Cedar Creek
Natural History Area
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Insects of Cedar Creek
Order HYMENOPTERA
Family ENCYRTIDAE
(Encyrtid Wasps)
The Encyrtids are small (2-4 mm) and
have a large spur on the middle tibiae. This family is diverse (509
NA spp). Most are parasitic on aphids and scale insects, but some are Hyperparasites,
some parasitize eggs, and some attack Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera
larvae. Species of
Encyrtus
have an upright brush on the scutellum. A metallic purple species with
BK flattened antennae is quite distinctive. Most of the 20 odd species
collected have been assigned only MORPHO names.
APHELININAE
This subfamily of small pale insects are hyperparasitic on braconids
in aphids? Aphelinus is a commonly collected genus.