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HYMENOPTERA, Eucharitidae (Walker 1846) = Eucharidae (Chalcidoidea) <Images> & <Juveniles>

Eucharitidae. -- (= Eucharidae) -- These are distinctive in their appearance and habits. They are medium-sized, black or metallic blue or green in color, with the abdomen petiolate and the scutellum sometimes spined. The thorax appears humpbacked. They are parasitoids of the pupae of ants. The eggs are laid in large numbers on the leaves or buds and hatch into tiny flattened larvae called planidia. These planidia lie in wait on vegetation or on the ground and attach to passing ants, which carry them to the ant nests. Once in the nest, the planidia leave the worker ant that and attach to ant larvae; they do little or no feeding on the larvae of the ant, but feed after the larva has pupated.

References: Please refer to <biology.ref.htm>, [Additional references may be found at: MELVYL Library ]

Ayre, G. L. 1962. Pseudometagea schwarzii (Ashmead) (Eucharitidae, Hymenoptera), a parasite of Lasius neoniger Emery (Formicidae, Hymenoptera). Canad. J. Zool. 40: 152-64.

Bou…ek, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea, a biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB Internatl., Wallingford, UK. 832 p.

Burks, B. D. 1961. The species of Pseudometagea Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Eucharitidae). Ent. News 72(10): 253-57.

Clausen, C. P. 1940a. J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 30: 504-16.

Clausen, C. P. 1940b. Entomophagous Insects. McGraw-Hill, NY. 688 p.

Gahan, A. B. 1940. A contribution to the knowledge of the Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 88: 425-45, 458.

Narendran, T. C. 1988. Family Eucharitidae. In: B. R. Subba-Rao, & M. Hayat (eds.), Oriental Insects, Vol. 19. Association For The Study of Oriental. Insects, Gainesville, FL. 329 p.

Prinsloo, G. L. 1980. An illustrated guide to the families of African Chalcidoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Rep. So. Africa, Dept. Agr. & Fisheries Sci. Bull. 395. 66 p.

Ruschka, F. 1924. Deut. Ent. Ztsch. p. 82-9.

Trjapitcyn, V. A. 1978/1987. Family Eucharitidae (Eucharitids). In: G. S. Medvedev (ed.) 1987, Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR. Vol. 3 Hymenoptera, Pt. 2. Akad. Nauk., Zool. Inst., Leningrad, SSSR. (trans. fr. Russian, Amerind. Publ. Co., Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi). 1341 p.

Watanabe, C. 1958. Insects of Micronesia. 19: 19-34.

Wheeler, W. M. & J. Wheeler. 1937. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 30: 163-75.

Yoshimoto, C. M. 1984. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada. Part 12. The Families and Subfamilies of Canadian Chalcidoid Wasps, Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea. Biosystematics Res. Inst., Ottawa, Ontario, Res. Br. Agr. Canada Publ. 1760. 149 p.