Bethylidae (parasitoids)
Author(s): Max E. Badgley (copyright holder)
Source: BugsInTheNews
Bethylidae (parasitoids)
This wasp family is part of the superfamily Chrysidoidea. It contains more than 2,000 species. They are widely distributed and especially common in the tropics. The majority are small to medium-sized parasitoids, including a number of species important as natural enemies of pest insects like storage pests. The colour is typically black or dark and the females often have no wings. Females sting their host to paralyse it which is often much larger. Humans may also be stung. The female often drags the paralyzed insect to a hiding place where it feeds on the body fluid and deposit eggs on the cuticle. The hatching larvae feed externally on the host after puncturing the cuticle.
The following genera and individual species are currently entered under this family:
