Family ORMYRIDAE

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ormyroidae Förster, A. 1856. Hymenopterologische Studien. 2. Chalcidiae und Proctotrupii. Privately Published. 152 pp. [19, 22, 24].

Introduction

Ormyridae are a small family that are not commonly collected. They are represented in Australia by 12 described species in a single genus, Ormyrus, which is treated by Boucek (1988). Ormyrids are characterised by the metasoma strongly sclerotised; tergites with coarse punctures or sculpturing; the hind tibia with two stout apical spurs, at least one of which is curved; the hind coxa about twice as long as the fore coxa and almost as long as hind femur; and the head with a horseshoe-shaped occipital carina.

Most species are parasitoids of gall-inducing insects, including other chalcidoids, cynipids and Diptera (flies). In the tropics, some species are known to attack insects within galls on figs.

General References

Bouček, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. London : CAB International 832 pp.

History of changes