Chalcid-wasp
Guides
Arachnophaga ferruginea
Arachnophaga ferruginea is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eupelmidae, described by Gahan in 1943. The genus Arachnophaga comprises parasitoid wasps, with species known to attack spider eggs. The specific epithet 'ferruginea' refers to a rusty or iron-colored appearance. Distribution records indicate occurrence in Florida and Virginia, United States.
Aulogymnus io
Aulogymnus io is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Girault in 1916. It belongs to a group of parasitoid wasps known for their role in biological control of other insects. The genus Aulogymnus is part of the diverse Eulophinae subfamily, whose members are typically small parasitoids associated with various host insects. Available distributional records indicate presence in Massachusetts.
Brasema leucothysana
Brasema leucothysana is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eupelmidae, described by Gibson in 1995. It belongs to a genus of parasitoid wasps whose members attack the eggs or larvae of other insects. The species has been recorded from multiple states in the eastern and central United States.
Burkseus robustus
Burkseus robustus is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, described by Perry in 2019. It belongs to a genus of parasitoid wasps within the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Records indicate this species has been documented in Costa Rica (Alajuela province), Colombia (Boyacá department), and Canada. As a member of Eulophidae, it likely functions as a parasitoid of other insects, though specific host relationships remain undocumented.
Cerocephalidae
Cerocephalidae is a small family of chalcid wasps within the superfamily Chalcidoidea. The family was elevated from subfamily status within Pteromalidae in 1946 by Gahan. Most species are parasitoids of small wood-boring beetles, particularly bark beetles in the families Curculionidae (Scolytinae). The family contains 13 extant genera including Acerocephala, Cerocephala, and Theocolax, plus three fossil genera.
Chalcedectus
Chalcedectus is a genus of chalcid wasps constituting the sole genus of the monotypic family Chalcedectidae. Formerly classified within the subfamily Cleonyminae of Pteromalidae, molecular phylogenetic studies placed it in a distinct lineage within the 'weird clade' of Chalcidoidea. The genus comprises approximately 20 described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. Most species are parasitoids of wood-boring beetles.
Chrysocharis wahli
Chrysocharis wahli is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, described from California in 1995. The genus Chrysocharis comprises small chalcid wasps that parasitize leaf-mining insects. This species is known only from the type locality in California and remains poorly studied.
Cleonymus californicus
Cleonymus californicus is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Pteromalidae, described by Crawford in 1916. The species is known from California, reflecting its specific epithet. Like other members of the genus Cleonymus, it is presumed to be a parasitoid wasp, though specific host relationships remain undocumented in the available literature. The species is represented in major entomological collections, including the UCR Encyrtidae holdings.
Coccophagus
Coccophagus is a large genus of chalcid wasps in the family Aphelinidae, established by Westwood in 1833. Members are parasitoids primarily associated with scale insects (Coccoidea), playing significant roles in biological control programs. The genus is taxonomically well-established within the subfamily Coccophaginae and tribe Coccophagini. Species in this genus have been documented from multiple continents including North America, Asia, and South America.
Colotrechnus
Colotrechnus is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Pteromalidae, established by Thomson in 1878. It belongs to the subfamily Colotrechninae and tribe Colotrechnini. The genus contains at least four described species distributed across Europe and North America. Members are parasitoid wasps, though specific host relationships remain poorly documented.
Cyrtogaster capitanea
Cyrtogaster capitanea is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Pteromalidae, first described by Heydon in 1989. It belongs to the tribe Sphegigastrini within the subfamily Miscogastrinae. The species is known from western and northern Canada, with records from British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. As with other members of the genus Cyrtogaster, it is likely associated with parasitoid biology, though specific host relationships for this species remain undocumented.
Ectromatopsis
Ectromatopsis is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Encyrtidae, subfamily Tetracneminae. The genus was established by Compere in 1947. Members of this genus are chalcid wasps, a group characterized by reduced wing venation and parasitoid lifestyles. The genus is represented in major entomological collections, including the University of California Riverside Encyrtidae collection, which holds voucher specimens of Ectromatopsis americanum (Howard).
