Eulophidae
Guides
Minotetrastichus frontalis
Minotetrastichus frontalis is a chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae. It is an ectoparasitoid of leaf-mining moths in the genus Phyllonorycter, with larvae feeding on both larval and pupal stages of the host. The species has four larval instars and completes preimaginal development in 11–14 days.
Neochrysocharis
Neochrysocharis is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species in this genus are endoparasitoids of leafmining insects, particularly agromyzid flies. Some species exhibit host-feeding behavior and possess both thelytokous (asexual) and arrhenotokous (sexual) reproductive strains. Multiple species have been evaluated as biological control agents for invasive leafminer pests in agricultural systems.
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.
Neochrysocharis epimeralis
Neochrysocharis epimeralis is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, described by Christer Hansson in 1995. The species belongs to a genus known for parasitizing leaf-mining insects, particularly agromyzid flies. It has been recorded from multiple states in the eastern and central United States.
Neochrysocharis formosa
Neochrysocharis formosa is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae. It is a larval parasitoid of leafminers (Agromyzidae) and has been recorded as a parasitoid of Tuta absoluta (Gelechiidae) and Diprion pini (Diprionidae). The species exhibits host-feeding behavior and is widely used as a biological control agent in agricultural systems. Both thelytokous and arrhenotokous strains exist, with thelytokous strains showing superior biocontrol potential. Sex ratios are typically female-biased.
Notanisomorphella
Notanisomorphella is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eulophidae, established by Girault in 1913. Members are parasitoids with documented hosts including case-bearer moths (Coleophoridae), leaf-mining beetles, and spider eggs. The genus is poorly known, with only two observations recorded on iNaturalist.
Omphale
Omphale is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae, first described by Alexander Henry Haliday in 1833. These tiny chalcidoid wasps are part of the diverse Entedoninae subfamily, which contains numerous species that parasitize other insects. The genus has a wide geographic distribution including Europe and Asia, with recent taxonomic work documenting multiple species from China. Like other eulophids, Omphale species are likely associated with vegetation where their hosts occur, though specific host relationships remain poorly documented for most species.
Omphale obscurinotata
Omphale obscurinotata is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Girault in 1916. The genus Omphale comprises parasitoid wasps, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. It has been recorded in North America, including the United States and Canada.
Ophelimus
Eucalyptus gall wasps
Ophelimus is a genus of minute wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species in this genus are gall inducers, causing the formation of leaf galls on Eucalyptus plants. Several species, including O. maskelli and O. eucalypti, have become invasive pests in Eucalyptus plantations outside their native Australian range. The genus is subject to biological control efforts using parasitoids such as Closterocerus chamaeleon.
Paracrias
Paracrias is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae, occurring exclusively in the New World with greatest diversity in the tropics. Larvae are gregarious parasitoids of immature stages of beetles, primarily within Curculionoidea. Host records include weevils (Curculionidae), leaf-rolling weevils (Attelabidae), and bruchine seed beetles (Chrysomelidae). The genus has been studied for its potential as a biological control agent of seed and bud pests.
Paragaleopsomyia
Paragaleopsomyia is a genus of minute parasitic wasps in the family Eulophidae, subfamily Tetrastichinae. The genus was described by Girault in 1917. Like other eulophid wasps, members of this genus are likely parasitoids of other insects, though specific host associations remain poorly documented. The genus is known from the Nearctic region.
Paraolinx
Paraolinx is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Eulophidae, first described by Ashmead in 1894. The genus belongs to the subfamily Eulophinae and is part of the diverse parasitoid wasp fauna associated with various insect hosts. Records indicate presence in Brazil (Minas Gerais). The genus is included in phylogenetic analyses of the tribe Cirrospilini, a group of eulophine wasps that includes many parasitoids of leaf-mining and other concealed-feeding insects.
Pediobius
Pediobius is a genus of minute chalcid wasps in the family Eulophidae, containing over 200 described species. The larvae are parasitoids of various arthropods, primarily insects. Several species have been employed in biological pest control programs, including Pediobius foveolatus against Mexican bean beetles and Pediobius cajanus against the Asian fly in pigeon pea crops.
Pediobius albipes
Pediobius albipes is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Provancher in 1887. The species is known from Canada, with records from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. Like other members of the genus Pediobius, it is presumed to be a parasitoid, though specific host associations and biological details remain poorly documented. The specific epithet 'albipes' refers to white feet or legs, a common naming convention in this genus.
Pediobius alcaeus
Pediobius alcaeus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Walker in 1839. It belongs to a genus known for biological control of agricultural pests. The species has been recorded in multiple Canadian provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. Like other Pediobius species, it likely functions as a parasitoid of insect hosts, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in available sources.
Pediobius aphidiphagus
Pediobius aphidiphagus is a parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Ashmead in 1887. The species epithet 'aphidiphagus' indicates its association with aphid hosts. It belongs to a genus of chalcid wasps that are predominantly parasitoids of various insect hosts. Distribution records indicate presence in Canada across multiple provinces including British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. The species is part of a taxonomic group that includes economically important biocontrol agents, though specific biological details for this species remain limited in available literature.
Pnigalio
Pnigalio is a genus of chalcidoid wasps in the family Eulophidae containing nearly 100 described species, of which approximately half are considered valid. Species within this genus are parasitoids of other insects, with documented hosts including beetles, flies, hymenopterans, and lepidopterans. The genus exhibits considerable biological diversity: some species are ectoparasites, others are parasitoids, and some function as hyperparasitoids. Several species have been studied as biological control agents for agricultural pests, particularly leaf-mining insects.
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.
Pnigalio maculipes
Pnigalio maculipes is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Crawford in 1913. The genus Pnigalio comprises small chalcid wasps known as parasitoids of various insect hosts. Species in this genus are typically associated with leaf-mining insects and other herbivorous arthropods. The specific epithet 'maculipes' refers to spotted legs, a morphological trait characteristic of this species.
Pnigalio minio
Pnigalio minio is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Walker in 1847. It is a small parasitoid wasp belonging to a genus known for attacking leaf-mining insects. The species has been recorded across multiple Canadian provinces. Like other eulophids, it likely plays a role in biological control of herbivorous insects.
Quadrastichus
Quadrastichus is a genus of small parasitic wasps in the family Eulophidae, subfamily Tetrastichinae. The genus includes species with diverse ecological roles: some are gall-inducing pests of trees, while others are ectoparasitoids used in biological control programs. Notable species include Quadrastichus erythrinae, an invasive gall wasp that damages Erythrina (coral trees) in tropical and subtropical regions, and Q. mendeli, an obligate ectoparasitoid of the eucalyptus pest Leptocybe invasa that has been successfully established for biological control across multiple countries.
Sympiesis
Sympiesis is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species are primarily ectoparasitoids of lepidopteran larvae, particularly leaf-mining moths in the family Gracillariidae, though some species attack other caterpillar groups including Hesperiidae (skippers) and Hyblaeidae. Several species have been studied for their potential as biological control agents of agricultural pests. The genus has been documented from North America, Europe, and South Asia.
Sympiesis dolichogaster
Sympiesis dolichogaster is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by William H. Ashmead in 1888. The species epithet 'dolichogaster' refers to its elongated abdomen. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to be a parasitoid of lepidopteran larvae, though specific host records for this species are limited. The species has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning Asia, Australia, and the Caucasus region.
Sympiesis marilandia
Sympiesis marilandia is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, described by Girault in 1917. It is a member of the genus Sympiesis, which contains numerous species of small chalcidoid wasps that parasitize various insect hosts. The species is recorded from multiple provinces in Canada, suggesting a temperate North American distribution. Like other Eulophidae, it is presumed to be a parasitoid, though specific host associations for this species have not been documented in the available sources.
Sympiesis sericeicornis
Sympiesis sericeicornis is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae. Research has focused on its sensory biology, specifically the role of mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors in host location behavior. The species has been recorded from northeastern North America and western Canada.
Tamarixia
Tamarixia is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae, primarily known as parasitoids of psyllids (jumping plant lice, superfamily Psylloidea). The genus was established by Mercet in 1924 and contains approximately 50 described species distributed worldwide. Most species are ectoparasitoids, though at least one species has been recorded as an endoparasitoid. Several species, particularly T. radiata and T. triozae, are important biological control agents used in integrated pest management programs for citrus and solanaceous crops.
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.
Tetrastichus
Tetrastichus is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species in this genus are known biological control agents that parasitize various insect hosts, including beetles and moths. Several species have been introduced to North America to manage invasive pests, including T. planipennisi for emerald ash borer control. The genus exhibits endoparasitoid development, with females using elongated ovipositors to deposit eggs inside host larvae concealed under bark or within plant tissue.
Zagrammosoma
tattooed wasps
Zagrammosoma is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae, commonly known as tattooed wasps. The genus contains 26 recognized species worldwide and is morphologically distinct from the related genus Cirrospilus. Members are parasitoids of leaf-mining insect larvae, primarily in the orders Lepidoptera and Diptera, with some species also attacking Hymenoptera leafminers. Several species have been documented as biological control agents for agricultural pests.
Zagrammosoma flavolineatum
Zagrammosoma flavolineatum is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Crawford in 1913. A revision of the genus Zagrammosoma synonymized Zagrammosoma mirum under this species. It is one of 26 recognized species in a genus characterized by distinctive striped or 'tattooed' color patterns. The species has been recorded from multiple localities in western North America and Hawaii.
Zagrammosoma interlineatum
Zagrammosoma interlineatum is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, elevated from synonymy in a 2021 revision of the genus. It belongs to a group of small parasitoid wasps commonly known as "tattooed wasps" for their distinctive body markings. The genus Zagrammosoma is worldwide in distribution and morphologically distinct from the related genus Cirrospilus. Species in this genus are generally associated with leaf-mining insects as hosts.
Zagrammosoma multilineatum
Zagrammosoma multilineatum is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae, first described by Ashmead in 1888. It belongs to a genus of chalcidoid wasps known for their association with leaf-mining insects. The species has been recorded across multiple Canadian provinces, suggesting a broad northern distribution.