Egg-parasitoid
Guides
Mymarommatidae
False Fairy Wasps
Mymarommatidae, known as false fairy wasps, comprise a minute family of parasitic wasps with approximately 20 described extant species across three genera (Mymaromma, Mymaromella, Zealaromma), plus numerous fossil species. These insects are among the smallest known wasps, measuring approximately 0.3 mm in length. For over a century, their biology remained enigmatic until 2022, when Mymaromma menehune was confirmed as a solitary endoparasitoid of barklice eggs (Psocodea: Lepidopsocidae). The family exhibits a distinctive relictual morphology, including a pleated head membrane and unique wing structure, and has been proposed as "living fossils" potentially related to the extinct Serphitoidea.
Mymarommatoidea
fairyfly-like parasitic wasps
Mymarommatoidea is a minute superfamily of parasitoid wasps containing a single extant family, Mymarommatidae, and three extinct families known from Cretaceous amber. Adults measure approximately 0.3 mm in length, making them among the smallest insects. The superfamily remained without a confirmed host record for nearly a century until 2022, when a Hawaiian species was documented as an egg parasitoid of barklice (Psocodea). Most described species are fossils; extant species are globally distributed but easily overlooked due to their microscopic size.
Neochrysocharis diastatae
Neochrysocharis diastatae is a minute parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described from Hawaii in 1881. It has been documented as an egg parasitoid of tettigoniid orthopterans in the genus Letana in India, representing a newly recorded host association for this species. The species belongs to a genus whose members are generally associated with parasitism of insect eggs or larvae.
Neomymar
Neomymar is a genus of fairyflies (Mymaridae), among the smallest known insects. The genus was established by Crawford in 1913. Species within this genus are egg parasitoids, though specific host associations remain poorly documented compared to related genera such as Anagrus and Gonatocerus. The Nearctic species were revised by Triapitsyn, Berezovskiy and Huber in 2006, with three species described: N. komar, N. korsar, and N. zuparkoi. These species are known from California and Mexico.
Neorileya
Neorileya is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Eurytomidae, subfamily Rileyinae. These micro-Hymenoptera are egg parasitoids of true bugs (Hemiptera), with documented hosts in Coreidae, Pentatomidae, and Reduviidae. The genus contains at least seven described species distributed across the New World from central California to Argentina. Neorileya species develop as endoparasitoids within host eggs, with some species causing significant mortality in agricultural pest populations.
Oethecoctonus
Oethecoctonus is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae, established by Ashmead in 1893. The genus contains approximately six described species distributed worldwide. In North America, three species are recognized: O. oecanthi (the type species), O. ophrynopus, and O. pleuralis. Members of this genus are known to be parasitoids of orthopteran eggs.
Oligosita
Oligosita is a genus of minute egg parasitoid wasps in the family Trichogrammatidae, established by Walker in 1851. Members of this genus are cosmopolitan in distribution and have been documented attacking eggs of diverse host groups including Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Thysanoptera. Specific species have been recorded as parasitoids of leafhopper eggs (Cicadellidae) in agricultural and natural systems across Italy, China, and North America. The genus is characterized by its small body size typical of trichogrammatids and distinctive morphological features used in species-level identification.
Omyomymar
Omyomymar is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Mymaridae, first described by Schauff in 1983. Members of this genus are extremely small, consistent with other fairyflies in the family. The genus has been recorded from both the Neotropical region and the Nearctic region.
Oobius
Oobius is a genus of parasitic non-stinging wasps in the family Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Species are specialized egg parasitoids of wood-boring beetles, particularly in the family Buprestidae (jewel beetles) and Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles). The genus has gained significant attention due to the use of O. agrili as a biological control agent against the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) in North America. Oobius species are small, morphologically cryptic wasps that are often distinguished by subtle differences in antennal structure and tarsomere count. Several species exhibit parthenogenetic reproduction and undergo diapause to synchronize their life cycles with host availability.
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.
Ooencyrtus kuvanae
gypsy moth egg parasitoid, spongy moth egg parasitoid
Ooencyrtus kuvanae is a solitary egg parasitoid wasp in the family Encyrtidae, originally introduced to North America in 1908 for biological control of Lymantria moths. It has since become established as a natural enemy of the spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) and has been documented parasitizing the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in North America. The species exhibits quasi-gregarious development, with females typically laying one offspring per host egg and adjusting sex ratios based on resource availability and local mate competition. Development from egg to adult takes 18–24 days, with males emerging approximately one day earlier than females.
