Aphelinidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Hymenopterida
Ordo: Hymenoptera
Subordo: Apocrita
Superfamilia: Chalcidoidea

Familia: Aphelinidae
Subfamiliae (5): Aphelininae – Calesinae – Coccophaginae – Eretmocerinae – Eriaphytinae
Overview of genera (39)

Allomymar – Aphelinus – Aphytis – Bardylis – Botryoideclava – Cales – Centrodora – Coccobius – Coccophagoides – Coccophagus – Diaspiniphagus – Dirphys – Encarsia – Eretmocerus – Eriaphytis – Eutrichosomella – Hirtaphelinus – Idiococcobius – Lounsburyia – Marietta – Marlattiella – Mashimaro – Metanthemus – Mexidalgus – Neophytis – Oenrobia – Paraphytis – Proaphelinoides – Prophyscus – Protaphelinus – Pteroptrix – Punkaphytis – Saengella – Samariola – Timberlakiella – Umairia – Verekia – Wallaceaphytis – Zubairia
Source(s) of checklist:
Checklist based uncritically on UCD, with addition of Mexidalgus
Name

Aphelinidae Thomson, 1876

Type genus: Aphelinus Dalman, 1820
References

Dalman, J.W. 1820. Försök till Uppställning af Insect-familjen Pteromalini, i synnerhet med afseende på de i Sverige funne Arter. (Fortsättning). Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 41(2): 378. [Body text in Latin. Swedish title in English: "Attempted formation of the insect family Pteromalini, particularly with respect to the species found in Sweden. (Continuation.)"] Reference page.
Hayat, M. 1983: The genera of Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera) of the world. Systematic entomology 8(1): 63–102. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.1983.tb00467.x Reference page.
Hayat, M. 1994: Notes on some genera of the Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with comments on the classification of the family. Oriental insects 28: 81–96. DOI: 10.1080/00305316.1994.10432297 Reference page.
Hayat, M. 2012: Records and descriptions of some Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from India. Zootaxa 3521: 39–50. Preview Reference page.
Shafee, S.A. & Rizvi, S. 1990. Classification and phylogeny of the family Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Indian Journal of Systematic Entomology 7: 103–115.
Viggiani, G. & Battaglia, D. 1984. Male genitalia in the Aphelinidae (Hym. Chalcidoidea). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria Filippo Silvestri 41: 149–172.

Links

ZooBank

Vernacular names
日本語: ツヤコバチ科

The Aphelinidae are a moderate-sized family of tiny parasitic wasps, with about 1100 described species in some 28 genera. These minute insects are challenging to study, as they deteriorate rapidly after death unless extreme care is taken (e.g., preservation in ethanol), making identification of most museum specimens difficult. The larvae of the majority are primary parasitoids on Hemiptera, though other hosts are attacked, and details of the life history can be variable (e.g., some attack eggs, some attack pupae, and others are hyperparasites). Males and females may have different hosts and different life histories [1].

They are found throughout the world in virtually all habitats, and are extremely important as biological control agents. The oldest fossils are known from the Eocene aged Baltic Amber.[1]

They are difficult to separate from other Chalcidoidea except by subtle features of the wing venation and other difficult characters, and the family appears to be paraphyletic, so is likely to be split up in the future (e.g., the Calesinae may become a separate family). The families Azotidae and Eriaporidae were recently elevated in rank from subfamilies of Aphelinidae.[2][3]
Genera

Allomymar
Aphelinus
Aphytis
Bardylis
Botryoideclava
Cales
Centrodora
Coccobius
Coccophagoides
Coccophagus
Dirphys
Encarsia
Eretmocerus
Eriaphytis
Eutrichosomella
Hirtaphelinus
Lounsburyia
Marietta
Marlattiella
Metanthemus
Oenrobia
Proaphelinoides
Prophyscus
Protaphelinus
Pteroptrix
Samariola
Timberlakiella
Verekia

References

BURKS, ROGER A.; HERATY, JOHN M.; PINTO, JOHN D.; GRIMALDI, DAVID (2015-04-28). "Small but not ephemeral: newly discovered species of Aphelinidae and Trichogrammatidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Eocene amber". Systematic Entomology. 40 (3): 592–605. doi:10.1111/syen.12124. ISSN 0307-6970. S2CID 83423319.
Heraty, John M.; Burks, Roger A.; Cruaud, Astrid; Gibson, Gary A. P.; et al. (2013). "A phylogenetic analysis of the megadiverse Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)". Cladistics. 29 (5): 466–542. doi:10.1111/cla.12006.

Janšta, Petr; Cruaud, Astrid; Delvare, Gérard; Genson, Guénaëlle; et al. (2018). "Torymidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) revised: molecular phylogeny, circumscription and reclassification of the family with discussion of its biogeography and evolution of life‐history traits". Cladistics. 34 (6): 627–651. doi:10.1111/cla.12228.

Yasnosh, V. A., 1983. Review of the world genera of Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera). 1. key to the genera.Entomological Review 62:145-159.