File: <mymarom.htm> [For educational purposes only] Glossary <Principal Natural Enemy Groups > <Citations> <Home>

HYMENOPTERA, Mymarommatidae (= Callimomidae) (Mymarommatoidea)

(or Serphitoidea) (= Callimomidae) <Adults> & <Juveniles>

Mymarommatidae (= Callimomidae) This is a very small family of tiny insects. Only 10 living species in 1 genus have been described with others being known only as fossils. They had occurred worldwide. So that more are certain to be found. Nevertheless, they they are easily missed and difficult to study because of their small size of only 0.32 mm. long.

Little is known about the biology of these insects but because of their size, and simple ovipositor, it is thought that they are parasitoids on the eggs of other insects. They were originally placed as a subfamily of the chalcidoid family Mymaridae but, because of morphological differences, are now considered in their own superfamily, Mymarommatoidea, and their similarity to Mymaridae is probably a case of convergent evolution.

There is no agreement as to the nearest living relatives of the Mymarommatidae. It haas been suggested that nearest relatives are the extinct family Serphitidae, and thus the Mymarommatidae could be considered as "living fossils", a surviving lineage of an extinct superfamily Serphitoidea.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

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

Debauche, H. R. 1948. Etude sur les Mymarommidae et les Mymaridae de la Belgique (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea). Mém. Mus. R. Hist. Nat. Belg. 108: 1-248.

Gibson, G. A. P. & C. M. Yoshimoto. Three new species of Paleomymar Munier from the New World (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Mymarommatidae). [Yoshimoto 1984 noted "in preparation"].

Nikol'skaya, M. N. 1978/1987. Family Serphitidae (Serphitids). 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.

Schlüter, T. 1978. Zur Systematik und Palökologie harzkonservierter Anthropoda einer Taphozönose aus dem Cenomanium von NW-Frankreich. Berliner geowiss. Dietrich Reimer. Abh. 9: 1-99.

Yoshimoto, C. M. 1975. Cretaceous chalcidoid fossils from Canadian amber. Canad. Ent. 107: 499-528.

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.