Chelonus (genus - parasitoids)
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Chelonus Panzer, 1806
This genus of wasps is widely distributed and includes several hundred species. They are solitary, egg-larval parasitoids of Lepidoptera and several of them are important as natural enemies of agricultural pests. For example Chelonus insularis is common in the Americas and parasitises eggs and caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda and other Noctuidae.
The abdomen of Chelonus species has a characteristic shell-like dorsal cover, called a 'carapace'. The whole body of the wasps is typically around 3-4 mm long. A larger number of Chelonus species have been assigned to the subgenus Microchelonus. However, some authors regard Microchelonus as a separate genus rather than a subgenus.
Currently, the following species have been entered into the system:
