Meteorinae is a

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 ...

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 ...

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. Several species have been used in

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 invo ...

programs. The name for this group comes from the pupal stage, which, in species attacking

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

n hosts, hangs suspended from a long thread of silk.

Description and distribution

Meteorines are characterized by an open 1st subdiscal cell and a four-sided 2nd subdiscal cell of the forewings. They have a distinctive petiolate waist. They are found worldwide, in habitats where their hosts can be found.

Biology

Meteorines are

koinobiont In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasitis ...

endoparasitiods of

Coleoptera 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 ...

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. Some species are known to have broad host ranges, meaning they can attack many species of hosts. Most are solitary, laying a single egg per host, but some are gregarious and many larvae develop within a single host. Many species are nocturnal as adults.

Genera

Two genera are found in North America, '' Meteorus'' and ''

Zele Zele () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders, around 20 km east of Ghent. The municipality only comprises the town of Zele proper. In 2021, Zele had a total population of 21,333. The total area is 33.06 km2 ...

''. Recent evidence suggests that ''Meteorus'' may be

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

with respect to ''Zele'', but synonymyzing the two genera could potentially cause great confusion in the scientific literature.

Use in biological control

Many hosts of Meteorines are considered pests, especially of forests, making them good candidates for biocontrol projects. ''Meteorus pulchricornus'' has been imported to North America on multiple occasions to attempt to control the gypsy moth. ''M. vesicolor'' was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s for the control of the

brown-tail moth The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several year ...

. ''M. trachynotus'' was investigated for control of

spruce budworm ''Choristoneura'' is a genus of moths in the family Tortricidae. Several species are serious pests of conifers, such as spruce and are known as spruce budworms. Species *''Choristoneura adumbratanus'' (Walsingham, 1900) *'' Choristoneura afric ...

as was ''M. hypophloei'' for controlling

bark beetle A bark beetle is the common name for the subfamily of beetles Scolytinae. Previously, this was considered a distinct family (Scolytidae), but is now understood to be a specialized clade of the "true weevil" family (Curculionidae). Although the ...

s.DeLeon, D. 1933. Notes on the biology of Meteorus hypophloei Cushman. Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 28: 32-37. Other species have been used in control of

cutworm Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it ...

s, avocado looper, and swallowtail pests on

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

crops.

References

External links

Photos on BugGuide

DNA barcodes at BOLD systems
Braconidae {{Ichneumonoidea-stub