Palaeogryon
Palaeogryon is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae, first described by Masner in 1969. The genus belongs to the subfamily Scelioninae, a group of minute wasps that parasitize eggs of insects and other arthropods. As with many scelionid genera, Palaeogryon is characterized by morphological adaptations for locating and penetrating host eggs. The genus is part of the diverse platygastroid lineage within Hymenoptera.
Palaeoneura
Palaeoneura is a genus of fairyflies (family Mymaridae) comprising eight described species. These minute parasitoid wasps are found in Northern America and Australia. The genus was established by Waterhouse in 1915, with Palaeoneura evanescens as the type species. Species have been described from 1915 to 2021, with recent taxonomic revisions by Triapitsyn.
Platygastridae
Platygastridae is a family of minute parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Platygastroidea, comprising approximately 1100-2000 described species. Members are exclusively parasitoids, with most species measuring only 1–2 mm in length. The family is divided into two traditional subfamilies: Platygastrinae, which are koinobiont parasitoids of cecidomyiid (gall midge) eggs and larvae, and Sceliotrachelinae, which are generally idiobionts attacking eggs of beetles or Hemiptera. Several genera, including Synopeas, Trimorus, and Telenomus, contain species of agricultural importance as biological control agents.
Polynema
fairyflies, fairy wasps
Polynema is a genus of fairyflies in the family Mymaridae, comprising approximately 270 described species. These are among the smallest known insects, with adults typically measuring less than 1 mm. The genus is taxonomically challenging, currently treated as a conglomerate of poorly defined related groups classified into subgenera including P. (Polynema), P. (Doriclytus), and P. (Dorypolynema). Members are idiobiont endoparasitoids of insect eggs, attacking hosts across multiple orders including Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, Psocoptera, and Odonata. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution with significant diversity in the Neotropical, Palaearctic, and Oriental regions.
Proconiini
sharpshooters
Proconiini is a large tribe of xylem-feeding leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) comprising approximately 422 species in 58 genera, restricted to the New World. Members are commonly known as sharpshooters due to their rapid, directed flight patterns. The tribe includes major agricultural pests and vectors of Xylella fastidiosa, a phytopathogenic bacterium causing diseases in citrus, grapes, almonds, and other crops. Proconiini species exhibit distinctive morphological adaptations including brachyptery in high-altitude Andean forms and unique egg brochosome production for offspring protection.
Pseudoligosita
Pseudoligosita is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Trichogrammatidae, first described by Girault in 1913. Species in this genus are egg parasitoids, attacking the eggs of various insects including leafhoppers and planthoppers. Several species have been studied for their potential as biological control agents against agricultural pests. The genus is distributed across multiple continents including North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Rileyinae
Rileyinae is a subfamily of small wasps within Eurytomidae (Chalcidoidea), comprising parasitoids primarily associated with insect eggs and gall-formers. Members include the genus Neorileya, known as endoparasitoids of eggs from diverse Hemipteran families (Coreidae, Pentatomidae, Reduviidae) and even Tettigoniidae. The subfamily also includes Gatesina, a genus that parasitizes Eurytominae gall-formers in fruits of Myrtaceae. Rileyinae species are typically minute (2-3 mm), solitary, and part of the 'micro-Hymenoptera' fauna.
Scelio
Scelio is a large genus of parasitoid wasps containing at least 240 and possibly 500 species, making it the most diverse genus within the family Scelionidae. These wasps are solitary egg parasitoids of grasshoppers (Acrididae, Orthoptera), including economically important pest locusts such as Schistocerca. They have a cosmopolitan distribution and have been studied extensively for their potential as biological control agents against orthopteran agricultural pests.
Scelio floridanus
Scelio floridanus is a parasitoid wasp species first described by Ashmead in 1893. It belongs to the genus Scelio within the family Platygastridae (formerly treated as Scelionidae). The species is native to Florida, as indicated by its specific epithet. Like other members of Scelio, it is presumed to be an egg parasitoid of orthopteran hosts, though specific host records for this species are not well documented in available sources.
Scelio opacus
Scelio opacus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Scelionidae, first described by Provancher in 1887. Members of the genus Scelio are known to parasitize the eggs of grasshoppers and related orthopterans. The species belongs to a group of small wasps, typically measuring 3–10 mm in length, that often exhibit the black-orange-black (BOB) color pattern common among scelionids. Like other Scelioninae, this species likely plays a role in regulating orthopteran populations through egg parasitism.
Scelioninae
Scelioninae is a large subfamily of parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae, containing over 3,000 described species across approximately 160 genera. These wasps are exclusively parasitoids, primarily attacking the eggs of insects, spiders, and other arthropods. They are generally idiobionts—parasitoids that prevent further host development after attack—and several genera have evolved winglessness or adaptations for aquatic environments, including underwater attack of insect eggs.
Sceliotrachelinae
Sceliotrachelinae is a subfamily of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Platygastridae, established by Brues in 1908. The subfamily was significantly revised in 1989 when 26 genera were reassigned from the former Inostemmatinae based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Members are primary endoparasitoids, specifically egg parasitoids (ooparasitoids), of whiteflies (Aleyrodidae). The subfamily contains 26 accepted genera including Allotropa, Amitus, Fidiobia, and Sceliotrachelus, with a global distribution spanning six continents.
Sparasionidae
Sparasionidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Platygastroidea. The family contains five extant genera—Sparasion, Mexon, Listron, Sceliomorpha, and Archaeoteleia—plus one extinct genus (Electroteleia) known from Eocene Baltic amber. The genus Sparasion is the most diverse with 141 valid species. All known species are egg parasitoids of orthopterans, specifically katydids (Tettigoniidae). The family exhibits a disjunct distribution, occurring in the Nearctic, Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Oriental regions but absent from the Neotropics and Australasia.
Teleasinae
Teleasinae is a subfamily of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae. Members are exclusively egg parasitoids of ground beetles (Carabidae), making them unique among Scelionidae in this host specialization. The subfamily contains approximately 14 genera and over 480 described species worldwide, with Trimorus alone comprising 389 species. Taxonomic placement has shifted historically, having been treated previously as a subfamily of Platygastridae before molecular analyses reclassified Scelionidae as a subfamily within Platygastridae.
Telenominae
Telenominae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae (formerly placed in Platygastridae). Members are solitary egg parasitoids, primarily attacking eggs of Hemiptera, particularly stink bugs (Pentatomidae) and related families in the superfamily Pentatomoidea. The subfamily includes genera such as Telenomus, Trissolcus, Phanuromyia, and Eumicrosoma. Several species, notably Trissolcus japonicus (the Samurai Wasp), are used or studied as biological control agents for agricultural pests.
Telenomus
Telenomus is a genus of minute egg parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Telenominae, family Scelionidae. First described by Alexander Henry Haliday in 1833, species in this genus develop as parasitoids within the eggs of other insects, primarily targeting Lepidoptera and Hemiptera. Several species, notably T. remus and T. podisi, are important biological control agents used in integrated pest management programs against agricultural pests including fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and stink bugs (Euschistus spp.). The genus exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution with particular significance in tropical and subtropical agricultural systems.
Telenomus calvus
Telenomus calvus is a phoretic egg parasitoid of the spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris. Females exhibit a distinctive riding behavior, attaching to host bodies at 25 different locations with preference for the pronotum and femurs, using hypertrophied arolia for secure attachment. They dismount specifically during host oviposition to parasitize egg masses. The species has a relatively low fecundity of approximately 22 progeny per female, with female production peaking early in life and declining rapidly, while male production remains low and constant.
Telenomus podisi
Telenomus podisi is an egg parasitoid wasp first described by William Harris Ashmead in 1893. It is a primary natural enemy of stink bugs (Pentatomidae), with Euschistus heros documented as its principal host. The species has been extensively studied for biological control applications in soybean and other agricultural systems, particularly in Brazil. Laboratory studies demonstrate that females can form olfactory memories during immature development, with learned preferences persisting up to 72 hours post-emergence. The species is susceptible to several insecticides including imidacloprid, which is lethal, while some organic products show greater selectivity.
Telenomus tabanivorus
Telenomus tabanivorus is a species of egg parasitoid wasp in the family Scelionidae, first described by Ashmead in 1895. The species epithet 'tabanivorus' suggests an association with tabanid flies (horse flies and deer flies) as hosts, though specific host records remain poorly documented in the accessible literature. As a member of the genus Telenomus, it belongs to a group of parasitoid wasps widely utilized in biological control programs for their effectiveness in suppressing pest populations through egg parasitism.
Tetracampidae
Tetracampidae is a small family of parasitic wasps within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, comprising approximately 44 species in 15 genera. These wasps are parasitoids of phytophagous insects, with most known hosts being flies (Diptera), particularly those that mine in plants. Some species also parasitize eggs of sawflies (Diprionidae) and beetles (Chrysomelidae, Cassididae). The family is predominantly distributed in the Old World, with species almost entirely absent from the New World. The biology of most species remains poorly studied.
Trichogramma
Trichogramma wasps, egg parasitoid wasps
Trichogramma is a genus of minute polyphagous wasps that are endoparasitoids of insect eggs. With over 200 species worldwide, it is one of approximately 80 genera in the family Trichogrammatidae. These wasps are among the most extensively studied and widely used biological control agents globally, with more than a thousand published papers on their biology and applications. Trichogramma species have also gained attention in neuroscience research due to their extremely small brain size—fewer than 10,000 neurons—while still exhibiting complex behaviors.
biological-controlegg-parasitoidintegrated-pest-managementneuroscience-modelWolbachiamass-rearingagricultural-pest-managementChalcidoideaTrichogrammatidaeaugmentative-biological-controlinundative-releasesustainable-agriculturerice-pest-managementcotton-pest-managementorchard-pest-managementforest-pest-managementparthenogenesischemosensory-biologyminiaturizationbrain-evolutionTrichogrammatidae
trichogrammatid wasps, egg parasitoid wasps
Trichogrammatidae are a family of minute endoparasitoid wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea, containing over 840 species in approximately 80 genera with worldwide distribution. Adults of most species measure less than 1 mm in length, with some species of Megaphragma reaching less than 300 μm—among the smallest insects known. The family is distinguished by 3-segmented tarsi, paddle-shaped forewings fringed with marginal cilia, and a unique nervous system adaptation where adult neurons function without nuclei. Trichogrammatids are economically important as biological control agents, parasitizing eggs of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera.
Trimorus
Trimorus is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Teleasinae, family Scelionidae. These wasps are egg parasitoids of ground beetles (Carabidae), with females laying eggs inside beetle eggs. The genus is highly diverse, with approximately 389 described species worldwide, though many more likely remain undescribed. Members exhibit striking sexual dimorphism and wing polymorphism, with both sexes showing variation from fully winged to completely wingless forms.
Trisacantha
Trisacantha is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae, first described by Ashmead in 1887. Members of this genus are minute wasps that develop as parasitoids of insect eggs. The genus is placed within the superfamily Platygastroidea, a group characterized by reduced wing venation and specialized host-finding behaviors. Only one observation of this genus is currently documented on iNaturalist, indicating either rarity or undercollection.
Trissolcus
samurai wasps
Trissolcus is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Scelionidae, comprising at least 180 described species. Members are obligate egg parasitoids of true bugs in the infraorder Pentatomomorpha, including stink bugs (Pentatomidae). The genus has gained significant attention due to the biological control potential of several species, particularly Trissolcus japonicus (the "samurai wasp"), against the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). Taxonomic challenges have historically complicated identification, with recent revisionary work resolving numerous synonymies and clarifying species boundaries.
Trissolcus brochymenae
Trissolcus brochymenae is a tiny parasitoid wasp in the family Scelionidae, known primarily as an egg parasitoid of stink bugs (Pentatomidae). The species has been documented parasitizing eggs of the rough stink bug genus Brochymena in North America, and has been studied for its responses to host semiochemicals and plant surface chemistry. Research indicates that its foraging behavior is influenced by synomones adsorbed onto leaf epicuticular waxes, with chemical cues from host feeding and oviposition activity playing critical roles in host location and recognition.
Trissolcus edessae
Trissolcus euschisti
Trissolcus euschisti is a scelionid parasitoid wasp approximately 1.5 mm in length that attacks the eggs of stink bugs (Pentatomidae), particularly species in the genus Euschistus. The species exhibits habitat partitioning with the congeneric parasitoid Telenomus podisi, showing greater abundance on woody host plants while T. podisi dominates herbaceous vegetation. It has been investigated as a potential biological control agent for brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) and demonstrates flexible reproductive strategies, including the ability to develop in hosts where resources have been partially utilized by prior parasitoid activity.
Uropelma formosum
Uropelma formosum is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Eupelmidae, described by Sharkov in 1988. The genus Uropelma belongs to the chalcidoid wasp superfamily, a diverse group of tiny parasitoids. Distribution records indicate presence in Cuba (CU). The family Eupelmidae comprises species that are primarily parasitoids of insect eggs and larvae.