Ceraphronidae

Ceraphronidae
Ceraphronidae. Lateral view.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Superfamily:	Ceraphronoidea
Family:	Ceraphronidae Haliday, 1833

The Ceraphronidae are a small hymenopteran family with 14 genera and some 360 known species, though a great many species are still undescribed. It is a poorly known group as a whole, though most are believed to be parasitoids (especially of flies), and a few hyperparasitoids. Many are found in the soil, and of these, a number are wingless.

The family is distinguished from the closely related Megaspilidae by having a very small stigma in the wing, a very broad metasomal petiole, and a single median groove in the mesoscutum.

The taxon was erected by Alexander Henry Haliday in 1833.

References

• Dessart, P., 1965 Contribution à l'étudendes Hyménoptères Proctotrupoidea.(VI)Les Ceraphroninae et quelques Megaspilinae(Ceraphronidae)du Musée Civique d'Histoire Naturelles de Gênes. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Royale Entomologique de Belgique:101:105-192.
• Watson, L., and Dallwitz M.J., 2003. British insects: the families of Hymenoptera.Version: 16 July 2011 [1]

External links

• Cedar Creek Images of pinned specimens.
• Waspweb
• Images at Bug Guide