Brachymeria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 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: | Brachymeriinae |
| Genus: | Brachymeria Westwood, 1829 |
| Species | |
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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 pupae.[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 pupae 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.
