Aphelinoidea

Aphelinoidea species can be identified by short wing venation and the presence of numerous discal setae on the wings. The funicle is absent, and the long clava consists of 2 or 3 segments. Molecular and morphological studies have revealed cryptic diversity; indigenous populations in California and other arid western states previously identified as A. plutella were found to represent at least two distinct new species, A. zarehi and A. roja. DNA sequence analysis and cross-mating tests have confirmed species boundaries within the genus.

Associated with habitats supporting leafhopper hosts, including agricultural fields and natural vegetation. In California, species occur in areas where the beet leafhopper is present. One species, A. sariq, was reared from eggs laid inside galls on camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) in Uzbekistan.

Almost cosmopolitan. Documented from North America (California, Arizona, Alberta, Alabama), Central and South America (Bolivia, Argentina), the Palaearctic region (Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkmenistan), and other regions. Introduced populations established in California from Iranian origin.

• Circulifer tenellus - egg parasitoidbeet leafhopper, vector of beet curly top virus
• Scenergates viridis - egg parasitoidgall-making leafhopper on camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum)
• Dalbulus maidis - egg parasitoidcorn leafhopper
• Tapajosa rubromarginata - egg parasitoidsharpshooter leafhopper
• Empoasca onukii - egg parasitoidtea green leafhopper
• Arboridia apicalis - egg parasitoidleafhopper pest of grapevines
• Amrasca biguttula - egg parasitoidleafhopper pest of okra
• Kolla paulula - egg parasitoidleafhopper in Taiwan
• Hymetta balteata - egg parasitoidleafhopper in New York

Species reproduce by arrhenotoky: females are diploid and produce female offspring only after mating, while unmated females produce only male offspring. Developmental times have been documented for introduced species. Both sexes of A. sariq emerged from host eggs of Scenergates viridis; additional females were found dead inside galls.

Egg parasitoid behavior targeting leafhopper eggs laid in plant tissue. Some species associated with galls formed by their hosts. Cross-mating tests between species have failed to show interbreeding, indicating reproductive isolation.

Egg parasitoid of leafhoppers, functioning as a biological control agent. Several species are of interest for management of agricultural pests, particularly leafhoppers that vector plant pathogens. The introduced species A. anatolica and A. turanica in California help suppress populations of the beet leafhopper, reducing transmission of beet curly top virus to crops.

Used in classical biological control programs. Two species (A. anatolica and A. turanica) were intentionally introduced from Iran into California against the beet leafhopper and became established. Indigenous species were previously misidentified, complicating earlier biological control assessments. Molecular and morphological tools now enable accurate species identification for targeted biocontrol applications.

• TrichogrammaBoth are Trichogrammatidae egg parasitoids, but Aphelinoidea lacks the funicle and has a long 2-3 segmented clava, whereas Trichogramma has different antennal structure and wing venation patterns
• ParacentrobiaBoth are Trichogrammatidae egg parasitoids of leafhoppers; Paracentrobia species have different wing venation and antennal segmentation patterns requiring microscopic examination for separation
• UfensAnother trichogrammatid egg parasitoid of leafhoppers; distinguished by wing venation details and antennal structure

Earlier studies misidentified indigenous Aphelinoidea populations in California and arid western states as A. plutella; subsequent research showed these represented at least two distinct new species (A. zarehi and A. roja), with no evidence that A. plutella actually occurs in the western United States.

• egg parasitoid
• biological control
• leafhopper
• Trichogrammatidae
• arrhenotoky
• agricultural pest management
• beet curly top virus
• cryptic species
• molecular taxonomy

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• aphelinoidea_sariq_triaprakit_ht_ucrc_ent_263426_wings.jpg | Entomology Research Museum
• aphelinoidea_sariq_triaprakit_ht_ucrc_ent_263426_body.jpg | Entomology Research Museum
• Primary Type List | Entomology Research Museum
• Publications | Entomology Research Museum
• Taxonomy of Aphelinoidea (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) species attacking eggs of the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), in California
• Egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae) of the gall-making leafhopper <i>Scenergates viridis</i> (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Uzbekistan, with taxonomic notes on the Palaearctic species of <i>Aphelinoidea</i>