Subfamily Cheloninae

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Introduction

This subfamily comprises mostly small, distinctive braconids that are easily identified by their metasomal carapace formed from the first three tergites, and often uniform dark or pale colouration.

The group is worldwide in distribution but in Australia they are particularly common in arid and seasonally dry habitats. The Australian fauna is very large, with the 40+ species representing probably less than 20% of the fauna, most having been described prior to the 1920s. Chelonines are egg-larval endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera, i.e. they oviposit into eggs but development is delayed until the larval stages are reached. Many species are nocturnal and often collected in large numbers at light traps.

General References

Shaw, S.R. 1997. Subfamily Cheloninae. pp. 193-201 in Wharton, R.A., Marsh, P.M. & Sharkey, M.J. (eds). Manual of the New World Genera of the Family Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Washington, D. C. : The International Society of Hymenopterists 439 pp.

History of changes