The Opiinae are a subfamily 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 with over 1300 described species. Several species have been used in
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 invo ...
programs against
fruit flies
Fruit fly may refer to:
Organisms
* Drosophilidae, a family of small flies, including:
** ''Drosophila'', the genus of small fruit flies and vinegar flies
** ''Drosophila melanogaster'' or common fruit fly
** ''Drosophila suzukii'' or Asian fruit ...
and
Agromyzidae
The Agromyzidae are a family commonly referred to as the leaf-miner flies, for the feeding habits of their larvae, most of which are leaf miners on various plants.
A worldwide family of roughly 2,500 species, they are small, some with wing leng ...
flies. They are closely related to 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 ...
.
Description and distribution
![Biosteres arisanus wasps (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Biosteres_arisanus_wasps_%281%29.jpg)
Opiinae are small wasps, usually under 5mm long. They are non-cyclostomes, but sometimes have the appearance of a cyclostome opening. Unlike Alysiinae, Opiinae have endodont mandibles, which open inwards. Opiinae are found worldwide.
Biology
Opiinae are koinobiont endoparasitoids of
cyclorrhaphus Diptera
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 ...
. Females
oviposit
The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...
into host eggs or larvae. The host is allowed to develop until it forms a
puparium
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 ...
, at which point it is killed by the wasp larva.
References
External links
Photographs at BugGuide.netDNA barcodes at BOLD systems
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3884179
Braconidae
Apocrita subfamilies