Parasitoids reared from a stick insect egg mass in Sarawak (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae and Torymidae), with a new species of Palpostilpnus and a new host association for Rhynchoticida

Researchers document new host associations for two egg parasitoid species, Palpostilpnus mulu (Ichneumonidae) and Rhynchoticida ovivora (Torymidae), both reared from a stick insect egg mass in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak. The study describes P. mulu as a new species and clarifies the host of R. ovivora for the first time in Borneo. The findings provide insights into the ecological relationships between Phasmatodea (stick insects) and their hymenopteran parasitoids, while also discussing phasmid egg morphology as an adaptation against parasitism. This report contributes to the understanding of rarely documented parasitoid-host dynamics in this UNESCO-listed tropical rainforest ecosystem.

Darling, D. C., Broad, G. R., & Büscher, T. H. (2026). Parasitoids reared from a stick insect egg mass in Sarawak (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae and Torymidae), with a new species of Palpostilpnus and a new host association for Rhynchoticida. Journal of Natural History, 60(29-32), 1613–1626. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2683085