based on females only, Methocha haaksek Barthélémy & Terayama sp. nov. and Methocha leleji Barthélémy & Terayama sp. nov.; two on males only, M. wilsoni Barthélémy & Terayama sp. nov. and M. zetetes Barthélémy & Terayama sp. nov.; and one with females and males associated through molecular analysis, M. hongkongensis Barthélémy & Terayama sp. nov. A key to species and a phylogenetic tree of Methocha occurring in the Hong Kong SAR are provided.

References

Acciavatti R.E. & Pearson D.L. 1989. The tiger beetle genus Cicindela (Coleoptera, Insecta) from the Indian Subcontinent. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 58 (4): 77–349. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.215810

Adlerz G. 1903. La proie de Methoca ichneumonides Latr. Arkiv för Zoologi 1: 255–258. [In French.] Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6622270 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Adlerz G. 1905. Methoca ichneumonides Latr., dess lefnadsatt och rutvecklingsstadier. Arkiv för Zoologi 3 (4): 1–48, 1 pl. [In Swedish.] Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6405840 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Agnoli G.L. 2020. Home of Methocha (Hymenoptera Thynnidae Methochinae). In: Chrysis.net website. Interim version 03. Available from https://www.chrysis.net/methocha/ [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Alcock J. 1981. Notes on the reproductive behavior of some Australian thynnine wasps (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 54 (4): 681–693.

Ashmead W.H. 1900. Classification of the fossorial, predaceous and parasitic wasps of the superfamily Vespoidea (paper No. 1). Canadian Entomologist 32 (5): 145–155. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent32145-5

Bouwman B.E. 1909. Über die Lebensweise von Methoca ichneumonides Latr. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 52: 284–294. [In German.] Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10861452 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Branstetter M.G., Danforth B.N., Pitts J.P., Faircloth B.C., Ward P.S., Buffington M.L., Gates M.W., Kula R.R. & Brady S.G. 2017. Phylogenomic insights into the evolution of stinging wasps and the origins of ants and bees. Current Biology 27 (7): 1019–1025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.03.027

Burdick D.J. & Wasbauer M.S. 1959. Biology of Methocha californica Westwood (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae). The Wasmann Journal of Biology 17(1): 75–88.

Burrell R.W. 1935. Notes on the habits of certain Australian Thynnidae. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 43 (1): 19–29. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50715393 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Champion H.G. & Champion R.J. 1914. Observations on the life-history of Methoca ichneumonoides, Latr. The Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine. Second Series 25: 266–270. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9264404 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Chevrolat L.A. 1845. Description de dix coléoptères de Chine, des environs de Macao, et provenant d’une acquisition faite chez M. Parsudaki, marchand naturaliste à Paris. Revue Zoologique par la Société cuvierienne 8: 95–99. [In French.] Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2327371 [accessed 26 Apr. 2025].

Elbrecht V. & Leese F. 2017. Validation and development of COI metabarcoding primers for freshwater macroinvertebrate bioassessment. Frontiers in Environmental Science 5: 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2017.00011

Given B.B. 1954. Evolutionary trends in the Thyninnae (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) with special reference to feeding habits of Australian species. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 105: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1954.tb00762.x

Grandi G. 1961. Studi di un Entomologo sugli Imenotteri superiori. Bollettino dell’Istituto di Entomologia della Università degli Studi di Bologna 25: 1–659. [In Italian.]

Hamann H.H.F. 1960. Stenomethoca subgen. nov., nigra sp. nov. (Hymenopt., Methocidae) von West-Borneo. Idea 13: 35–41.

Hanima R.K.P., Kumar G.P., Binoy C. & Sureshan P.M. 2021. A taxonomic study of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Methochinae) from India with description of three new species. Zootaxa 4999 (3): 258–272 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4999.3.5

Hanima R.K.P., Viswanath T.K. & Kumar P.G. 2022a. First report of Methocha ubiquita Krombein (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Methochinae) from India. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 8 (1): 9–14. https://doi.org/10.52547/jibs.8.1.9

Hanima R.K.P., Kumar P.G. & Hegde V.D. 2022b. New record of Methocha (Dryinopsis) taprobane Krombein, 1982 (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae, Methochinae) from India. Far Easteran Entomologist 450: 12–14. https://doi.org/10.25221/fee.450.3

Holt B.G., Lessard J.P., Borregaard M.K., Fritz S.A., Araújo M.B., Dimitrov D., Fabre P.H., Graham C.H., Gary R., Graves G.R., Jønsson K.A., Nogués-Bravo D., Wang Z., Whittaker R.J., Fjeldså J. & Rahbek C. 2013. An update of Wallace’s zoogeographic regions of the world. Science 339: 74–78. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1228282

Horn W. 1907. Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Cicindela. (Col.). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1: 20–25 [In German.] https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.48019070109

Iwata K. 1936. Biology of two Japanese species of Mathoca [sic.] with the description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Thynnidae). Kontyû 10: 57–89.

