Wood-boring-beetle-parasitoid
Guides
Acaenitinae
Acaenitinae is a subfamily of parasitoid wasps within Ichneumonidae, comprising 28 genera distributed across all continents except Antarctica. The subfamily is poorly known biologically, with only one species (Acaenitus dubitator) reared to confirm its life history as a koinobiont endoparasitoid of weevil larvae. Females possess a distinctive large triangular projecting genital plate, a key diagnostic feature. Traditional tribal classification into Acaenitini and Coleocentrini remains debated, with molecular studies challenging the monophyly of Coleocentrini.
Acanthochalcis unispinosa
Acanthochalcis unispinosa is a large chalcidid wasp distinguished from its congener A. nigricans by the absence of white pubescent patches on the abdomen. It ranges from Texas to California and is a known parasitoid of jewel beetles (Buprestidae), particularly species in the genus Chrysobothris. The genus is notable among chalcidids for its large body size and extraordinarily long ovipositor, adaptations for reaching wood-boring beetle larvae in their galleries.
Aulacus dispilis
Aulacus dispilis is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Aulacidae, first described by Townes in 1950. The genus Aulacus comprises smaller species compared to the related genus Pristaulacus. Aulacid wasps are known parasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae, particularly Cerambycidae (longhorned beetles) and Buprestidae (jewel beetles), as well as larval wood wasps in Xiphydriidae. Like other aulacids, this species is seldom encountered due to its specialized habitat associations with recently cut or damaged wood.
Bothrideres geminatus
Bothrideres geminatus is a species of dry bark beetle in the family Bothrideridae. The species is found in North America, with records from Ontario, Canada and the United States. Its larvae develop under dry bark of dead trees, where they function as parasitoids of Chrysobothris beetle larvae. The species is part of a family whose members are predominantly parasitoids of wood-boring insects.
Chalcedectus
Chalcedectus is a genus of chalcid wasps constituting the sole genus of the monotypic family Chalcedectidae. Formerly classified within the subfamily Cleonyminae of Pteromalidae, molecular phylogenetic studies placed it in a distinct lineage within the 'weird clade' of Chalcidoidea. The genus comprises approximately 20 described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. Most species are parasitoids of wood-boring beetles.
Helcon
Helcon is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, first described by Nees in 1812. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Helconinae, a group characterized by their association with wood-boring beetle larvae as hosts. The genus is found in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with documented occurrences in Scandinavia. As with other braconid wasps, species in Helcon are likely solitary parasitoids, though specific biological details for most species remain poorly documented.
Liopteridae
Liopteridae is a family of parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Cynipoidea, comprising approximately 140 species across 10 genera. Members are primarily larval parasitoids of wood-boring beetles, with the first definitive host record confirming Paramblynotus koreanus as a parasitoid of the weevil Carcilia strigicollis. The family exhibits worldwide distribution with notable concentrations in the African Tropics and is associated with broadleaf forest habitats.
Megischus arizonicus
Arizona Crown Wasp
Megischus arizonicus is a species of crown wasp in the family Stephanidae, first described by Townes. Originally known only from Arizona, USA, the species has since been documented in central Mexico, expanding its known range significantly. Like other stephanids, it is a parasitoid wasp associated with wood-boring beetle larvae. The species exhibits the characteristic elongated, crown-like structure on the head that gives the family its common name. Records remain sparse, with only a handful of observations documented in biodiversity databases.
Neoxorides
Neoxorides is a genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Poemeniinae. The genus was established by Clément in 1938 and has undergone taxonomic revision, with some species formerly placed here now reassigned to other genera such as Podoschistus. Members are ectoparasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae. The genus has a Holarctic distribution, with records from Europe and North America.
Pristaulacus foxleei
Pristaulacus foxleei is a species of aulacid wasp in the family Aulacidae, described by Townes in 1950. It is native to North America, with records from western Canada including British Columbia. Like other members of its genus, it is a parasitoid wasp associated with wood-boring beetles. The species is one of approximately 32 aulacid species documented in North America.
Pristaulacus minor
Pristaulacus minor is a species of aulacid wasp in the family Aulacidae. Like other members of its genus, it is a parasitoid wasp associated with wood-boring beetles. The species is found in North America, with records from Canada including British Columbia.
Ropronia garmani
Ropronia garmani is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Roproniidae, a small and poorly known group of Hymenoptera. The species was described by William H. Ashmead in 1898. Roproniidae are considered relictual wasps with uncertain phylogenetic placement, sometimes allied with Stephanidae or other basal hymenopteran lineages. Very few specimens of R. garmani have been documented, with only 8 observations recorded on iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.
Sclerodermus carolinensis
Sclerodermus carolinensis is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Bethylidae, native to the southeastern United States. Adults are typically 1.5–6 mm in length and often wingless, making them easily mistaken for ants. The species parasitizes wood-boring beetles and occasionally co-infests homes where such beetles are present. Females are long-lived (up to seven months) and greatly outnumber males, which are short-lived (about one week).
Xorides albopictus
Xorides albopictus is a species of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae, first described by Cresson in 1870. It belongs to the genus Xorides, which comprises parasitoid wasps that attack wood-boring beetles. The specific epithet 'albopictus' (Latin for 'white-painted') likely refers to distinctive pale markings on the body. As with other members of its genus, this species is presumed to be a parasitoid of cerambycid or buprestid beetle larvae, though specific host records for X. albopictus appear limited in published literature.
Xorides calidus
Xorides calidus is a species of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It was described by Provancher in 1886. The genus Xorides belongs to the subfamily Poemeniinae, a group of parasitoid wasps known for attacking wood-boring beetle larvae. Members of this genus are typically associated with forest habitats where their hosts occur.
Xorides californicus
Xorides californicus is a species of ichneumon wasp in the subfamily Poemeniinae. It is a parasitoid wasp known to attack wood-boring beetle larvae. The species was described by Cresson in 1879 and is native to western North America, particularly California. Like other members of its genus, it possesses a long ovipositor used to reach beetle grubs tunneling in wood.
Xorides stigmapterus
Xorides stigmapterus is a species of ichneumonid wasp in the subfamily Poemeniinae. It was first described by Thomas Say in 1824. Members of this genus are parasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae. The species has been recorded in Canada, with specific locality data from Alberta.