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                     CLASSIFICATION OF HYMENOPTERA

                                                        (Contacts)

 

       Families in Green color                                                                                                                                              Hymenoptera Details

 

Insecta:  Holometabola

 

HYMENOPTERA

 

Suborder:  Symphyta (Chalastogastra)--sawflies  horntails

    (mostly phytophagous)   <Characteristics>

 

  Superfamily:  Cephoidea  <Overview>

    Cephidae (stem sawflies)

 

  Superfamily:  Pamphilioidea  <Overview>

       (= Megalodontoidea)

    Megalondontesidae (pectinate antennae) <Overview>

    Pamphiliidae (web-spoinning & leaf rolling sawflies)

                                 <Overview>

 

  Superfamily:  Orussoidea  <Overview>

    Orussidae (parasitic wood wasps)  <Overview>;  <Adults> 

                          <Juveniles>

 

  Superfamily:  Siricoidea  <Overview>

    Anaxyelidae (cedar wood wasp--1 species)

    Siricidae (horntails or wood wasps)  <Overview>

 

  Superfamily:  Tenthredinoidea (sawflies)

    Argidae (reduced antenna sawflies)  <Overview>

    Blasticotomidae (fern stem borers)

    Cimbicidae (hairy sawflies)

    Diprionidae (conifer sawflies)  <Overview>

    Pergidae (West Hemisphere & Australia sawflies)

    Tenthredinidae (largest sawfly family)  <Overview>;  <Adults>  

                                     <Juveniles>

 

  Superfamily:  Xyeloidea  <Overview>

    Xyelidae (oldest fossil Hymenoptera)

    Xiphydriidae (globose head wood wasps)

 

Suborder:  APOCRITA  (Aculeata (stinging Hymenoptera)

  Aculeata

    Superfamily:  Apoidea  <Overview>

      Andrenidae (mining bees)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Apidae  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

            (Largest family, incl. digger bees, honeybees,

                   carpenter bees, etc.)

      Colletidae (yellow-faced bees, plasterer or polyester bees)

                         <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Dasypodaidae (shaggy scopae bees)

      Halictidae (sweat bees)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Megachilidae (mason or leaf-cutting bees)  <Habits>; 

                                    <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Melittidae (Small family in Africa & N. Hemisphere

           (Subfam:  Dasypodainae, Melittinae, Meganomiinae)

                       <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Stenotritidae (smallest bee family)  <Habits>;  <Adults> 

                                   <Juveniles>

      Ampulicidae (tropical cockroach wasps)  <Overview>

      Crabronidae ( Paraphyletic group of bee

              wolves & sand wasps)  <Overview>

      Heterogynaidae (Small family in Africa east     

              Mediterranean)

      Sphecidae (Cosmopolitan sand & digger wasps, mud

                        daubers & parasitoidal wasps)

                          <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Chrysidoidea (= Bethyloidea)  <Overview>

      Bethylidae (parasitic & hunting wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>  

                             <Juveniles>

      Chrysididae (cuckoo or emerald wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                                <Juveniles>

      Dryinidae (cosmopolitan solitary wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults> 

                            <Juveniles>

      Embolemidae (Small & rare wasp family)  <Habits>; 

                                  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Plumariidae  (Small group in Southern Hemisphere)

                            <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Sclerogibbidae (ectoparasitic on Embioptera)  <Habits>;

                                    <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Scolebythidae (Small tropical species)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                                    <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Vespoidea  <Overview>

      Bradynobaenidae (Like Mutillidae occurring in arid

                                   regions)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Formicidae (ants)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Mutillidae (Large hairy velvet ants)

      Pompilidae (Cosmopolitan spider wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                                 <Juveniles>

      Rhopalosomatidae  (Ant-like cosmopolitan wasps)

                                 <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Sapygidae (Solitary dark wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                                      <Juveniles>

      Scoliidae (Dark colored wasps with corrugated wing tips)

                        <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Sierolomorphidae (Rare wasp species of N. Hemisphere)

                                  <Habits>;  <Juveniles>

      Tiphiidae  (Wasp larvae parasitic on beetle larvae)

                        <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Vespidae (paper wasps, hornets, yellow jackets)

                       <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

  Parasitica  

    Superfamily:  Ceraphronoidea  <Overivew>

      Ceraphronidae  (Small family)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                                          <Juveniles>

      Megaspilidae  (Small parasitic family)  <Habits>;  <Adults> 

                                        <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Chalcidoidea  <Overview>;  <General References>

      Agaonidae (fig wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Aphelinidae (Tiny parasitic wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                             <Juveniles>

      Chalcididae (Mainly parasitic wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults> 

                             <Juveniles>

      Encyrtidae (Large family of parasitic wasps)  <Habits>; 

                            <Adults-1>   <Adults-2>;   <Juveniles>

 

 

 

      Eucharitidae (Parasitic on ants)  <Habits>;  <Adults>  

                                 <Juveniles>

      Eulophidae (Parasitic wasps with large host range)

