A checklist of the Scelionidae (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea) of India

Abstract

© Zoo Outreach Organisation; www.zoosprint.org Manuscript 1570; Received 26 May 2006; Finally accepted 18 October 2006; Date of publication 21 November 2006 The Hymenoptera is one of the most species rich orders, with about 10% of all known species of the terrestrial biota, of which 80% are parasitic placed under 10 superfamilies (Masner, 1993). The Platygastroidea which includes two families viz., the Scelionidae and the Platygastridae, is the third largest of the parasitic superfamilies, with about 4460 described species worldwide. They are found virtually in all habitats except the polar regions and are particularly diverse and abundant in the wet forests of the tropics and subtropics (Austin et al., 2005).