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HYMENOPTERA, Megalyroidea Megalyroidea There is only a
single family, Megalyridae, in this superfamily with 8 extant and 3 extinct
genera. There are ca. 48 identified species. These insects are found primarily in areas
of relict primary tropical forests, and there are very few American
representatives. Australia has the most species. There has been
indecision on the definition of this family. Species now placed in
Megalyridae have been classified into as many as six other families
(Braconidae, Evaniidae, Ichneumonidae, Stephanidae, as well as Dinapsidae and
Maimetshidae. The species are
distinguished by the fact that their mesothoracic spiracle has moved, and is
located in the upper corner of the pronotum, though this is a difficult
feature to see. A useful character is that the base of the antenna fits into
a wide concave groove below the eye.
Females of Megalyra have ovipositors ranging from 5-8.3 times
the body length, but this is not true of the other genera. The largest
known species is the female of the Australian Megalyra shuckardi, with
a body length of 25 mm and ovipositor length of 83 mm. The smallest
known megalyrid is the Brazilian Cryptalyra plaumanni, with a body
length of 2.7 mm and ovipositor 1.2 mm long. Megalyrid wasps
are believed to be idiobiont endoparasitoids of concealed insect larvae. One
Australian species, Megalyra troglodytes, attacks the larvae of Arpactophilus
mimi, a mud-nesting crabronid wasp. Oviposition is primitive, because
they insert their ovipositor into pre-existing cavities, holes, or cracks,
rather than drilling into the substrate as in other hosts. Mason (1993)
reported that there was only one family, Megalyridae, in this superfamily. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = References: Please refer to
<biology.ref.htm>, [Additional references may be
found at: MELVYL Library] Perrichot, V. 2009:
Long-tailed wasps (Hymenoptera: Megalyridae) from Cretaceous and Paleogene
European amber. Paleontological contributions, (1) Shaw, S. R.
1988: Carminator, a new genus of Megalyridae (Hymenoptera) from
the Oriental and Australian regions, with a commentary on the definition of
the family. Systematic entomology, 13: 101–113. Shaw, S. R.
1990: Phylogeny and biogeography of the parasitoid wasp family
Megalyridae (Hymenoptera). Journal of biogeography, 17: 569-581. [Errata: Journal of
biogeography, 18: 470] Vilhelmsen,
L., V. Perrichot & S. R. Shaw.
2010: Past and present diversity and distribution in the parasitic
wasp family Megalyridae (Hymenoptera). Systematic entomology, 35(4): 658-677. |