                   <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Eupelmidae (Parasitic wasps of beetles primarily)  <Habits>;

                        <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Eurytomidae (seed chalcids & some parasitoids)  <Habits>;

                        <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Leucospidae (Ectoparasitic on aculeate wasps or bees)

                   <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Mymaridae (Tiny cosmopolitan fairy flies)  <Habits>; 

                       <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Ormyridae (Small parasitic or  gall- forming wasp family)

                   <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>              

      Perilampidae (Small family of mainly hyperasitoids)

                   <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Pteromalidae (Large family of parasitoidal wasps)

                    <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Rotoitidae (Small family of parasitoids in Southern

                   Hemisphere.  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Signiphoridae (Small family of parasitic wasps)

                    <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Tanaostigmatidae  (Small familyof phytophagous wasps)

                    <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Tetracampidae (Parasitic on phytophagous insects)

                  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Torymidae (metallic wasps thatare parasitoids or gall-

                   formers)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Trichogrammatidae (Tiny wasps parasitic on insect eggs.

                   <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Cynipoidea  <Overview>

      Austrocynipidae  (Australian wasp species)

      Cynipidae (True gall wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Figitidae (Large family of parasitic wasps)  <Habits>;

                      <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Ibaliidae (Wasps parasitic on Siricidae larvae)  <Habits>;

                      <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Liopteridae (Wood-boring parasitoids)  <Habits>;  <Adults>

                      <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Evanioidea  <Overview>

      Aulacidae (Small family parasitic primarily on

                   Xiphydriidae)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Evaniidae (ensign wasps parasiticon cockroaches)  <Habits>;

                      <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Gasteruptiidae (Uniformly appearing wasps parasitic on

                solitary bees & wasps)  <Habits>; <Adults> <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Ichneumonoidea  <Overview>

       Apozygidae  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Braconidae (Very large family of parasitoid wasps)

                  <Habits>;  <Adults-1>   <#2>   <#3>   <Juveniles>

           Aphidiinae  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Ichneumonidae (ichneumon wasps important as parasitoids

                   of other insects)  <Habits>;  <Adults-1>   <#2>   <#3>;

                       <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Megalyroidea  <Overview>

      Megalyridae (Primarily Southern Hemispheric wasps

                           parasitic on idiobont endoparasitoids of

                           insect larvae)  <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Mymarommatoidea (Serphitoidea)  <Overview>

      Mymarommatidae   (Callimomidae)   (Small family of tiny

                         wasps, probably related to the Mymaridae  )

                                       <Habits>;  <Adults> <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Platygastroidea

      Platygastridae (Large family of wasps that parasitize insect 

                           eggs or young larvae )  <Habits>  <Adults>

                                 <Juveniles>

      Scelionidae  (Cosmopolitan group of parasitoid wasps that

                           attack the eggs of insects or spiders)  <Habits>;

                                 <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Proctotrupoidea  <Overview>

      Austroniidae  (Small group of parasitoids from Australia)

                          <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Diapriidae  (Very small wasps that parasitize larvae &

                          pupae of many different insects)  <Habits>;

                                <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Heloridae  [formerly Mesoserphidae]    (Small family of

                        parasitic wasps that attack flies & Neuroptera)

                       <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Maamingidae  (Parasitic wasps from New Zealand)

      Monomachidae  [formerly Monoserphidae]  (Small family of

                         parasitic wasps in the Southern Hemisphere)

                       <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>        

      Pelecinidae (A single genus of shiny wasps from the

                          Americas with a short abdomen)  <Habits>;

                             <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Peradeniidae  (Small group of Australian parasitoids)

                       <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Proctorenyxidae  (Palearctic family of parasitic wasps)

      Proctotrupidae  (= Serphidae)   (Moderately large family of

                        parasitic wasps)  <Habits>;  <Adults> 

                             <Juveniles>

      Roproniidae  (Single Nearctic genus of parasitic wasp)

                       <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

      Serphidae (with Proctotrupidae)  <Habits>;  <Adults> 

                            <Juveniles>

      Vanhorniidae  (Single Old World genus parasitizing

                        Eucnemidae larvae)  <Habits>;  <Adults>  

                             <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Stephanoidea  <Overview>

      Stephanidae (Crown wasps, parasitoids of beetle larvae)

                           <Habits>;  <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

    Superfamily:  Trigonaloidea  <Overview>

      Trigonalidae  (Small family of parasitoids attacking social

                             Vespidae and Lepidoptera larvae)  <Habits>;

                                   <Adults>   <Juveniles>

 

Superfamilies, Families & Subfamilies

 

References           <Citations>

 

Sample Examinations

 

 

Details of Insect Taxonomic Groups

 

          Examples of beneficial species occur in almost every insect order, and considerable information on morphology and habits has been assembled.  Therefore, the principal groups of insect parasitoids and predators provide details that refer to the entire class Insecta.  These details are available at <taxnames.htm>.