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Solenura ania (Walker, 1846)
| Family Name: | Pteromalidae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates |
| Common Name: | Long-tailed Parasitic Wasp |
Name
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | The two Singapore specimens were collected in open wasteland habitats, flying around foliage in daytime. |
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| Habitats | Urban |
| Distribution | This species is widely distributed throughout India and continental southeast Asia from the Himalayas as far south as Thailand. Singapore is a new locality. We are thus at the extreme edge of its known range. |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | The use of contact insecticides is always a threat to parasites and predators. They have to cover more ground than their prey and therefore pick up more insecticide. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | Presumably a parasite though of what insect appears to be unknown. This is included because it is so easily recognised that its distribution is relatively well known. Singapore is the most southerly record known. We are thus at the extreme edge of its known range. The conservation of organisms at the edge of their distribution is an interesting special case. Are they increasing their range or decreasing it? Is this the result of habitat changes directly wrought by Man, by long term changes in climate or does it follow from unrecorded changes in their host/s or perhaps of the plant which supports that host in its turn? Each organism is more than a genetic resource although in these days of biotechnology we may tend to focus on this aspect when talking of the importance of conserving biological diversity. It is also a source of information on the changing environment, new records to throw light on events that may yet prove significant to mankind. |
| Conservation Notes | This species highlights one of the problems with insect conservation as we know next to nothing about its biology. Devising an effective conservation strategy is thus a problem. |
Status
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Vulnerable (VU) [2008] |
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Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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