Flat-wasps
Guides
Anisepyris
Anisepyris is a genus of flat wasps in the family Bethylidae, subfamily Epyrinae. The genus contains 13 recognized species-groups and is primarily distributed in the Neotropical region with limited representation in the Nearctic. A recent phylogenetic analysis based on 120 morphological characters across 72 operational taxonomic units resolved well-supported relationships among species and identified key synapomorphies. The genus is hypothesized to have a relatively recent origin, with historical dispersal patterns linked to dense forest habitats.
Bethylidae
Flat wasps
Bethylidae is a family of aculeate wasps in the superfamily Chrysidoidea, commonly known as flat wasps due to their dorsoventrally compressed body form. The family exhibits a biology intermediate between parasitoid and predatory wasps: females sting and paralyze prey (primarily beetle and lepidopteran larvae), then oviposit on the immobilized hosts. Most species are small (2–10 mm), with females often wingless or apterous while males are always winged. The family contains eight recognized subfamilies and approximately 96 genera, with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions.
Pseudisobrachium
flat wasps
Pseudisobrachium is a genus of chrysidoid wasps in the family Bethylidae, commonly known as flat wasps. The genus was erected by Kieffer in 1904 and has undergone substantial taxonomic expansion, particularly from the Brazilian Amazon region where 33 new species were described in a 2024 monograph. The genus now contains approximately 40+ species, with most diversity concentrated in Neotropical regions.