| Brachymeria | |
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| Adult Brachymeria that has emerged from a pupa of Euploea core | |
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| Genus: | Brachymeria Westwood, 1829 |
| Species: | 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.
References
- ↑ Joseph, K.J.; Narendran, T.C.; Joy, P.J. (1973). Oriental Brachymeria: a monograph on the oriental species of Brachymeria (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). Department of Zoology, University of Calicut.
- ↑ Nelson, John M. (1971). "Nesting habits and nest symbionts of Polistes erythrocephalus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Costa Rica" (PDF). Rev. Biol. Trop. 18 (1–2): 89–98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
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