Parasitoid-wasps
Guides
Acmopolynema
fairyflies
Acmopolynema is a genus of fairyflies (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) established by Ogloblin in 1946. Species in this genus are minute parasitoid wasps, with new species described from India and distributional records from China, Japan, Madagascar, and other regions. The genus belongs to a family renowned for containing some of the smallest known insects.
Agrilus planipennis
Emerald Ash Borer, EAB
Agrilus planipennis, the emerald ash borer, is a highly destructive invasive beetle native to northeastern Asia. First detected in North America in 2002 (Michigan) and European Russia in 2003, it has since spread to 36 U.S. states, five Canadian provinces, and across Eastern Europe. The species has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees, causing severe ecological and economic damage. In its native range, it occurs at low densities without significant tree mortality; in invaded regions, it typically kills over 90% of ash trees within 2–4 years of establishment.
Anogmus
Anogmus is a genus of chalcidoid wasps in the family Pteromalidae, first described by Foerster in 1856. These small parasitoid wasps belong to the subfamily Pteromalinae and are part of the diverse radiation of pteromalid wasps that attack various insect hosts. The genus is documented from parts of northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Poland.
Asamangulia
Asamangulia is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. The GBIF checklist recognizes six accepted species. Occurrence databases contain records from several Asian countries, but those records are not a complete map of the genus’s range. A. cuspidata is the best-documented example in the available agricultural literature, where it is treated as a sugarcane leaf miner.
Asthenolabus
Asthenolabus is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae, first described by Heinrich in 1951. The genus belongs to the diverse parasitoid wasp family, whose members are characterized by their role as parasitoids of other insects. Records indicate presence in Scandinavia, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Blacinae
Blacinae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps in Braconidae. A taxonomic account describes it as cosmopolitan and recognizes five tribes and 14 genera. Its members are not ecologically identical, so one genus should not stand for the whole subfamily. Xyeloblacus is one documented example; its members have been reported as parasitoids of Xyela sawflies.
Bootanomyia
Bootanomyia is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Megastigmidae. Members are small chalcidoid wasps that develop as parasitoids within oak galls induced by cynipid gall wasps. Two European species morphologically keyed to B. dorsalis have been introduced to North America: one clade found in New York, and another in the Pacific Northwest. These introductions represent the first documented cases of Bootanomyia establishment in North America.
Botanochara
*Botanochara* is a genus of tortoise beetles (leaf beetles in Chrysomelidae). A 2014 revision of the Argentine fauna recognized 43 species across the Neotropical Region, including 26 recorded from Argentina. The genus is especially notable for its varied relationships with plants and for species that shelter in birds’ nests; in one documented case, a parasitoid wasp rode an adult beetle to reach its eggs.
Centistini
Centistini is a tribe of insects in the braconid wasp family Braconidae and the subfamily Euphorinae. Taxonomic databases recognize the name as an accepted tribe, but provide little consolidated natural-history information at tribe level. The group includes several genera; published work on Centistes has documented substantial undescribed diversity in Costa Rica. A careful guide must distinguish evidence about the tribe from findings about particular genera or species.
Ceraphron
Ceraphron is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Ceraphronidae, superfamily Ceraphronoidea. These wasps are among the least known members of the Hymenoptera, with very little published information on their biology, ecology, or host associations. The genus serves as the type genus for both its family and superfamily. Ceraphron species are morphologically diverse and have proven difficult to characterize using standard DNA barcoding methods due to their unusual molecular properties.
Chrysolampidae
Chrysolampidae is a small family of parasitoid wasps within the chalcid superfamily Chalcidoidea. It includes Chrysolampinae and Philomidinae, with nine genera listed in the family overview. Biology is unevenly documented: some species have known hosts and development, while other relationships remain uncertain. Regional revisions provide more detailed evidence for particular lineages.
Colpa
Colpa is a genus of scoliid wasps comprising 24 recognized species distributed across six subgenera. Phylogenetic analysis has repositioned this genus from the tribe Campsomerini to a sister-group relationship with Scoliini, rendering Campsomerini non-monophyletic. This taxonomic revision has prompted proposals for either establishing a new tribe Colpini or transferring the genus to Scoliini. Species occur across multiple continents including North America, Africa, and Eurasia.
Crabronidae
Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, Digger Wasps
Crabronidae is a large family of solitary wasps within the superfamily Apoidea, containing over 200 genera and more than 9,000 species. Formerly treated as a subfamily of Sphecidae, it was elevated to family status following taxonomic revision. The family is now recognized as paraphyletic, with bees (Anthophila) and Sphecidae having arisen from within it. Members are commonly known as square-headed wasps, sand wasps, and digger wasps.
