''Rileya'' 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

n named and described in 1888. It belongs to the

Eurytomidae The Eurytomidae are a family within the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Unlike most chalcidoids, the larvae of many are phytophagous (feeding in stems, seeds, or galls), while others are more typical parasitoids, though even then the hosts are usually ...

.Riley, C.V.; Ashmead, W.H.; Howard, L.O. (1894) Report upon the parasitic Hymenoptera of the island of St. Vincent., JOURBOOK: Journal of the Linnean Society (Zoology) VOLUME: 25 PAGES: 56-254 There are 27 species currently assigned to the genus.

History and taxonomy

The genus was named in 1888 by William Harris Ashmead as belonging to the EurytominaeAshmead, W.H. (1888). A revised generic table of the Euryrtominae, with descriptions of new species. Pt I. Entomol. Am. 4:41-43. and during the same year, the same genus was named ''Rileya'' by Howard (albeit Howard incorrectly described ''Rileya'' as part of the Chalcididae),Howard, L.O. (1888). The chalcid genus ''Rileya''. Canadian Entomology 20:191-195. although Ashmead (1888) takes priority since they were the first to describe the genus. In 1902,

Friedrich von Huene Friedrich von Huene, born Friedrich Richard von Hoinigen, (March 22, 1875 – April 4, 1969) was a German paleontologist who renamed more dinosaurs in the early 20th century than anyone else in Europe. He also made key contributions about v ...

named the phytosaur '' Rileya'', without knowing that the name was already preoccupied. In 1961, Oskar Kuhn renamed it from ''Rileya'' to ''Rileyasuchus'', realising that the name used for the phytosaur was preoccupied.Kuhn, O. (1961). ''Die Familien der rezenten und fossilen Amphibien und Reptilien.'' Meisenbach:Bamberg, 79 p.

References

Eurytomidae Hymenoptera genera {{Chalcidoidea-stub