Entiinae
Entiinae is a subfamily of chalcid wasps within the family Eulophidae, established by Hedqvist in 1974. It was formerly known as Euderinae until that name was determined to be a junior homonym. The subfamily comprises 18 genera of small parasitoid wasps. Members are known to parasitize insects associated with fungi, particularly fungus beetles in the family Ciidae.
Euderus
Euderus is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eulophidae, comprising approximately 77 species with cosmopolitan distribution. The genus is notable for including parasitoid species that manipulate host behavior, most prominently E. set, the "crypt-keeper wasp," which induces gall wasps to create head-plugged exit holes that facilitate parasitoid emergence. In North America alone, the genus contains 25 species arranged in five subgenera. Species exhibit striking metallic coloration ranging from olive green to turquoise to iridescent blue.
Euperilampus
Euperilampus is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Perilampidae, first described by Walker in 1871. The genus comprises approximately 18 described species. These wasps belong to the superfamily Chalcidoidea, a diverse group of small parasitic wasps. Members of this genus are known primarily from taxonomic descriptions and museum specimens, with limited ecological documentation available.
Euperilampus triangularis
Euperilampus triangularis is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Perilampidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1829. It belongs to a group of parasitoid wasps characterized by their metallic coloration and compact body form. The species has been recorded across multiple North American jurisdictions including Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, and Ontario.
Haltichella onatas
Haltichella onatas is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Chalcididae, first described by Walker in 1843. Like other members of the genus Haltichella, it belongs to the subfamily Haltichellinae, a group characterized by specific morphological features of the hind femora. The species is part of the diverse Chalcidoidea superfamily, one of the largest groups of parasitoid wasps. Information on its biology and host associations remains limited in available literature.
Heimbra opaca
Heimbra opaca is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eurytomidae, first described by Ashmead in 1894. Originally placed in the genus Euperilampus, it was later transferred to Heimbra. This small parasitic wasp belongs to a family known for attacking various insect hosts, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The species has been recorded from Brazil.
Hemadas nubilipennis
Blueberry Stem Gall Wasp
Hemadas nubilipennis is a tiny chalcid wasp in the family Ormyridae that induces distinctive kidney-shaped (reniform), multichambered stem galls on lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium). The female oviposits into shoot tissue 5–15 mm below the apex, then destroys the shoot tip by stinging it with her ovipositor. This structural damage terminates shoot growth and redirects nutrients to gall tissue and larval development—a rare example of parental investment through deliberate host tissue damage. The wasp has been studied for its economic impact on blueberry production and, more recently, for the galls' ability to accumulate environmental contaminants, making them useful as pollution detectors.
Hockeria tenuicornis
Hockeria tenuicornis is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Chalcididae, described by Girault in 1918. It belongs to the subfamily Haltichellinae and tribe Haltichellini. The genus Hockeria is part of a diverse family of parasitoid wasps whose members are typically associated with other insects as hosts. The specific epithet "tenuicornis" refers to slender or thin antennae.
Horismenus fraternus
Horismenus fraternus is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Fitch in 1856. The genus Horismenus comprises small parasitoid wasps that develop within the bodies of other insects. Records indicate this species occurs in eastern Canada, specifically Ontario and Quebec. Like other eulophids, it likely functions as a parasitoid of insect hosts, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Leucospis robertsoni
Leucospis robertsoni is a parasitic wasp in the family Leucospidae, a group of relatively large chalcidoid wasps often mistaken for mason or potter wasps due to their black and yellow markings. Like other leucospids, females possess a distinctive ovipositor that curls over the top of the abdomen, which they use to drill into wood and deposit eggs in the nests of solitary bees and wasps. The species is recorded from the southeastern United States and Mexico.
Loxaulus maculipennis
Loxaulus maculipennis is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Encyrtidae, a group of chalcid wasps widely used in biological control programs. The species is documented in the University of California, Riverside (UCR) Encyrtidae collection, one of the largest and most important collections of this family globally. Like other encyrtids, it is likely a parasitoid of scale insects or other hemipteran pests, though specific host records for this species are not detailed in available sources.