Cratocentrinae
Cratocentrinae is a subfamily of chalcid wasps (Chalcididae) established by Steffan in 1951. The group was historically recognized by specific morphological characters that have been subject to recent reappraisal. West Palaearctic species were reviewed in 2018, with first European records documented and two new species described. The subfamily includes genera such as Cratocentrus and Philocentrus.
Diapriinae
Diapriinae is a subfamily of minute parasitoid wasps within the family Diapriidae. Members are typically 1–8 mm in length, with most species averaging 2–4 mm. They are characterized by a distinctive ledge-like extension of the face above the clypeus (the "shelf face"), from which the antennae originate. The subfamily contains three tribes: Diapriini, Psilini, and Spilomicrini. Most species are parasitoids of Diptera larvae and pupae, particularly fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae and Sciaridae), though some lineages have evolved specialized associations with ants. Many species remain undescribed, with an estimated 4,500 species worldwide compared to approximately 2,300 currently described.
Dielis
scoliid wasps
Dielis is a New World genus of scoliid wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) in the tribe Campsomerini, formerly treated as a subgenus of Campsomeris. The genus comprises 12 species of medium to large solitary aculeate wasps distributed from Canada to southern South America. Adults are nectar-feeders, while larvae develop as ectoparasitoids of scarab beetle grubs in soil. The genus is notable for pronounced sexual dimorphism in color pattern and body structure, and for unusual mitochondrial genome architecture including a split cox2 gene.
Diparinae
Diparinae is a subfamily of tiny parasitoid wasps in the chalcidoid family Pteromalidae. A world revision recognized 116 species in 14 genera, although classification and species limits can change as the group is studied. Adult females are united by a distinctive cercal brush and, in combination with that brush, the lack of a smooth, convex dorsellum on the thorax. Records show that diparines develop in more than one kind of host, including weevil relatives, mantid egg cases, and a tsetse-fly puparium.
Dissomphalus
Dissomphalus is the most species-rich genus in the family Bethylidae (Hymenoptera), with over 600 valid species globally. The genus exhibits exceptional diversity in the Neotropical region, where the majority of species occur, though it has a cosmopolitan distribution including the Oriental region and southwestern Pacific islands. Species delimitation relies heavily on male genitalia characters and metasomal tergal process structures, with species-groups defined primarily by these morphological features. Taxonomic revisions have revealed high levels of undescribed diversity, particularly in underexplored regions such as Panama, Thailand, and the Fiji-Solomon Islands archipelago.
Earinini
Earinini is a tribe of parasitoid wasps within the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Members of this tribe are small wasps that parasitize other insects. The tribe is relatively small and poorly documented compared to other braconid tribes.
Eulophidae
Eulophidae is a large family of minute chalcidoid wasps comprising over 4,300 described species in approximately 300 genera. Members are distinguished by having only four tarsomeres on each leg, a small straight protibial spur, and antennae with two to four funicle segments and at most 10 antennomeres. The majority of species are primary parasitoids of arthropods across all developmental stages, with exceptional diversity in host associations including thrips, leafhoppers, gall wasps, and various other insects. The family includes the former family Elasmidae (now subfamily Elasminae) and is represented globally across virtually all terrestrial habitats, including one aquatic species that parasitizes water-penny beetles.
Eusandalinae
Eusandalinae is a subfamily of chalcidoid wasps in the family Eupelmidae, established in the modern reclassification of Chalcidoidea. The group is small in the current registry, with six descendant taxa, and its members are known mainly through taxonomic studies rather than broad natural-history observations. A recent revision of the New World genus Archaeopelma recognized seven species from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, providing the clearest geographic examples for the subfamily. Identification relies on small structural features of the antennae, eyes, clypeus, labrum, and tentorial bridges.
Evaniella
Evaniella is a genus of ensign wasps (family Evaniidae) established by Bradley in 1905. The genus contains more than 70 described species, making it one of the larger genera within its family. Members of this genus share the characteristic ensign wasp body plan, including the distinctive laterally compressed abdomen that gives the family its common name.
Gallorommatidae
Gallorommatidae is an extinct family of very small wasps in Mymarommatoidea. It is known from fossil inclusions preserved in Cretaceous amber, not from living populations. Described material includes Galloromma and Cretaceomma. Fossils from Europe, Myanmar, Russia, and Lebanon show occurrence in several Cretaceous amber-producing settings.
