Everything about Parasitic Wasp totally explained
The term
parasitic wasp refers to a large
evolutionary grade of
hymenopteran
superfamilies, mainly in the
Apocrita. They are primarily
parasitoids of other animals, mostly other
arthropods. Many of them, such as the family
Braconidae, are considered beneficial because they
control populations of agricultural pests.
Taxonomy and systematics
Historically, the classification system of Hymenoptera included two divisions or
infraorders within the
suborder Apocrita: one of these, the
"Parasitica" containing the parasitic wasps. However, the use of the name Parasitica (or its alternative,
"Terebrantia") has been phased out in recent years, as it's a
paraphyletic grouping, and most modern classifications explicitly reject the use of any groups that are not
monophyletic.
Presently, it isn't clear what the eventual
taxonomic fate of these groups will be. A number of
clades seem to stand out in newer studies, and these may be treated as unranked
taxa or at the ranks of infraorder and division.
Superfamilies
The traditional superfamilies united in the "Parasitica" are:
Other than the "Parasitica", there are a few
Apocrita that are also sometimes called "parasitic wasps": most of the members of the superfamily
Chrysidoidea, as well as most of the families superfamily
Vespoidea such as
Bradynobaenidae,
Mutillidae,
Rhopalosomatidae,
Sapygidae,
Scoliidae,
Sierolomorphidae,
Tiphiidae, and a few species of
Pompilidae. Most of these groups are
ectoparasitoids. Among the
sawflies, which are not Apocrita, there's only one small parasitic family,
Orussidae. This is the Apocrita's closest living relative. It thus appears that the ancestors of
bees and
bumblebees were parasitic too.
Systematics
According to recent
cladistic studies, there are a number of
basal lineages among the Apocrita, as well as a diverse group of parasitic wasps that seems to form a major clade. If the Apocrita are divided into infraorders, about 6 of these must be recognized, and several of these warrant further subdivision, with a number of families being moved out of the
Proctotrupoidea:
Superfamily Ichneumonoidea seems closer to the Aculeata than to other parasitic wasps. If the Aculeata are treated as a division, the Ichneumonoidea would form a basal superfamily in a new infraorder.
Superfamily Stephanoidea forms a clade or infraorder of its own.
Another clade or infraorder contains the following groups:
- Superfamily Megalyroidea
- Superfamily Trigonaloidea
- a clade or division containing
- A clade or infraorder containing families formerly in the Proctotrupoidea:
- Family Maamingidae
- a clade, division or superfamily containing
- Another clade or infraorder of families formerly in the Proctotrupoidea:
- The bulk of the parasitic wasps, a clade or infraorder containing two very distinct groups:
- One clade or division containing:
- Another clade or division containing:
Further Information
Get more info on 'Parasitic Wasp'.
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