Discovering a new bee species in Vu Quang National Park

Mr. Nguyen Danh Ky, Director of Vu Quang National Park (Ha Tinh province), said: After the study period, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), in collaboration with Vu Quang National Park, has announced the discovery of a new parasitic wasp species in Vu Quang National Park.

This is a new parasitic wasp species named Pasites vuquang Tran, Engel, and L.T.P. Nguyen, 2024, which belongs to the genus Pasites, tribe Ammobatini, family Apidae (honey bee family). This species is named after the place where it was discovered, Vu Quang National Park.

Pasites Jurine is one of the most widely distributed genera of the parasitic wasp tribe Ammobatini (sub-family Nomadinae). Pasites species appear from the Palearctic region to the Cape of Good Hope of South Africa, Madagascar, and North Asia to South Asia.

According to the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, the discovery of the Pasites vuquang species recorded the first appearance of the Ammobatini tribe and the Pasites genus in Vietnam. This shows that Vietnam's biodiversity potential has not yet been fully explored.