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HYMENOPTERA, Ceraphronoidea
Members of
this superfamily are usually either primary or secondary parasitoids. The hosts are Braconidae that attack
aphids (secondary parasitism), Neuroptera, predatory gall midges, coccids,
Mecoptera, gall wasps and coccinellids.
There were more than 22 genera known as of 2000.
This is a small Hymenopteran superfamily that includes only two
families, and a total of ca. 811
species, though a great many species are still undescribed. It is a
little-known group as a whole, and most are believed to be parasitoids or
hyperparasitoids.
The two families are unified by several characters, the most visible
of which is that the wing venation is greatly reduced in a very specific and
unique way; the costal and radial veins have fused so there is no costal
cell, there is a short break at the stigma, and the only vein in the wing
membrane itself is the radial sector, which is short and curved. arising from
the stigma.
Included are two families of small parasitoids with a body length of
about 2.8-3.2 mm. The color is black,
infrequently chocolate to rusty or yellow (Alekseev 1978/1987). The antennae are geniculate, with 7-11
segments and attached slightly above clypeus. The basal antennal segment is usually the longest segment. The sides of the pronotum extend to the
tegulae. The mesonotum has a
transverse groove along the posterior
margin, and there is sometimes one median groove, and two parapsidal
grooves. The axillae are well
developed and separated from the
shield by a V-shaped suture, the frenum.
The venation of the wings is simple.
Some have reduced wings especially females. The abdomen has rounded sides.
In the Ceraphronidae the Waterston organ occurs on the anterior
middle of the 4th abdominal tergite, and partially on the posterior part of
the 3rd tergite (Alekseev 1978/1987).
This is a small compact formation with a veined sculpture (the Waterston
organ is usually invisible in elongated abdominal tergites). The ovipositor extends beyond the tip of
the abdomen and is usually retracted (Alekseev 1978/1987). = = = = = = = = = = =
= = = = References: Please refer to
<biology.ref.htm>, [Additional references may be
found at: MELVYL Library] Alekseev, V. N.
1978/1987. Superfamily Ceraphronoidea
(Ceraphronoids). 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. Ashmead, W. H. 1893. Bull. U.
S. Nat. Mus. 45: 1-472. Clausen, C. P. 1940. Entomophagous
Insects. McGraw-Hill, NY. 688 p. Dessart, M.
1962. Soc. Roy. Ent.,
Belg. Bull. et Ann. 98: 305-09. Haviland, M. D.
1920. Quart. J. Micro. Sci. 65: 451-78. Masner, L. & M. Dessart.
1967. Bull. Inst. Roy. Sci.
Nat. de Belg. 43: 25-9. |