Stephanoidea
Family Guides
1- Stephanidae(Crown Wasps)
Stephanoidea is a superfamily of parasitic within Hymenoptera containing a single extant , Stephanidae (crown wasps), with approximately 350 living in 11 . The superfamily also includes four extinct families known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous: Ephialtitidae, Aptenoperissidae, Myanmarinidae, and Ohlhoffiidae. Stephanidae are solitary idiobiont ectoparasitoids of wood-boring insect larvae. The group represents an early-diverging lineage within , occupying a pivotal position in understanding the evolutionary history of wasps.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Stephanoidea: //stɛfəˈnɔɪdiə//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Distribution
, with highest concentrations in subtropical and temperate zones. Documented from Iran, Egypt, Russia, Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Myanmar (Cretaceous amber).
Host Associations
- Agrilus roscidus - Likely new record; single specimen of Foenatopus bisignatus collected from Acacia raddiana trees infested with this (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)
Ecological Role
Solitary idiobiont ectoparasitoid of wood-boring insect larvae.
Similar Taxa
- GasteruptiidaePreviously confused with Stephanidae; fossil †Tichostephanus was reclassified from Stephanidae to Gasteruptiidae based on phylogenetic analysis
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- First record of Stephanidae (Hymenoptera, Stephanoidea) for the fauna of Egypt
- The Stephanidae (Hymenoptera, Stephanoidea) of Iran with the description of a new species
- Parasitoid wasps of the family Stephanidae (Hymenoptera: Stephanoidea) in the fauna of Russia
- Phylogenetic bridging by Cretaceous Stephanidae (Hymenoptera: Stephanoidea): Burmese amber fossils highlight early diverging lineages
- Checklists of the Ceraphronoidea, Cynipoidea, Evanioidea, Stephanoidea and Trigonalyoidea (Hymenoptera) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland