Eucharitidae
Guides
Kapala
Kapala is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Eucharitidae, established by Cameron in 1884. The genus is the most common and widely distributed eucharitine genus in the Neotropics, associated with poneromorph ants as hosts. Eucharitid wasps are highly specialized parasitoids whose larvae develop inside ant colonies.
Kapala floridana
Kapala floridana is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eucharitidae, originally described by Ashmead in 1885 as Thoracantha floridana. The genus Kapala comprises parasitoid wasps that are among the largest in their family, with species ranging from 3 to 9 mm in length. Members of this genus are presumed to parasitize the eggs of orthopterans, including grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. The specific biology and host relationships of K. floridana remain poorly documented.
Obeza
Obeza is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eucharitidae containing eight described species. Members of this genus are parasitoids of ants, with Obeza floridana specifically documented as parasitizing Camponotus abdominalis floridanus in Florida. The genus was established by Heraty in 1985.
Obeza floridana
Obeza floridana is a parasitoid wasp in the family Eucharitidae. It is known specifically from Florida, where it parasitizes the ant Camponotus abdominalis floridanus. The species was first described by Ashmead in 1888 and was originally placed in the genus Lophyrocera. Eucharitid wasps are specialized ant parasitoids that typically attack mature ant larvae or pupae within host colonies.
Obeza septentrionalis
Obeza septentrionalis is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eucharitidae, first described by Brues in 1907. Members of this genus are known as ant parasites, with females laying eggs in vegetation and larvae attaching to passing ants to be carried into nests where they complete development. The specific epithet "septentrionalis" (northern) suggests a geographic association, though detailed distribution records are limited. Like other Eucharitidae, this species likely exhibits highly specialized host relationships with particular ant species.
Orasema
Orasema is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eucharitidae containing at least 50 described species. These wasps are specialized parasitoids of myrmicine ants (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with documented hosts including Pheidole, Wasmannia, and Solenopsis. The genus is widespread in the New World, ranging from northern Argentina to southern Canada. Several species groups have been established based on morphology and molecular phylogeny, with the stramineipes group being the most diverse. Some species have been associated with minor agricultural damage when ovipositing into crop plant leaves.
Orasema castilloae
Orasema castilloae is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eucharitidae, described in 2020. It belongs to the Orasema tolteca species group, one of several species groups within the widespread New World genus Orasema. Members of this genus are specialized parasitoids of myrmicine ants (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). The species is known from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Orasema costaricensis
Orasema costaricensis is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Eucharitidae, first described by Wheeler & Wheeler in 1937. Like other members of the genus Orasema, it is likely a parasitoid of ant larvae, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented. The species name indicates its Costa Rican origin. Records from the Galápagos Islands suggest some dispersal capacity or potential human-mediated introduction.
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.
Pseudochalcura
Pseudochalcura is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eucharitidae, containing approximately 14 described species. All species are specialized parasitoids of ants (Formicidae). The genus is widespread in the New World, ranging from the Yukon and Alaska to northern Chile and Argentina.