The Doryctinae or doryctine wasps are a large subfamily of

braconid The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

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 (Braconidae). Numerous genera and

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

formerly unknown to science are being described every year. This subfamily is presumably part of a clade containing otherwise any or all of the

Alysiinae The Alysiinae are a subfamily of braconid parasitoid wasps with over 1000 described species. Several species have been used in biocontrol programs. They are closely related to the Opiinae. Description and distribution Alysiinae are small wa ...

, Braconinae, Gnamptodontinae, Opiinae and Ypsistocerinae, and might be most closely related to the last one of these. Whether the Rogadinae are also part of this group is not known.

Description and distribution

Doryctine wasps are found across almost the entire size range of Braconidae, from 1 to 25 mm. In the small species the head tends to be relatively large and the body, while slender, remarkably elongated. Doryctines tend to be small-winged, with many having very much reduced wings. Numerous species in this family are unable to fly or even lack wings entirely. They have a characteristic row of stout spines running lengthwise along the foreleg

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

, and a cyclostome depression above the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

s.Stevens ''et al.'' (2008) Doryctinae have a worldwide distribution (except the polar regions).

Biology

Some Doryctinae are known to form galls on plants similar to the Mesostoinae (a small subfamily

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to Australia). Some species in the genus '' Allorhogas'' feed on seeds. The large majority of doryctines are idobiont ectoparasitoids of the larvae of wood-boring

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s – such as

jewel beetle Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some ...

s (Buprestidae). Some species parasitize lepidopteran or symphytan larvae. The host is paralyzed by venom injected through the female's ovipositor before an egg is laid. The spines present on the foreleg of the adult enable it to escape from the narrow wooden tunnels of the hosts.

Biological control

Doryctines have been used to control pests in Europe, Australia, and North America. Several doryctine wasps are of economic importance as

biocontrol 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 in ...

agents in Australia against

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...

pests. The species ''

Spathius agrili ''Spathius agrili'' is a parasitic non-stinging wasp of family Braconidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer (''Agrilus planipennis'' Fairmaire), an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ...

'' has been introduced to the United States from China in an effort to control the

Emerald ash borer The emerald ash borer (''Agrilus planipennis''), also known by the acronym EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed undern ...