Krombein K.V. 1979. Studies in the Tiphiidae, XII. A new genus of Methochinae with notes on the subgenera of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera Aculeata). Proceeding of the Entomological Society of Washington 81 (3): 424–434. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25209275 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Krombein K.V. 1982. Biosystematic studies of Ceylonese wasps, IX: A monograph of the Tiphiidae (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 374: 1–121. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.374

Kumar S., Stecher G., Suleski M., Sanderford M., Sharma S. & Tamura K. 2024. MEGA12: Molecular Evolutionary Genetic Analysis version 12 for adaptive and green computing. Molecular Biology and Evolution 41: 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msae263

Latreille P.A. 1792. Description de deux nouvelles espèces des mutilles. In: Lamarck, Bruguière, Olivier, Haüy & Pelletier (eds) Journal d’Histoire naturelle 2: 98–101. [In French.] Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8427485 [accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Latreille P.A. 1804. Tableau méthodique des insectes. Nouveau Dictionnaire d’Histoire naturelle, Appliquée aux Arts, Principalement à l’Agriculture et à l’Économie rurale et domestique: par une Société de naturalistes et d’agriculteurs: avec des Figures Tirées des Trois Règnes de la Nature 24: 129–200. Déterville, Paris, France. [In French.]

Latreille P.A. 1805. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, des Crustacés et des Insectes. Vol.13. F. Dufart, Paris. [In French.] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.169285

Leach W.E. 1815. Entomology. In: Brewster D. (ed.) The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia Vol. 9: 57–172. Blackwood, Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.30911

Liao X.P., Guo Y., Chen B. & Li T.J. 2022. A new species of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Methochinae) from China, with a key to the Chinese species. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 92: 229–240. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.92.87032

Lin K.S. 1966. The Methochidae of Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Scolioidea). Quarterly Journal of the Taiwan Museum 19 (1–2): 181–202.

Linnaeus C. 1758. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, sinonymis, locis. Vol. 1. Laurentii Salvi, Stockholm. [In Latin.] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542

Narita K. & Mita T. 2018. Two new species of the genus Methocha from Laos (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae). ZooKeys 775: 59–68. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.775.24945

Narita K. & Mita T. 2021. A review of the subfamily Methochinae from Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) with description of a new species and redescription of the known species. Zootaxa 4964 (2): 303–329. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4964.2.4

Nei M. & Kumar S. 2000. Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195135848.001.0001

Peters R.S., Krogmann L., Mayer C., Donath A., Gunkel S., Meusemann K., Kozlov A., Podsiadlowski L., Petersen M., Lanfear R., Diez P.A., Heraty J., Kjer K.M., Klopfstein S., Meier R., Polidori C., Schmitt T., Liu S., Zhou X., ... & Niehuis O. 2017. Evolutionary history of the Hymenoptera. Current Biology 27: 1013–1018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.027

Pilgrim E.M., von Dohlen C.D. & Pitts J.P. 2008. Molecular phylogenetics of Vespoidea indicate paraphyly of the superfamily and novel relationships of its component families and subfamilies. Zoologica Scripta 41: 527–535. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00340.x

Schmidt-Goebel H.M. 1846. Faunula Coleopterorum Birmaniae, adjectis nonnullis Bengaliae indigenis. G. Haase Söhne, Prague. [In German.] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.146615

Shokralla G., Porter T.M., Gibson J.F., Dobosz R., Janzen D.H., Hallwachs W., Golding G.B. & Hajibabaei M. 2015. Massively parallel multiplex DNA sequencing for specimen identification using an Illumina MiSeq platform. Scientific Reports 5: 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep09687

Shuckard W.E. 1841. Chap. IV. The Hymenoptera [paragraphs 142–163]. In: Swainson W. & Shuckard W.E. (eds) On the History and Natural Arrangement of Insects: 150–190. Longman etc. & Taylor, London. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.32786

Smith F. 1869. XVIII. Descriptions of new genera and species of exotic Hymenoptera. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 17 (4): 301–302. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1869.tb01106.x

Stecher G., Tamura K. & Kumar S. 2020. Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) for macOS. Molecular Biology and Evolution 37: 1237–1239. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msz312

Strand E. 1913. H. Sauter’s Formosa-Ausbeute. Janus giganteus, eine neue Cephine (Hym.). Entomologische Mitteilungen 2: 209–215. [In German.] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.14993

Terayama M. 2019. A new species of the genus Methocha Latreille from Japan (Hymenoptera: Thynnidae). Biogeography 21: 60–62.

Terayama M. & Mita T. 2015. New species of the genera Methocha Latreille and Hylomesa Krombein of Japan (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae). Japanese Journal of Systematic Entomology 21 (2): 373–380.

Tsuneki K. 1986. A contribution to the knowledge of the Taiwanese Tiphiidae (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae). Special Publications of the Japan Hymenopterists Association 33: 1–88.

Vamos E.E., Elbrecht V. & Leese F. 2017. Short COI markers for freshwater macroinvertebrate metabarcoding. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 1: e14625. https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.1.14625

Vrijenhoek R. 1994. DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 3 (5): 294–299.

White A. 1844. Descriptions of some new species of Coleoptera and Homoptera from China. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History 14 (54): 422–426. https://doi.org/10.1080/037454809495213

Williams F.X. 1919. Descriptions of new species and life history studies. Report of Work of the Experiment Station of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association. Division of Entomology Bulletin 14: 32–79.

Yasumatsu K. 1931. On a new methocid, Mathoca [sic.] japonica n. sp. from Japan (Hymenoptera. Methocidae). Kontyû 5(1): 12–16.

Published
2026-03-06
How to Cite
Barthélémy, C., Terayama, M., Poon, E. S. K., & Sin, S. Y. W. (2026). The Methocha (Hymenoptera: Thynnidae: Methochinae) of Hong Kong (China), a preliminary faunal list with descriptions of five new species and sexual associations rendered through molecular analysis. European Journal of Taxonomy, 1043(1), 118–151. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1043.3213
Section
Research article