Sclerodermus domesticus

Species of wasp

Sclerodermus domesticus

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Class:  | Insecta
Order:  | Hymenoptera
Family:  | Bethylidae
Genus:  | Sclerodermus
Species:  |

S. domesticus

Binomial name
Sclerodermus domesticus

Latreille, 1809

Synonyms

* Scleroderma domesticus
* Scleroderma domesticum
* Scleroderma domestica

Sclerodermus domesticus, also known as Scleroderma domesticus, Scleroderma domesticum, Scleroderma domestica or "antiquarian's friend", is a species of cuckoo wasp in the insect genus Sclerodermus. It was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1809.[1]

## Description[edit]

Diagram of Sclerodermus domesticus

Sclerodermus domesticus preys on Coleoptera including Anobium punctatum, Stegobium paniceum, Lasioderma serricorne, Hylotrupes bajulus and Nicobium castaneum, or occasionally Lepidoptera.

Males have wings but lack a stinger. Females are 2–5 mm long; they have a stinger but lack wings. They are black/brown, and have the appearance of ants. Females enter woodworm holes, paralyze the woodworm larvae with the venom of the stinger and lay their eggs in the corpses, which form the food for the S. domesticus larvae. This behavior leads to the common name of "antiquarian's friend".

## Distribution and habitat[edit]

Sclerodermus domesticus

S. domesticus is a cosmopolitan species. It prefers mild weather. There are reports of the species in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, (Germany), United Kingdom, former Yugoslavia, Near East, United States and Costa Rica. It can be found inside homes, mostly in old furniture, harboring woodworms. Stings are painful and can cause rash or dermatitis.[2][3][4][5]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Pujade-Villar, J. & Viñolas, Amador & Muñoz-Batet, Josep & Brothers, Denis & Azevedo, Celso. (2021). Sclerodermus versus Scleroderma (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae). Butlletí de la Institució Catalana d’Història Natural 85(1): 37-40. doi:10.2436/20.1502.01.71
2. ^ http://www.raco.cat/index.php/SessioEnto/article/download/153651/205550&usg=AOvVaw34hrtFwUIwm-QpD5oN0x_k Archived 4 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine[full citation needed]
3. ^ "Sclerodermus domesticus infestation". biomedsearch.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
4. ^ Mohar, N.; Dujmović, R.; Uremović, V. (6 June 1985). "Season dermatitis ex insectis caused by stings of Sclerodermus domesticus". Dermatologica. 171 (6): 446–449. doi:10.1159/000249471. PMID 4092800.
5. ^ Jirón, Luis F.; Hanson, Paul; Zeledón, Rodrigo (2016). "Un brote de dermatitis producido por picaduras de Sclerodermus sp. (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) en Costa Rica, América Central" [An outbreak of dermatitis caused by Sclerodermus sp. (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) bites in Costa Rica, Central America]. Acta Médica Costarricense (in Spanish). 58 (3).

## Further reading[edit]

* Papini, Roberto (2014). "A case of stings in humans caused by Sclerodermus sp. in Italy". Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 20 (1): 11. doi:10.1186/1678-9199-20-11. PMC 3973378. PMID 24685279.

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q3952467
* BioLib: 71047
* BOLD: 930257
* EoL: 3766852
* EPPO: SCLMDO
* EUNIS: 77233
* Fauna Europaea: 67428
* Fauna Europaea (new): d7a42d76-2e69-4f27-a22a-83a0756cac5b
* GBIF: 4492738
* iNaturalist: 211605
* NCBI: 1903304

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