Small-wasps
Guides
Acanosema
Acanosema is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Diapriidae, first described by Jean-Jacques Kieffer in 1908. Members of this genus are small, inconspicuous wasps that develop as parasitoids, likely of other insects. The genus is documented from northern Europe, with records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As with many diapriid genera, detailed biological information remains limited due to their small size and cryptic habits.
Chrysidoidea
Cuckoo Wasps and Allies
Chrysidoidea is a large, cosmopolitan superfamily of aculeate wasps comprising approximately 6,000 described species across seven extant families. The group includes three large, common families—Bethylidae, Chrysididae (cuckoo wasps), and Dryinidae—and four small, rare families—Embolemidae, Plumariidae, Sclerogibbidae, and Scolebythidae. All members are parasitoids or cleptoparasites of other insects. The superfamily is traditionally considered the basal taxon within Aculeata, with some species capable of stinging though their venom is harmless to humans. Members of Dryinidae and Embolemidae exhibit a unique life cycle where larvae begin development inside the host body and later form an external sac (thylacium) protruding from the host abdomen.