Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Suborder Apocrita Rank Family | Phylum Arthropoda Order Hymenoptera Superfamily Chrysidoidea | |
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Similar Sclerogibbidae, Sierolomorphidae, Embolemidae, Bradynobaenidae, Rhopalosomatidae | ||
The Scolebythidae are a small family of aculeate wasps in the superfamily Chrysidoidea. These chrysidoid wasp have only been found from tropical habitats in Africa, Australia, and the New World.
Overview
Scolebythidae wasps are gregarious ectoparasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae. Females dig tunnels through the frass of wood-boring beetles using their mandibles. After reaching the host chamber of the beetle larva, frass is pulled into the chamber before stinging the larva. The female wasp feeds on the hemolymph after biting the integument. This behaviour is probably necessary for the ovipositing of eggs .
References
Scolebythidae Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA