Larval-parasitoid
Guides
Actia
Actia is a genus of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) in the tribe Siphonini. These flies are parasitoids of lepidopteran larvae, with species recorded from hosts including spruce budworm, black-headed budworm, and various noctuid moths. The genus contains at least eight Nearctic species, including four described relatively recently (A. dasymyia, A. dimorpha, A. radialis, A. sternalis). Species are grouped into three species groups based on morphological and phylogenetic affinities: autumnalis-group, lamia-group, and crassicornis-group.
Anthrax irroratus
Spotted Bee Fly
Anthrax irroratus is a bee fly (family Bombyliidae) widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Adults are pollinators that frequent flowers, while larvae are parasitoids of solitary bees and wasps in at least five families. The species is one of numerous bee flies that exploit ground-nesting Hymenoptera as hosts.
Billaea
Billaea is a genus of tachinid flies comprising approximately 80 described species. Most larvae are parasitoids of beetle larvae, particularly cerambycids and lucanids, with some species attacking lepidopteran hosts in the family Pyralidae. Several species have been investigated as biological control agents for agricultural and forestry pests, including palm weevils and sugarcane borers.
Macrocentrus pyraustae
Macrocentrus pyraustae is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, described by Viereck in 1917. The species epithet 'pyraustae' indicates an association with moths in the family Crambidae (formerly Pyralidae), specifically the genus Ostrinia. It is a specialized parasitoid whose larvae develop within host caterpillars.
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.