| Aphidiinae | |
|---|---|
| Praon cocoon below hollowed aphid | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Superfamily: | Ichneumonoidea |
| Family: | Braconidae |
| Subfamily: | Aphidiinae |
| Diversity | |
| c. 50 genera, 400 species | |
The Aphidiinae are a subfamily of parasitoid wasps that use aphids as their host. While the larva of the 2–3 mm long Praon leaves the hollowed shell of the aphid from below to pupate in a volcano-like cocoon, most other Aphidiinae pupate inside the dead aphid.
Several species have been used in biological control programs of aphids.
Contents |
Although they have often been treated as a separate family, the Aphidiidae, the Aphidiinae are a lineage within the Braconidae. It is not yet clear to which braconid subfamilies they are most closely related.
Aphidiinae relationships |
The Aphidiinae are subdivided into several tribes, the Ephedrini, Praini and Aphodiini, with the latter subdived into three subtribes[1]. Most species reside in the Aphodiini. The Praini's loss of internal pupation is likely to be secondary[2].
Ephedrini
Praini
Trioxini
Aphidiini