''Dirrhope'' is the only extant

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Dirrhopinae of braconid

parasitoid 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 causin ...

s. ''Dirrope'' was included in the Microgastrinae until 1984. Specimens of this genus have been found fossilsed in amber dating from the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

period.

Description and distribution

''Dirrhope'' are rarely collected, very small wasps. They are similar to small microgastrines but the first metasomal segment is highly flattened with the spiracle on the median rather than lateral tergite. This genus may have a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

, but has so far been found in the

holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...

region, South-East Asia, South Africa, Australasia, and Central America.

Biology

Little has been observed of the biology of ''Dirrhope'' but due to their close relationship with the Microgastrinae they are likely koinobiont endoparasitoids and may carry polydnaviruses. One species of ''Dirrhope'' has been reared from '' Ectoedemia phleophaga'' ( Nepticulidae).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14511319 Braconidae genera