Heimbrinae
Heimbrinae is a small subfamily of chalcidoid wasps within the family Eurytomidae, established by Burks in 1971. Members of this subfamily are parasitoid wasps, though specific host associations remain poorly documented. The subfamily is rarely encountered, with only seven observations recorded on iNaturalist as of the source date. Heimbrinae represents one of several subfamilies within Eurytomidae, a family known for diverse life histories including both parasitoidism and phytophagy.
Helconini
Helconini is a tribe of braconid wasps placed in the subfamily Helconinae. Published studies describe members as koinobiont endoparasitoids: their larvae develop inside living, wood-boring beetle larvae, especially beetles in Cerambycidae and Buprestidae. The tribe has been studied in regional revisions, including Central Europe and Japan, but the biology of many species is still poorly documented. The name covers multiple genera and a geographically broad fauna, so observations from one species should not be generalized to the whole tribe.
Helcostizus
Helcostizus is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae, first described by Förster in 1869. The genus is poorly studied, with limited published information on its biology and ecology. Records indicate presence in Scandinavia. Species within this genus are parasitoid wasps, though specific host associations remain undocumented.
Heterospilini
Heterospilini is a tribe of braconid wasps in the subfamily Doryctinae. Its members are small parasitoid wasps, but the available biological record is uneven across the tribe. A detailed Costa Rica revision found that the tribe there is composed almost entirely of Heterospilus, with three smaller genera also present. Published host records show that at least some Heterospilus species develop in concealed insect hosts, especially hosts associated with plant stems.
Idiolispa
Idiolispa is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae, first described by Förster in 1869. The genus belongs to the hyperdiverse parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae, one of the largest families within Hymenoptera. Species in this genus are poorly documented in published literature, with limited biological and morphological data available. Records indicate presence in northern Europe.
Limonethe
Limonethe is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae containing approximately five described species. Members of this genus are distributed throughout the New World from Canada to Argentina. The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features including a nearly square-shaped areolet and large, dense punctures on the post-petiole. Many species exhibit infuscated wings, a red abdomen, and a black head and mesosoma with narrow white markings along the inner eye margins.
Lysiterminae
Lysiterminae is a subfamily of braconid wasps in the order Hymenoptera. Published studies document its members in the Old World, including species or genera described from India, Madagascar, and Thailand. The group is recognized and studied through formal taxonomic descriptions, identification keys, and, in one study, 28S ribosomal DNA evidence. Its biology includes parasitoid relationships: at least one Indian species was reared gregariously from a bagworm moth caterpillar.
Macrorileya
Macrorileya is a genus of chalcidoid wasps in the family Eurytomidae, established by Ashmead in 1900. Members of this genus are small parasitoid wasps, part of the diverse Eurytominae subfamily. The genus is rarely encountered in collections and poorly documented in biological literature. Species-level taxonomy remains unresolved for many members.
Microterys
Microterys is a large genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Encyrtidae (Chalcidoidea), with its center of distribution in the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Species are important natural enemies of various scale insects (Coccoidea), including soft scales (Coccidae), wax scales (Ceroplastes), and mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). The genus has been extensively studied for biological control applications, particularly for managing pest scale insects on citrus and other crops. Several species have been introduced to new regions as biocontrol agents, including Microterys flavus in California.
Microtypinae
Microtypinae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps within Braconidae. The subfamily contains a single genus, Microtypus Ratzeburg, with at least four described species. Iranian records include Microtypus trigonus (Nees, 1843), documented as a new country record. Host associations have been recorded for species in this subfamily.
Miracinae
miracine wasps
Miracinae is a poorly known subfamily of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae. These minute wasps, typically measuring 1–2 mm in length, are rarely collected using traditional methods but appear to be diverse in Australia and other regions. Recent taxonomic work has described multiple new species from Australia, Brazil, India, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, including three species named through citizen science collaboration with Australian school students.
Monomachidae
Monomachidae is a family of parasitoid wasps in the order Hymenoptera. The family contains the genera Monomachus and Chasca and is known from the Southern Hemisphere, especially tropical parts of the New World, as well as Australia and New Guinea. Members are unusual among wasps in having strongly developed mandibles and marked differences between the sexes. Available host records identify flies, but the biology of many species remains incompletely documented.
Neodiparidae
Neodiparidae is a small family of chalcidoid wasps whose members develop as parasitoids of other insects. The family is recorded from the Afrotropical and Palearctic regions and contains the subfamilies Elatoidinae and Neodiparinae. Published treatments recognize two included genera and emphasize that these wasps are rarely collected. Their known host records include scale insects, mealybugs, and gall wasps, and the host range varies among species.
