Solitary-parasitoid
Guides
Aptesis
Aptesis is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Ichneumonidae, first described by Arnold Förster in 1850. The genus contains approximately 74 described species with an almost cosmopolitan distribution. Species within this genus are primarily ectoparasitoids of sawfly prepupae and cocoons, with some species serving as important biological control agents. Well-studied species include Aptesis nigrocincta, a bivoltine ectoparasitoid of apple sawfly cocoons, and Aptesis basizona, a parasitoid of pine sawflies used in classical biological control programs.
Chetogena
Chetogena is a genus of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) comprising parasitoid species. Members are solitary parasitoids that attack various Lepidoptera hosts. Some species exhibit specialized reproductive behaviors, including egg retention in response to host deprivation. The genus has been studied for biological control potential against agricultural pests.
Colpotrochia
Colpotrochia is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the subfamily Metopiinae, containing at least 61 described species. These small wasps, averaging 6–10 mm in body length, are larval-pupal endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera. Females use a short ovipositor to lay eggs in caterpillars, with wasps emerging from the host pupa rather than the adult moth. The genus has been recorded from North America, Brazil, and Europe.
Ephedrus
Ephedrus is a genus of small braconid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae, all species of which are obligate parasitoids of aphids. The genus includes both extant and fossil species, with records from the Eocene Baltic amber indicating an ancient evolutionary history. Multiple species have been evaluated or employed as biological control agents against agricultural pest aphids, particularly in greenhouse systems. Species-level studies reveal complex host discrimination behaviors involving external marking pheromones and internal host quality assessment.
Monoctonus
Monoctonus is a genus of solitary parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae). Species in this genus are specialized parasitoids of aphids, with females laying eggs in the thoracic nerve ganglia of host aphids. Multiple species have been documented, including M. paulensis, M. nervosus, M. paludum, and M. leclanti, with distributions spanning the Palearctic, Nearctic, and Oriental regions.