Perilampidae
Encyclopedia
The Perilampidae are a small family
within the Chalcidoidea, composed mostly of hyperparasitoid
s. The family is closely related to the Eucharitidae
, and the eucharitids appear to have evolved from within the Perilampidae, thus rendering the family paraphyletic (if the two families are joined in the future, the name that has precedence is Eucharitidae). As presently defined, there are 15 genera and >270 species worldwide. They are often brilliantly metallic (especially blue or green), with a robust mesosoma
and a small, triangular metasoma
(swollen and bulbous in Philomidinae). They are generally very strongly sculptured. The prothorax
is typically very broad and disclike, and the labrum is multidigitate, a feature shared with the Eucharitidae.
Another feature shared by Eucharitidae and Perilampidae is that the first-instar larvae are called "planidia
" and are responsible for gaining access to the host, rather than the egg-laying female. Those species which are hyperparasitoid
s will burrow into a secondary host's body and seek out endoparasitoid larvae such as tachinid flies
or ichneumonoid wasps, and attack these.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
within the Chalcidoidea, composed mostly of hyperparasitoid
Hyperparasite
A hyperparasite is a parasite whose host is a parasite. This form of parasitism is especially common among entomophagous parasites....
s. The family is closely related to the Eucharitidae
Eucharitidae
Eucharitidae is a family of parasitic wasps known as Eucharitid wasps. Eucharitid wasps are members of the superfamily Chalcidoidea and consist of three subfamilies: Oraseminae, Eucharitinae, and Gollumiellinae. There are 53 genus and 473 species of Eucharitidae; most of which are members of the...
, and the eucharitids appear to have evolved from within the Perilampidae, thus rendering the family paraphyletic (if the two families are joined in the future, the name that has precedence is Eucharitidae). As presently defined, there are 15 genera and >270 species worldwide. They are often brilliantly metallic (especially blue or green), with a robust mesosoma
Mesosoma
The mesosoma is the middle part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the metasoma. It bears the legs, and, in the case of winged insects, the wings....
and a small, triangular metasoma
Metasoma
The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the mesosoma. In insects, it contains most of the digestive tract, respiratory system, and circulatory system, and the apical segments are typically...
(swollen and bulbous in Philomidinae). They are generally very strongly sculptured. The prothorax
Prothorax
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites are the pronotum , the prosternum , and the propleuron on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects, though some fossil groups possessed...
is typically very broad and disclike, and the labrum is multidigitate, a feature shared with the Eucharitidae.
Another feature shared by Eucharitidae and Perilampidae is that the first-instar larvae are called "planidia
Planidium
A planidium is a specialized type of first-instar insect larva, seen in groups that are parasitoids; they are generally flattened, highly sclerotized, have legs, are quite mobile, and sometimes have eyes...
" and are responsible for gaining access to the host, rather than the egg-laying female. Those species which are hyperparasitoid
Hyperparasite
A hyperparasite is a parasite whose host is a parasite. This form of parasitism is especially common among entomophagous parasites....
s will burrow into a secondary host's body and seek out endoparasitoid larvae such as tachinid flies
Tachinidae
Tachinidae is a large and rather variable family of true flies within the insect order Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. There are over 1300 species in North America. Insects in this family are commonly called tachina flies or simply tachinids...
or ichneumonoid wasps, and attack these.