The Diapriidae are a family of

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

wasps A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. T ...

. These tiny

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s have an average length of 2–4 mm and never exceed 8 mm. They typically attack

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. The ...

e and

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

e of a wide range of insects, especially

flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

. The about 2,300 described species in around 200 described genera are divided into three subfamilies, and the group has a global distribution. Diapriids show considerable diversity of form, with aptery (lack of wings) fairly common, sometimes in both sexes. Nearly all species exhibit noticeable

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

, with males and females often mistaken for separate species. The wings, when present, show characteristically reduced venation, with the greatest reduction in the subfamilies

Ambositrinae Ambositrinae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps, within Diapriidae. The subfamily was first described by Canadian entomologist Lubomir Masner in 1961. Most species have a Gondwanan distribution, being found in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand a ...

and

Diapriinae Diapriinae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps. Taxonomy Diapriinae contains three tribes: Diapriini, Psilini and Spilomicrini. The subfamily also contains the following genera: * '' Aneurhynchus'' * '' Antarctopria'' * '' Antropria'' * '' ...

Selected genera

*'' Acanopsilus'' *'' Acanosema'' *''

Acanthopsilus ''Acanthopsilus'' is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Diapriidae The Diapriidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. These tiny insects have an average length of 2–4 mm and never exceed 8 mm. They typically attack larvae and pu ...

'' *'' Aclista'' *'' Acropiesta'' *'' Anaclista'' *'' Aneurhynchus'' *'' Aneuropria'' *'' Anommatium'' *'' Antropria'' *'' Aprestes'' *'' Atomopria'' *'' Aulacopria'' *'' Auxopaedeutes'' *'' Basalys'' *''

Belyta ''Belyta'' is a genus of diapriid wasps. See also * List of diapriid genera References * Macek, J. 1996: Revision of the European species of Belyta Jurine. Sbornik Narodniho Muzea v Praze Rada B Prirodni Vedy, 51(1-4): 1–22. Hym ...

'' *'' Bruesopria'' *'' Cardiopsilus'' *'' Cerapsilon'' *'' Cinetus'' *''

Coptera ''Coptera'' is a genus of wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, ...

'' *'' Cordylocras'' *'' Cyathopria'' *'' Diapria'' *'' Diphora'' *'' Doliopria'' *'' Ecitovagus'' *'' Entomacis'' *'' Erasikea'' *'' Eumiota'' *'' Eunuchopria'' *'' Geodiapria'' *''

Gwaihiria ''Gwaihiria'' is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Diapriidae The Diapriidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. These tiny insects have an average length of 2–4 mm and never exceed 8 mm. They typically attack larvae and pupae ...

'' *†'' Iberopria'' *'' Idiotypa'' *'' Labidopria'' *'' Labolips'' *'' Lepidopria'' *'' Lyteba'' *'' Macrohynnis'' *''

Maoripria ''Maoripria'' is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Diapriidae. All four species are endemic to New Zealand, and were described in a paper by Australian entomologist Ian D. Naumann in 1988. Species Species within the genus ''Maoripria'' i ...

'' *'' Miota'' *'' Monelata'' *'' Myrmecopria'' *'' Neurogalesus'' *'' Opazon'' *'' Oxylabis'' *'' Oxypria'' *'' Pamis'' *'' Panbelista'' *'' Pantoclis'' *'' Pantolyta'' *'' Paramesius'' *'' Paroxylabis'' *'' Pentapria'' *'' Plagiopria'' *'' Platymischus'' *'' Polypeza'' *'' Praeaclista'' *'' Propsilomma'' *'' Psilomma'' *'' Psilommacra'' *'' Psilus'' *'' Rhynchopsilus'' *'' Scorpioteleia'' *'' Solenopsia'' *'' Spilomicrus'' *'' Symphytopria'' *'' Synacra'' *'' Synbelyta'' *'' Tetramopria'' *'' Townesella'' *'' Trichopria'' *'' Valia'' *'' Viennopria'' *†'' Xenomorphia'' *'' Zygota''

References

Diapriidae page on TolwebThe DiapriidaeFamily Diapriidae images at EOLFlickr
Tagged Images Parasitica Apocrita families {{Apocrita-stub