Selected genera

Genera placed in the Doryctinae include: * '' Acanthodoryctes'' Turner, 1918 * '' Achterbergia'' Marsh, 1993 * '' Afrospathius'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Aivalykus'' Nixon, 1938 * '' Allorhogas'' Gahan, 1912 * '' Amazondoryctes'' Barbalho & Penteado-Dias, 1999 * '' Antidoryctes'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Aptenobracon'' Marsh, 1965 * '' Arhaconotus'' Belokobylskij, 2001 * '' Asiaheterospilus'' Belokobylskij & Konishi, 2001 * '' Asiaontsira'' Belokobylskij, Tang, & Chen, 2013 * '' Australospathius'' Belokobylskij, Iqbal & Austin, 2004 * '' Barbalhoa'' Marsh, 2002 * '' Binarea'' Brullé, 1846 * '' Bolivar'' Zaldívar-Riverón & Rodríguez-Jiménez, 2013 * '' Bracodoryctes'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Caenopachyella'' Szépligeti, 1908 * '' Caenopachys'' Foerster, 1862 * '' Caenophanes'' Foerster, 1862 * '' Chelonodoryctes'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Cryptodoryctes'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Cyphodoryctes'' Marsh, 1993 * '' Dendrosoter'' Wesmael, 1838 * '' Dendrosotinus'' Telenga, 1941 * '' Doryctes'' Haliday, 1836 * '' Doryctinus'' Roman, 1910 (synonym: Acrophasmus) * '' Doryctopambolus'' Nunes, et al., 2012 * '' Doryctophasmus'' Enderlein, 1912 * '' Doryctopsis'' Belokobylskij, Iqbal & Austin, 2004 * '' Ecphylopsis'' Ashmead, 1900 * '' Ecphylus'' Foerster, 1862 * '' Euhecabolodes'' Tobias, 1962 * '' Euscelinus'' Westwood, 1882 * '' Evaniodes'' Szépligeti, 1901 * '' Gildoria'' Hedqvist, 1974 * '' Glyptocolastes'' Ashmead, 1900 * '' Hecabolus'' Curtis, 1834 * '' Halycaea'' Cameron, 1903 * '' Heerz'' Marsh, 1993 * '' Hemidoryctes'' Belokobylskij, 1993 (= ''Atopodoryctes'') * '' Hemispathius'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Heterospilus'' Haliday, 1836 * '' Hypodoryctes'' Kokujev, 1900 * '' Iare'' Barbalho & Penteado-Dias, 2000 * '' Ipodoryctes'' Granger, 1949 * '' Ivondrovia'' Shenefelt & Marsh, 1976 * '' Jarra'' Marsh & Austin, 1994 * '' Johnsonius'' Marsh, 1993 * '' Kauriphanes'' Belokobylskij, Ceccarelli, Zaldívar-Riverón, 2012 * '' Leluthia'' Cameron, 1887 * '' Leptospathius'' Szépligeti, 1902 * '' Lianus'' Gomes & Penteado-Dias, 2006 * '' Liobracon'' Szépligeti, 1901 * '' Liodoryctes'' Szépligeti, 1906 * '' Lissopsius'' Marsh, 2002 * '' Megaloproctus'' Schulz, 1906 * '' Metaspathius'' Brues, 1922 * '' Mexiare'' Belokobylskij, Samaca-Sáenz, & Zaldívar-Riverón, 2015 * '' Mimodoryctes'' Zaldívar-Riverón & Rodríguez-Jiménez, 2013 * '' Monarea'' Szépligeti, 1904 * '' Monolexis'' Foerster, 1862 * '' Mononeuron'' Fischer, 1981 * '' Neoheterospilus'' Belokobylskij, 2006 * '' Neurocrassis'' Šnoflák, 1945 * '' Nipponecphylus'' Belokobylskij, 2001 * '' Ontsira'' Cameron, 1900 * '' Oroceguera'' Seltmann & Sharkey, 2007 * '' Pambolidea'' Ashmead, 1900 * '' Parallorhogas'' Marsh, 1993 * '' Paraspathius'' Viereck, 1911 * '' Percnobracon'' Kieffer & Jörgensen, 1910 * '' Platyspathius'' Viereck, 1911 * '' Polystenus'' Foerster, 1862 * '' Psenobolus'' Reinhard, 1885 * '' Pseudorhaconotus'' van Achterberg, 2009 * '' Pseudosyngaster'' Belokobylskij, Iqbal & Austin, 2004 * '' Rasnitsynoryctes'' Belokobylskij, 2011 * '' Rhaconotus'' Ruthe, 1854 * '' Rhoptrocentrus'' Marshall, 1897 * '' Ryukyuspathius'' Belokobylskij, 2008 * '' Schlettereriella'' Szépligeti, 1904 * '' Sergey'' Martinez, Lazaro, Pedraza-Lara, & Zaldivar-Riveron, 2016 * '' Sonanus'' Belokobylskij & Konishi, 2001 * '' Spathiomorpha'' Tobias, 1976 * '' Spathiostenus'' Belokobylskij, 1993 * ''

Spathius ''Spathius'' is a genus of doryctine wasps. The larvae of this genus of wasps feed on beetle larvae. They act as controllers of the parasitic ''Hylurgopinus rufipes ''Hylurgopinus rufipes'', known as the native elm bark beetle, is a species o ...

'' Nees, 1818 * '' Stenocorse'' Marsh, 1968 * '' Stephanospathius'' Belokobylskij, 1992 * '' Syngaster'' Brullé, 1846 * '' Synspilus'' Belokobylskij & Quicke, 2000 * '' Tripteria'' Enderlein, 1912 * '' Tuberatra'' Gadelha, Nunes, & de Oliveira, 2016 * '' Venifurca'' Gadelha, Nunes, Zaldivar-Riveron, & de Oliveira, 2016 * '' Wachsmannia'' Szépligeti, 1900 * '' Whitfieldiellus'' Marsh, 1997 * '' Zombrus'' Marshall, 1897

References

External links

Photos on BugGuide

DNA barcodes on BOLD Systems
{{Taxonbar, from=Q602043 Braconidae Apocrita subfamilies