Trigonalioid

Distribution	Worldwide, most species rare.
Biology	Hyperparasitoids of Lepidoptera and Symphyta caterpillars. Thousands of tough, minute eggs are laid on leaves, which are then eaten by caterpillars. The trigonalid larvae hatch inside the caterpillar and either consume any parasitoid larvae that are already there or wait until the caterpillar is parasitized and then consume the parasitoid without eating the primary host.
References	Benoit, P.L.G. 1951. La systematique des Trigonalidae (Hym.) ethiopiens. Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines, 44, 141-147. Carmean, D. & Kimsey, L. 1998. Phylogenetic revision of the parasitoid wasp family Trigonalidae (Hymenoptera). Systematic Entomology 23, 35-76. Mason, W.R.M. 1993. Superfamilies Evanioidea, Stephanoidea, Megalyroidea and Trigonalyoidea (pp. 510-520). In GOULET, H. & HUBER, J. (eds). Hymenoptera of the World: an identification guide to families. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 668 pp. Weinsten, P. & Austin, A.D. 1991. The host relationships of trigonalyid wasps (Hymenoptera: Trigonalyidae), with a review of their biology and catalogue to world species. Journal of Natural History 25, 399-433.
Credits	Photographs © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of Cape Town)

Afrotropical Trigonalioidea