Sceliotrachelinae

Brues, 1908

Genus Guides

Amitus

Sceliotrachelinae is a of minute in the Platygastridae, established by Brues in 1908. The subfamily was significantly revised in 1989 when 26 were reassigned from the former Inostemmatinae based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Members are primary endoparasitoids, specifically parasitoids (ooparasitoids), of whiteflies (Aleyrodidae). The subfamily contains 26 accepted genera including Allotropa, Amitus, Fidiobia, and Sceliotrachelus, with a global distribution spanning six continents.

Sceliotrachelinae by (c) Hawk T., some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Hawk T.. Used under a CC-BY license.

Sceliotrachelinae by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.

Sceliotrachelinae by (c) Steve Kerr, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Kerr. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Sceliotrachelinae: /ˌsɛli.əʊtrəˈkiːlaɪni/

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Distribution

Global distribution documented across six continents: Africa (South Africa), Asia (Java, India, Nepal), Australia, Europe, North America (USA, Canada), and South America (Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Trinidad). Type localities for described indicate presence in temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions. Specific collection sites include Merbein (Victoria, Australia); Merlo (Argentina); multiple locations in New Zealand; and various sites across the Neotropics.

Host Associations

Aleyrodidae - whiteflies; members are primary endoparasitoids/ooparasitoids of whitefly

Behavior

Primary endoparasitoidism; specifically ooparasitoidism—females deposit directly into eggs. Has been observed as a agent of whitefly .

Ecological Role

agent of whiteflies (Aleyrodidae), regulating of these agricultural pests through .

Human Relevance

Potential and realized use in of whitefly pests in agricultural systems. The Amitus and related have been studied for their efficacy in managing whitefly .

Similar Taxa

PlatygastrinaeSister within Platygastridae; distinguished by different morphological characters and associations, though both contain . Sceliotrachelinae was separated from the former Inostemmatinae along with Platygastrinae in the 1989 revision.
Inostemmatinae (sensu lato)Formerly contained the 26 now placed in Sceliotrachelinae; considered a symplesiomorphic and no longer recognized as a valid following the 1989 revision by Masner and Huggert.

More Details

Taxonomic History

The underwent major revision in 1989 when Masner and Huggert reassigned 26 from the former Inostemmatinae to Sceliotrachelinae based on phylogenetic analysis. This included the establishment of 12 new genera: Afrisolia, Aleyroctonus, Alfredella, Austromerus, Calomerella, Errolium, Helava, Nanomerus, Neobia, Oligomerella, Plutomerus, and Zelamerus.

Notable Genera

Amitus (Haldeman, 1850) is among the oldest described . Allotropa (Förster, 1856) and Fidiobia (Ashmead, 1894) are widely distributed. The type genus Sceliotrachelus was established by Brues in 1908. Aleyroctonus and Aphanomerus are directly associated with whitefly .