Aphid-parasitoid
Guides
Alloxysta
Alloxysta is a genus of small parasitic wasps in the family Figitidae, subfamily Charipinae. The genus was described by Arnold Förster in 1869 and contains over 100 species with cosmopolitan distribution. Members are aphid hyperparasitoids, attacking primary parasitoids (aphidiid wasps) that develop within aphids. Some species exhibit thelytokous parthenogenesis induced by Wolbachia endosymbionts, where unmated females produce female offspring without mating.
Aphelinus mali
woolly aphid parasite
Aphelinus mali is a tiny parasitoid wasp in the family Aphelinidae that specializes in attacking the woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum), a major pest of apple orchards worldwide. Native to the northeastern United States, it has been introduced to numerous apple-growing regions as a biological control agent since 1928. The wasp's life cycle is tightly coupled with its aphid host, with females laying eggs inside living aphids where larvae develop before emerging as adults. It is considered one of the earliest and most successful examples of classical biological control in agriculture.
Aphidiini
Aphidiini is a tribe of parasitoid wasps within Braconidae (Hymenoptera) that specialize in attacking aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Members of this tribe are koinobiont endoparasitoids, developing within living aphid hosts. Several species have been introduced globally as biological control agents for aphid pests in agricultural and forestry systems. The tribe includes genera such as *Diaeretus*, *Aphidius*, and *Lysiphlebus*.
Asaphes
Asaphes is a genus of aphid hyperparasitoids in the family Pteromalidae. Species in this genus are secondary parasitoids that attack primary parasitoids developing within mummified aphids. Multiple species have been studied for their competitive interactions with other hyperparasitoids, including intraspecific tertiary parasitoidism and interspecific ovicidal behavior. Some species exhibit self-host discrimination but lack interspecific discrimination toward competitor species.
Ephedrini
Ephedrini is a tribe of koinobiont aphid parasitoids within the subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae). The tribe comprises approximately 29 species in India, including genera such as Ephedrus and Toxares. Members are exclusively endoparasitoids of aphids, with some species exhibiting extreme polyphagy—Toxares deltiger parasitizes 27 aphid species and Ephedrus plagiator parasitizes 22. Several species have been successfully employed in biological control programs worldwide.
Ephedrus
Ephedrus is a genus of small braconid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae, all species of which are obligate parasitoids of aphids. The genus includes both extant and fossil species, with records from the Eocene Baltic amber indicating an ancient evolutionary history. Multiple species have been evaluated or employed as biological control agents against agricultural pest aphids, particularly in greenhouse systems. Species-level studies reveal complex host discrimination behaviors involving external marking pheromones and internal host quality assessment.
Helorus ruficornis
Helorus ruficornis is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Heloridae. The species is characterized by reddish antennae, as indicated by its specific epithet. It has been recorded from Europe and has been introduced to Hawaii. The family Heloridae comprises solitary parasitoids associated with aphids.
Megaspilidae
Megaspilidae is a small family of parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Ceraphronoidea, comprising approximately 450 described species across 13 genera in two subfamilies. The family remains poorly known biologically, though most species are believed to be parasitoids of sternorrhynchan Hemiptera (particularly aphids), with some functioning as hyperparasitoids attacking other parasitoids. Many species inhabit soil, and several are wingless. The largest genus is Dendrocerus, followed by Conostigmus.
Monoctonus
Monoctonus is a genus of solitary parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae). Species in this genus are specialized parasitoids of aphids, with females laying eggs in the thoracic nerve ganglia of host aphids. Multiple species have been documented, including M. paulensis, M. nervosus, M. paludum, and M. leclanti, with distributions spanning the Palearctic, Nearctic, and Oriental regions.
Praini
Praini is a tribe of koinobiont aphid parasitoids in the subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae). The tribe comprises four genera: Praon, Areopraon, Pseudopraon, and Dyscritulus. In India, the tribe is represented solely by the genus Praon, with 16 species including five endemics. These parasitoids attack 79 aphid species across 13 states and union territories. The genus Praon is distinguished by conical apical spines on the ovipositor sheath, an apomorphic character state.
Praon
Praon is a genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae containing at least 70 described species. Species are solitary parasitoids of aphids, with females laying eggs inside living hosts. Several species are important biological control agents in agricultural systems. Notable species include P. pequodorum, a native North American parasitoid that outcompeted introduced Aphidius ervi on bacterially-defended pea aphids, and P. volucre, a commercially produced biocontrol agent that exhibits facultative pupal diapause.
Pseudomalus
cuckoo wasps, jewel wasps
Pseudomalus is a genus of cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae), commonly known as jewel wasps for their brilliant metallic coloration. Species in this genus are kleptoparasites that exploit the nests of solitary wasps and bees. A distinctive behavioral trait involves females ovipositing into aphids, which are then captured by crabronid wasps and carried to their nests—indirectly delivering the cuckoo wasp larva to its eventual host. The genus includes both Palearctic natives and at least one introduced species (P. auratus) now established in North America.
Syrphophagus
Syrphophagus is a cosmopolitan genus of chalcid wasps in the family Encyrtidae. Species within this genus are hyperparasitoids that attack primary parasitoids developing within aphids. At least one species, S. aphidivorus, exhibits atypical dual oviposition behavior, attacking both parasitoid larvae in live aphids and parasitoid pupae in aphid mummies. The genus contains numerous described species distributed across multiple continents.
Toxares
Toxares is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, subfamily Aphidiinae. The genus was established by Haliday in 1840. At least one species, T. deltiger, has been documented as a parasitoid of cereal aphids, with records from southern England and Finland indicating a Palearctic distribution.