| Eurytomidae | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Superfamily: | Chalcidoidea |
| Family: | Eurytomidae Walker, 1832 |
| Subfamilies | |
| Diversity | |
| Four subfamilies c.85 genera c.1420 species | |
The Eurytomidae are a family within the superfamily Chalcidoidea.
Unlike most chalcidoids, the larvae of many are phytophagous (feeding in stems, seeds, or galls), while others are more typical parasitoids, though even then the hosts are usually found within plant tissues. Some species of eurytomids are unusual in the sense that they are parasitoids of spider eggs. Females of this group are idiobionts that probe through the thin silk of spider egg sacs and oviposit into individual spider eggs that are clustered within the sacs. [1]
They are found throughout the world in virtually all habitats, and a few are considered pests.
They tend to be dull and not metallic, and heavily punctured, with very thick, collar-like pronota.
- ^ Fei, Minghui; Gols, Rieta; Harvey, Jeffrey A. (2023-01-23). "The Biology and Ecology of Parasitoid Wasps of Predatory Arthropods". Annual Review of Entomology. 68 (1): 109–128. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-111607. hdl:20.500.11755/8f020f3d-b12d-4d23-8c07-eae6302721b8. ISSN 0066-4170. PMID 36198401. S2CID 252736581.