The Aphelinidae are a moderate-sized family of tiny
parasitic wasp
Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causi ...
s, with about 1100 described species in some 28 genera. These minute insects are challenging to study, as they deteriorate rapidly after death unless extreme care is taken (e.g., preservation in
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
), making identification of most museum specimens difficult. The
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
...
e of the majority are primary
parasitoids on
Hemiptera, though other hosts are attacked, and details of the life history can be variable (e.g., some attack eggs, some attack pupae, and others are
hyperparasite
A hyperparasite, also known as a metaparasite, is a parasite whose host, often an insect, is also a parasite, often specifically a parasitoid. Hyperparasites are found mainly among the wasp-waisted Apocrita within the Hymenoptera, and in two oth ...
s). Males and females may have different hosts and different life historie
They are found throughout the world in virtually all habitats, and are extremely important as
biological control
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also i ...
agents. The oldest fossils are known from the Eocene aged
Baltic Amber
The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than ...
.
They are difficult to separate from other
Chalcidoidea except by subtle features of the wing venation and other difficult characters, and the family appears to be
paraphyletic, so is likely to be split up in the future (e.g., the
Calesinae may become a separate family). The families
Azotidae
''Ablerus'' is a genus of chalcid wasps formerly belonging to the family Aphelinidae. The genus was created by the American entomologist Leland Ossian Howard in 1894 for the species named in that year by William Harris Ashmead as ''Centrodora c ...
and
Eriaporidae were recently elevated in rank from subfamilies of Aphelinidae.
[
]
Genera
*'' Allomymar''
*''Aphelinus
''Aphelinus'' is a genus of parasitoid wasps. Several of the species are important because they parasitize agricultural pests, such as the soybean aphid (''Aphis glycines'') or the Russian wheat aphid -''Diuraphis noxia
The Russian wheat aphi ...
''
*''Aphytis
Aphytis ( grc, Ἄφυτις), also Aphyte (Ἀφύτη) and Aphytus or Aphytos (Ἄφυτος), was an ancient Greek city in Pallene, the westernmost headland of Chalcidice. Around the middle of the 8th century BC colonists from Euboea arrived. ...
''
*'' Bardylis''
*'' Botryoideclava''
*'' Cales''
*'' Centrodora''
*'' Coccobius''
*'' Coccophagoides''
*'' Coccophagus''
*'' Dirphys''
*'' Encarsia''
*'' Eretmocerus''
*'' Eriaphytis''
*'' Eutrichosomella''
*'' Hirtaphelinus''
*'' Lounsburyia''
*'' Marietta''
*'' Marlattiella''
*'' Metanthemus''
*'' Oenrobia''
*'' Proaphelinoides''
*'' Prophyscus''
*'' Protaphelinus''
*'' Pteroptrix''
*'' Samariola''
*'' Timberlakiella''
*'' Verekia''
References
* Yasnosh, V. A., 1983. Review of the world genera of Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera). 1. key to the genera.''Entomological Review'' 62:145-159.
External links
Universal Chalcidoidea Database
Research on Aphelinidae
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
a citrus whitefly parasitoid, ''Encarsia lahorensis ''
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2035648
Biological pest control wasps
Apocrita families