British Insects: the Families of Hymenoptera
| British Insects: the Families of Hymenoptera | |
Adults minute to small; 0.7–6.5 mm long. Insects not associated with galls.
Head. Antennal segments 7–8, or 11–12. Antennae geniculate.
Thorax. Pronotum long, extending back to the tegulae; vertically grooved to receive the fore femur. Cenchri absent. Wings present. Fore-wings without a pterostigma; with very reduced venation (with distinct, though sometimes short, marginal and stigmal veins); combining greatly reduced venation with a conspicuous, blind-ending stigmal vein (though this is sometimes short). Closed fore-wing cells 0, or 1 (the costal). Submarginal cells 0. Discoidal cells 0. Hind-wings without closed cells. Mid and hind tibiae with one spur only. Hind femur without a well defined trochantellus. Hind tibiae without specialised spurs.
Abdomen. The abdomen with a marked basal constriction. The ‘waist’ simple. Ovipositor of females not visibly protruding; adapted for piercing.
Larvae. Larvae legless or the legs vestigial; parasitic on hosts selected by the mother (on eggs of Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera and occasionally Arachnids).
Classification. Species in Britain about 110; genera 14 (with numerous species in Telenomus and Trimorus). Suborder Apocrita; Series Parasitica; Superfamily Proctotrupoidea.
Illustrations. • Sparasion frontalis (B. Ent. 317). • Sparasion frontalis (detail: B. Ent. 317). • Sparasion frontalis (dissections: B. Ent. 317). • Sparasion frontalis (B. Ent. 317, legend+text). • Scelio rugulosus (B. Ent. 325). • Trimorus elatior (B. Ent. 333).
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Hymenoptera. Version: 9th April 2007. http://delta-intkey.com’.
