Brachymeria
| Brachymeria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult Brachymeria that has emerged from a pupa of Euploea core | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Chalcididae |
| Subfamily: | Chalcidinae |
| Genus: | Brachymeria Westwood, 1829 |
| Species: | over 300, see text |
Brachymeria is a genus of parasitic wasps in the family Chalcididae. Over 300 species are known worldwide, all of them parasites of insect larvae.[1] Most species are black with limited yellow markings, and like most chalcidid wasps, they have enlarged hind femora. The female typically lays eggs inside the larva of a lepidopteran using its ovipositor. Although mostly parasitic on Lepidoptera, a few are hyperparasites (parasites of parasitic Hymenoptera and Diptera), or attack other types of insect larvae (such as Polistes erythrocephalus).[2] The adult parasites emerge typically from the host pupa. Some species have been used in biological control.
References
- ↑ Joseph, K.J.; Narendran, T.C.; Joy, P.J. (1973). Oriental Brachymeria: a monograph on the oriental species of Brachymeria (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). Department of Zoology, University of Calicut.
- ↑ Nelson, John M. (1971). "Nesting habits and nest symbionts of Polistes erythrocephalus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Costa Rica" (PDF). Rev. Biol. Trop. 18 (1-2): 89–98.
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