| Proctotrupidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Codrus picicornis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Infraorder: | Proctotrupomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Proctotrupoidea |
| Family: | Proctotrupidae Latreille, 1802 |
| Synonyms | |
Proctotrypidae [1] | |
Proctotrupidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Proctotrupoidea. There are about 400 species in more than 30 genera in Proctotrupidae, found throughout most of the world. [2] [1]
Proctotrupidae are small parasitoid wasps, that primarily parasitise larvae of beetles belonging to the families Carabidae, Staphylinidae, and Elateridae, though a number of species are known to target other hosts, including fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae, Sciaridae) and concealer moths. [3] Females in many species are wingless and dwell in the soil, where they are capable of detecting beetle larvae in their burrows. [4] They typically have a body length of 5 to 8 mm, but species may range from 3 to 15 mm. [2]