Ooencyrtus
Ooencyrtus is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Encyrtidae, established by William Harris Ashmead in 1900. The genus comprises approximately 320 recognized species as of 2017, making it one of the larger genera within Encyrtidae. Species of Ooencyrtus are primarily egg parasitoids, attacking eggs of various insects including true bugs, beetles, and moths. Several species have been investigated for biological control of agricultural pests, including O. kuvanae for gypsy moth control and O. nezarae for kudzu bug management.
Orasema occidentalis
Orasema occidentalis is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eucharitidae, first described by William Harris Ashmead in 1892. The species is a known parasite of Pheidole desertorum, a species of ant. Like other members of its family, it likely exhibits the specialized life history typical of Eucharitidae, in which larvae develop as parasitoids within ant colonies.
Plutothrix
Plutothrix is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Pteromalidae, tribe Trigonoderini. These small parasitoid wasps are part of the diverse Chalcidoidea superfamily. The genus was established by Arnold Förster in 1856. Members of this genus are known from Europe, with records from Denmark and Spain.
Pnigalio coloni
Pnigalio coloni is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Girault in 1917. The genus Pnigalio comprises small parasitoid wasps known to attack various insect hosts. Members of this genus are typically associated with gall-forming or leaf-mining insects. The species is part of the diverse Eulophidae family, which contains thousands of species worldwide, many of which are important biological control agents.
Scutellista
Scutellista is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eunotidae. Members are parasitoids of scale insects (Coccoidea), with several species used as biological control agents. The genus is characterized by a distinctive scutellum that projects as a roof over much of the gaster. Species occur across multiple continents including Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Spalangiidae
Spalangiidae is a family of chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) elevated from former subfamilies of Pteromalidae in 2022. Members are parasitoids of flies, with two recognized subfamilies: Spalangiinae and Erotolepsiinae. The family is now classified within the planidial clade, more closely related to Eucharitidae, Perilampidae, Chrysolampidae, and Eutrichosomatidae than to core Pteromalidae. The genus Spalangia has a cosmopolitan distribution, while other genera show restricted geographic ranges.
Stictostix californicus
Stictostix californicus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Encyrtidae. The genus Stictostix belongs to the diverse chalcidoid wasp superfamily, a group of minute parasitoids widely used in biological control. The specific epithet 'californicus' indicates a geographic association with California. Encyrtid wasps are generally known as parasitoids of scale insects, mealybugs, and other homopteran pests, though specific host records for this species remain undocumented in the provided sources.
Sycophila mimosae
Sycophila mimosae is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eurytomidae, first described by Balduf in 1932. Members of the genus Sycophila are associated with plant galls, where they typically act as parasitoids or inquilines. The specific epithet "mimosae" suggests an association with plants in the genus Mimosa. Like other eurytomids, this species is likely small-bodied and understudied due to its minute size.
Tanaostigmodes albiclavus
Tanaostigmodes albiclavus is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Tanaostigmatidae, first described by Girault in 1917. The species is known from the southwestern United States. Members of this family are gall wasps associated with plants, though specific host relationships for this species remain poorly documented.
Tetrastichinae
Tetrastichinae is one of the largest subfamilies of Eulophidae, containing over 100 genera and nearly 3,000 species of minute chalcid wasps. Members exhibit exceptionally diverse biology: most are parasitoids attacking hosts across 10 insect orders and over 100 families, including nematodes, mites, and spider eggs. Some species are phytophagous (typically as inquilines in galls), gall formers, or inquilines. Endoparasitism predominates over ectoparasitism, with both solitary and gregarious forms known; gregarious species may produce over 2,000 individuals from a single host. Reproduction is often by thelytokous parthenogenesis, though arrhenotoky occurs in some taxa.
Zaischnopsis
Zaischnopsis is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eupelmidae, established by Ashmead in 1904. These small parasitoid wasps belong to the diverse superfamily Chalcidoidea, one of the largest groups of parasitic Hymenoptera. Species in this genus are known primarily from taxonomic descriptions rather than ecological studies. The genus is distinguished from related eupelmids by specific morphological features of the mesosoma and metasoma.