Concealed-host-parasitoid
Guides
Cryptinae
cryptine wasps, geline wasps
Cryptinae is a large subfamily of ichneumon wasps comprising approximately 273 genera across two tribes (Aptesini and Cryptini). Members are characterized by distinctive morphological features including a five-sided areolet, short sternaulus, and convex clypeus creating a puffy facial appearance. The subfamily has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with the name Cryptinae stabilized by ICZN Opinion 1715 in 1994. Species are distributed worldwide and function as parasitoids, primarily attacking concealed hosts such as caterpillars and other insects in protected substrates.