Representative Families

The superfamily includes over 20 families, among them:

• Pteromalidae – Very numerous, parasites of beetles, flies, wasps, or butterflies.
• Eulophidae – Tiny often shiny wasps, parasites of many insect orders.
• Chalcididae – Sturdier forms, often black with thick hind femora.
• Encyrtidae – Internal parasites, sometimes highly specialized.
• Eupelmidae, Torymidae, Trichogrammatidae – Other common families with varied ecological roles.

Habitat

Chalcidoidea are found in:

• Herbaceous and shrubby vegetation
• Understory and forest edges
• Stems, leaves, or fruits housing their hosts
• Agricultural areas (as biological control agents)

Biology

• Parasitoids of larvae or pupae of other insects
• Some species are hyperparasitoids
• Oviposition directly into the host or its shelter (eggs, burrows, cocoons…)
• Rapid development, often synchronized with that of the host

Distinctive Features

• Very small size (often < 2 mm)
• Frequent metallic appearance (green, blue, gold…)
• Elbowed antennae, reduced wing venation
• Some genera used in biological control (e.g. Trichogramma)

Chalcidoidea (Parasitoid Micro-Wasps)

Very small hymenopterans, often dependent on specific hosts.

• Chalcididae: parasitoids of caterpillars and other insects.

• Aphelinidae and Encyrtidae: parasitoids of aphids and scale insects.

• Agaonidae (Walker, 1848): phytophagous (pollinators of Ficus); 757 described species

• Aphelinidae (Thomson, 1876): parasites of aphids, scale insects, whiteflies; hyperparasite of scale insects; 1100 described species

• Chalcididae (Latreille, 1817): parasites of Lepidoptera pupae, Diptera larvae…; 1500 described species

• Elasmidae Forster, 1856: parasites of Lepidoptera, hyperparasite of Lepidoptera; 200 described species

• Encyrtidae (Walker, 1837): mainly parasites of scale insects, Lepidoptera…; 3600 described species

• Eucharitidae (Latreille, 1809): parasites of ants; 389 described species

• Eulophidae (Westwood, 1829): parasites of Lepidoptera, Diptera, aphids, scale insects; 3900 described species

• Eupelmidae (Walker, 1833): parasites of Lepidoptera, Cynipids, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, mantises, Lepidoptera…; 750 described species

• Eurytomidae (Walker, 1832): mostly phytophagous; 1200 described species

• Leucospidae (Walker, 1834): parasites of solitary Apoidea (Megachile); 134 described species

• Mymaridae (Haliday, 1833): egg parasitoids of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera…; 1300 described species

• Ormyridae (Forster, 1856): parasites of endophytic insects (Cynipidae); 66 described species

• Perilampidae (Latreille, 1809): parasites of Neuroptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera…; 229 described species

• Pteromalidae (Dalman, 1820): parasites of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera…; 4000 described species

• Signiphoridae (Ashmead, 1880): parasites of Homoptera, Diptera, hyperparasite of Encyrtidae; 78 described species

• Tanaostigmatidae (Howard, 1890): phytophagous and gall-forming; 88 described species

• Tetracampidae (Forster, 1856): 44 described species

• Torymidae (Walker, 1833): mostly phytophagous, parasites of mantid oothecae; 1500 described species

• Trichogrammatidae (Haliday and Walker, 1851): egg parasitoids of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, scale insects…; 700 described species.