Biology, ecology, and taxonomy of the parasitoids of the families Austroniidae, Peradeniidae, Proctorenyxidae, Roproniidae, and Vanhorniidae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea) and family Mymarommatidae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupomorpha: Mymarommatoidea)

Abstract

The Proctotrupoidea are koinobiont endoparasitoids of holometabolous insect larvae. Although Proctotrupidae can be common and readily collected by sweep netting or Malaise traps, the superfamily is poorly known biologically. Proctotrupidae is parasitoids of Coleoptera and, to a lesser extent, Diptera larvae, with one extraordinary host record from a centipede, whereas Heloridae has been reared from Neuroptera larvae. Extralimital families attacking Coleoptera and Neuroptera (Austroniidae, Peradeniidae, Proctorenyxidae) are biologically unknown. The hosts of the Mymarommatidae family are poorly known. One species was bred in “wood ear” fungi. Little is known about the biology of these wasps, but they are probably parasitoids of eggs of other insects in forests. Mymaromma menehune Honsberger & Huber, 2022 recorded as a solitary endoparasitoid of eggs of a Lepidopsocus sp. (Psocodea: Lepidopsocidae) on branches of Ficus microcarpa L.f. (Moraceae). This work studies the biology, ecology, and taxonomy of the parasitoids of the families of Austroniidae, Peradeniidae Proctorenyxidae, Roproniidae, and Vanhorniidae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea) and family Mymaromatidae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupomorpha: Mymarommatoidea). In terms of the type of research source, we worked with scientific articles published in national and international journals. This modality of production, in addition to being commonly the most valued in the set of bibliographic production, is the most easily accessed. Access to articles was through virtual libraries such as SciELO, the University of São Paulo, Latin American Literature, and the University of Brasilia. This library has a specific section for Hymenoptera, with eight journals and texts of articles available in full. Considering only this section constitutes a limitation of the study since articles belonging to journals that integrate other sections of the fore mentioned electronic library could also contribute to the discussion of the production of knowledge about the relationship between hosts and parasitoids. However, in principle, within these articles, there could not necessarily be a discussion focused on biology, ecology, and taxonomy.