Astata
Encyclopedia
Astata is a genus
of wasp
s in the subfamily Astatinae
. This particular wasp is known to prey on Pentatomidae
. Like other astatine wasps, Astata is a cosmopolitan
group of solitary wasp
s. Astata is the largest genus in this subfamily, and is identified by the males having very large compound eyes that broadly meet at the top of the head.
There are 14 species of Astata, including:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s in the subfamily Astatinae
Astatinae
Astatine wasps are a cosmopolitan group of solitary wasps. The largest genus in this subfamily is Astata, peculiar for their males having very large compound eyes that broadly meet at the top of the head....
. This particular wasp is known to prey on Pentatomidae
Pentatomidae
Pentatomidae, Greek pente meaning five and tomos meaning section, is a family of insects belonging to order hemiptera that includes some of the stink bugs and shield bugs. Their antennae are 5-segmented, which gives the family its scientific name. Their bodies are usually shield-shaped...
. Like other astatine wasps, Astata is a cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
group of solitary wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s. Astata is the largest genus in this subfamily, and is identified by the males having very large compound eyes that broadly meet at the top of the head.
There are 14 species of Astata, including:
- Astata affinis
- Astata apostata Mercet, 1910
- Astata bicolor
- Astata boops (Schrank, 1781)
- Astata brevitarsus Puławski, 1958
- Astata costae A. Costa, 1867
- Astata diversipes Puławski, 1955
- Astata gallica de Beaumont, 1942
- Astata graeca de Beaumont, 1965
- Astata leuthstromi
- Astata minor Kohl, 1885
- Astata occidentalis
- Astata quettae Nurse, 1903
- Astata rufipes Mocsáry, 1883
- Astata unicolor