Scelioninae is a subfamily of wasps in the family

Platygastridae The hymenopteran family Platygastridae (sometimes incorrectly spelled Platygasteridae) is a large group (over 4000 species) of exclusively parasitoid wasps, mostly very small (1–2 mm), black, and shining, with geniculate (elbowed) antennae ...

. It is a very large cosmopolitan group (over 3000 described species in some 160 genera) of exclusively

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, mostly small (0.5–10 mm), often black, often highly sculptured, usually with geniculate (elbowed) antennae that have a 9- or 10-segmented

flagellum A flagellum (; ) is a hairlike appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are termed as flagellates. A microorganism may have f ...

. It was formerly considered to be a family Scelionidae but has been reclassified as a subfamily of the

. The subfamilies Scelioninae,

Teleasinae Teleasinae is a subfamily of wasps in the family Platygastridae. There are about 14 genera and more than 250 species in Teleasinae. The subfamilies Scelioninae Scelioninae is a subfamily of wasps in the family Platygastridae. It is a very la ...

, and

Telenominae Telenominae is a subfamily of Hymenoptera in the family Platygastridae. The subfamilies Scelioninae, Teleasinae, and Telenominae were formerly in the family Scelionidae, but Scelionidae was combined with the family Platygastridae The ...

were formerly in the family Scelionidae, but Scelionidae was combined with the family

because of genetic similarities. The name Platygastridae was retained for the resulting family because of seniority. This change is not accepted by all authorities: Telenominae is a subfamily of Scelionidae according to the

Australian Faunal Directory The Australian Faunal Directory (AFD) is an online catalogue of taxonomic and biological information on all animal species known to occur within Australia. It is a program of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of th ...

Biology

They are generally

idiobiont 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 parasiti ...

s, attacking the eggs of many different types of

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 ...

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

(the hackberry emperor, for example) and many are important 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 ...

. Several genera are wingless, and a few attack

aquatic insect Aquatic insects or water insects live some portion of their life cycle in the water. They feed in the same ways as other insects. Some ''diving'' insects, such as predatory diving beetles, can hunt for food underwater where land-living insects c ...

eggs underwater.

References

External links

Cedar Creek
Pinned specimen images.

Paper on the Genus'' Thoron''. Scelioninae, Biological pest control wasps Parasitic wasps {{apocrita-stub

Biology

See also

References

External links