Ctenopelmatinae

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: Ichneumonoidea

Familia: Ichneumonidae
Subfamilia: Ctenopelmatinae
Tribus (8): Ctenopelmatini – Euryproctini – Mesoleiini – Olethrodotini – Perilissini – Pionini – Scolobatini – Seleucini
Name
Ctenopelmatinae Förster, 1869

Ctenopelmatinae is a cosmopolitan subfamily of ichneumonid parasitoid wasps.

Description and distribution

Ctenopelmatines are small to medium sized ichneumonids. They have a small tooth at the apex of the front tibia and usually do not have a fringe of setae along the clypeus. Ctenopelmatinae was included in the subfamily Tryphoninae in the past. Evidence from larval morphology and ecological traits separate these two groups, but adult specimens can be difficult to differentiate.[1]

Most species are found in temperate climates in the Holarctic region. In the cooler parts of their range, ctenopelmatines can account for over 10% of all ichneumonids.[1]
Biology

Ctenopelmatinae are koinobiont endoparasitoids of Symphyta and, more rarely, Lepidoptera. The host is not killed until after it has spun a cocoon to pupate. There are 95 genera.[2]
References

Gauld, Ian (1997). The Ichneumonidae of Costa Rica. American Entomological Institute. Gainesville, FL: American Entomological Institute. ISBN 1887988017. OCLC 38127742.
Townes, H.T. (1969c): Genera of Ichneumonidae, Part 3 (Lycorininae, Banchinae, Scolobatinae =Ctenopelmatinae), Porizontinae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 13: 1–307.