Family DRYINIDAE

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Introduction

Dryinids are small wasps, varying in length from about 2–10 mm. More than 100 described species are known from Australia. They are characterised by the antenna being 10-segmented and inserted close to the mouth, the fore legs of most females chelate (pincer-like), pronotum with an anterior flange, and often a marked constriction between the pro- and mesothorax. In addition, most groups are strongly sexually dimorphic, the females being wingless and ant-like, and males fully winged and wasp-like in appearance.

All members of the family are ectoparasitoids of leafhopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) nymphs and adults. Females of the vast majority of species use their chelate fore legs to catch and hold their hosts while they sting and temporarily paralyse them. Wingless ant-mimicing females can often be found where ants tend leafhoppers for honeydew. The dryinid larva feeds externally within a thylacium, a 'sac' produced by its own moulted larval skins.

Jennings & Austin (2015) list 4 unidentified species from Lord Howe Island in the Australian Museum.

General References

Jennings, J.T. & Austin, A.D. 2015. Synopsis of the hymenopteran fauna of Lord Howe Island with a preliminary checklist of species. Zootaxa 3931(3): 423–432

Olmi, M. 1984. A revision of the Dryinidae (Hymenoptera). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 37(1 & 2): 1–1913

Olmi, M. 1991. Supplement to the revision of the world Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). Frustula Entomologica (1989) 12: 109-395

Olmi, M. 1993. A new generic classification for Thaumatodryininae, Dryininae and Gonatopodinae, with descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera Dryinidae). Bollettino di Zoologia Agraria e di Bachicoltura. Milano 25: 57-89

Olmi, M. 1993. Descriptions of new taxa of Dryinidae (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea). Frustula Entomologica (1992) 15: 19-62

Olmi, M. 1998. New Embolemidae and Dryinidae (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea). Frustula Entomologica 1997 20: 30-118

Olmi, M. 1999. Remarks on new Neotropical and Australian Dryinidae, with a new synonymy (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea). Redia 82: 1-15

Olmi, M. 2005. A contribution to the knowledge of Dryinidae of the Neotropical and Australian regions. Spixiana (Munich) 28(3): 271-280

Olmi, M. 2010. A contribution to the knowledge of Dryinidae from the Oriental, Nearctic, Neotropical and Australian regions (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea). Frustula Entomologica 2008 XXXI: 11-34

Olmi, M. 2010. A contribution to the knowledge of world Dryinidae (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea). Frustula Entomologica (2009) XXXII: 43-76

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