Oligositini
Oligositini is a tribe of minute parasitoid wasps within the family Trichogrammatidae, established by Viggiani in 1971. Members of this tribe are classified in the subfamily Oligositinae. These chalcid wasps are among the smallest known insects, with most species measuring less than 1 mm in length. The tribe is distinguished by specific wing venation patterns and antennal structures that separate it from related trichogrammatid tribes.
Orthizema
Orthizema is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. First described by Förster in 1869, it belongs to the diverse parasitoid wasp lineage within Hymenoptera. The genus is documented from limited records in northern Europe.
Orthostigma
A genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Alysiinae, established by Ratzeburg in 1844. The genus has been subdivided into multiple subgenera including Whartonstigma and Patrisaspilota, with species described from Europe, Papua New Guinea, and broader Australasia. Taxonomic revisions indicate substantial morphological diversity within the genus, though biological data remain limited.
Oxysychus
Oxysychus is a genus of chalcidoid wasps in the family Pteromalidae, first described by Delucchi in 1956. Members belong to the tribe Pteromalini within the subfamily Pteromalinae. As with other pteromalids, these are likely small parasitoid wasps, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Oxytorinae
Oxytorinae is a subfamily of ichneumonid wasps within the family Ichneumonidae. The genus Oxytorus, the primary representative of this subfamily in the New World, comprises 11 described species with distribution ranging from North America through Central America to South America. The subfamily was first recorded in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2024 through DNA barcoding of historical specimens, representing a significant range extension for the group. Species identification relies on morphological features of the thorax, wings, and antennae, with taxonomic reviews providing illustrated keys for New World species.
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.
Pantolytini
Pantolytini is a tribe of parasitoid wasps in the family Diapriidae. The tribe contains genera such as Acanopsilus, with species distributed in Africa. A 2023 taxonomic revision synonymized the monotypic genus Masnerosema with Acanopsilus and provided an updated diagnosis for the tribe.
Peradeniidae
Peradeniidae is a small family of wasps in the proctotrupoid group of Hymenoptera. Its living members are placed in the genus Peradenia, which is reported from southeastern Australia and Tasmania. The family is unusual for its very limited modern distribution and for the contrast between its rare living species and its Baltic amber fossil record. Basic biology, including the hosts of the living species, remains incompletely known.
Phaeogenini
Phaeogenini is a tribe of ichneumon wasps within the subfamily Ichneumoninae, family Ichneumonidae. The tribe comprises at least 34 genera distributed across the Nearctic, Neotropical, and Palearctic regions. Taxonomic revisions have been published for multiple genera including Saltagenes, Heterischnus, Jethsura, and Lusius, indicating substantial undescribed diversity remains, particularly in Central and South America.
Praeaulacidae
Praeaulacidae is an extinct family of Mesozoic wasps placed in the evanioid lineage of Hymenoptera. Fossils assigned to the family range from the Middle Jurassic Callovian to the Late Cretaceous Cenomanian. The record includes compression fossils and amber inclusions from Eurasia, Australia, and Myanmar. The family documents early diversification within Evanioidea, but its fossils do not establish the detailed behavior of every member.
Pteromalini
Pteromalini is a tribe of chalcid wasps within the subfamily Pteromalinae (Pteromalidae). Members are small parasitoid wasps, part of the hyperdiverse superfamily Chalcidoidea. The tribe includes genera such as Miristhma, which contains rare and poorly collected species. Most biological details of the tribe remain undocumented.
Rotoitidae
rotoitid wasps
Rotoitidae is a very small family of chalcidoid wasps, known today from two extant genera and two extant species. One genus occurs in New Zealand and the other in southern Chile; many additional members are known only as fossils. Their biology remains poorly documented, although adults are associated with wet moss habitats and a parasitoid relationship with moss bugs has been proposed. The family is also known under the name Baeomorphidae in modern taxonomic treatments.
Rysepyris
Rysepyris is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Bethylidae, first described by Kieffer in 1906. Members of this genus are poorly known, with very few observations and limited taxonomic study. Bethylid wasps are generally ectoparasitoids of insect larvae, particularly beetles and moths.
Schwarzella
Schwarzella is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Chalcididae, described by Ashmead in 1904. The genus belongs to the tribe Hybothoracini within the subfamily Haltichellinae. Chalcidid wasps in this group are generally small parasitoids, though specific biological details for Schwarzella remain poorly documented. The genus is rarely encountered in field observations, with limited published natural history information.