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Family PLATYGASTRIDAE Haliday, 1833


Compiler and date details

July 2012 - Danielle N. Stringer, Sarah Mantel, John T. Jennings & Andrew D. Austin, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, and the School of Earth and Environmental Science, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

2001 - N.B. Stevens, M. Iqbal & A.D. Austin, Centre for Evolutionary Biology & Biodiversity (CEBB), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia

Introduction

In Australia, the Platygastridae are extremely poorly studied with many undescribed species occurring in collections. They are usually tiny in size, and can be recognised by their highly reduced (short submarginal vein only) or absent venation, reduced antennae (10 segments or less), and dense mat of whitish hairs on the metapleuron (and sometimes the propodeum and first metasomal segment). The family was divided into two subfamilies, Sceliotrachinae and Platygastrinae, after the apparently polyphyletic Inostemmatinae were found to be defined only on plesiomorphic characters (Masner & Huggert 1989). However, the phylogenetic status and internal relationships of the current subfamilies remain largely unknown. Platygastrids develop in one of two ways. The parasite develops and emerges from the egg stage of the host, or development is delayed and emergence occurs from post embryonic stages. Platygastrinae are restricted to cecidomyiid hosts while Sceliotrachinae oviposit into the eggs of a range of hosts including Coleoptera, Homoptera and, rarely, Sphecidae.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
05-Aug-2022 PLATYGASTRIDAE Haliday, 1833 13-Jun-2023 MODIFIED
07-Aug-2012 07-Aug-2012 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)