This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Aphelinidae is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Aphelinidae | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Diversity | ||||||||||||||
| 7 subfamilies c.35 genera c.1160 species |
||||||||||||||
| Subfamilies | ||||||||||||||
|
Aphelininae |
Aphelinidae is a moderate-sized family of tiny parasitic wasps, with some 1160 described species in some 35 genera. These minute insects are challenging to study as they deteriorate rapidly after death unless extreme care is taken (e.g., preservation in ethanol), making identification of most museum specimens difficult. The larvae of the majority are primary parasitoids on Hemiptera, though other hosts are attacked, and details of the life history can be variable (e.g., some attack eggs, some attack pupae, and others are hyperparasites). They are found throughout the world in virtually all habitats, and are extremely important as biological control agents.
They are difficult to separate from other Chalcidoidea except by subtle features of the wing venation and other difficult characters, and it appears the family is paraphyletic, and therefore likely to be split up in the future (e.g., the Azotinae and Calesinae may become separate families).
External links
- Universal Chalcidoidea Database
- Research on Aphelinidae
- a citrus blackfly parasitoid, Encarsia opulenta on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
- a citrus whitefly parasitoid, Encarsia lahorensis on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 23 November 2008, at 22:44.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Aphelinidae".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.