''Pediobius'' is a

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 ...

hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

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 of the

chalcid wasp Chalcid wasps (, , for their metallic colour) are insects within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, part of the order Hymenoptera. The superfamily contains some 22,500 known species, and an estimated total diversity of more than 500,000 species, me ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Eulophidae The Eulophidae are a large family of hymenopteran insects, with over 4,300 described species in some 300 genera. The family includes the genus ''Elasmus'', which used to be treated as a separate family, "Elasmidae", and is now treated as a subf ...

. Like their relatives, the

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 of these diminutive

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, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

s are

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 ...

s of various

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

s (mainly insects). Some ''Pediobius'' are used in

biological pest 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 ...

. There are over 200

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 ...

in the genus ''Pedobius'' and these include: *''

Pediobius foveolatus ''Pediobius foveolatus'' (Crawford) (Fig. 1 and 3), is a tiny exotic parasitoid wasp that is used for biological control of Mexican bean beetle, ''Epilachna varivestis'' (Fig. 2), an important insect pest of snap beans, lima beans, and sometime ...

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

, 1912 * ''

Pediobius imbreus ''Pediobius'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the chalcid wasp family Eulophidae. Like their relatives, the larvae of these diminutive wasps are parasitoids of various arthropods (mainly insects). Some ''Pediobius'' are used in biological p ...

'' (Walker, 1846) * ''

Pediobius lysis ''Pediobius'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the chalcid wasp family Eulophidae. Like their relatives, the larvae of these diminutive wasps are parasitoids of various arthropods (mainly insects). Some ''Pediobius'' are used in biological p ...

'' (Walker, 1839) * ''

Pediobius metallicus ''Pediobius'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the chalcid wasp family Eulophidae. Like their relatives, the larvae of these diminutive wasps are parasitoids of various arthropods (mainly insects). Some ''Pediobius'' are used in biological p ...

'' ( Nees, 1834) * ''

Pediobius parvulus ''Pediobius'' is a genus of hymenopteran insects of the chalcid wasp family Eulophidae. Like their relatives, the larvae of these diminutive wasps are parasitoids of various arthropods (mainly insects). Some ''Pediobius'' are used in biologic ...

'' (Ferrière, 1933)

References

Key to Nearctic eulophid generaUniversal Chalcidoidea Database
Eulophidae {{Eulophidae-stub