Braconidae
After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed.[1] The Braconidae are currently divided into about 47 subfamilies and over 1000 genera,[2] which include Aerophilus, Aleiodes, Apanteles, Asobara, Bracon, Cenocoelius, Chaenusa, Chorebus, Cotesia, Dacnusa, Diachasma, Dimeris, Microgaster, Opius, Parapanteles, Phaenocarpa, Spathius, and Syntretus.They are often black-brown (sometimes with reddish markings), though some species exhibit striking coloration and patterns, being parts of Müllerian mimicry complexes.Some wasps also have long ovipositors to bypass caterpillar defense mechanisms such as spines or hairs, or to reach deeply-burrowed Coleoptera larvae in tree trunks.Some species of braconids are parasitoids of Ostrinia furnacalis (the Asian corn borer, a lepidopteran moth known for being a pest of maize in East Asia), the African sugarcane borer (a moth commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa),[10] the butterfly Danaus chrysippus in Ghana,[11] and Liriomyza trifolii (the American serpentine leafminer) and Manduca quinquemaculata (the tomato hornworm) in North America.It underwent extensive diversification from mid or late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic, correlating with the radiation of flowering plants and associated insect herbivores, the main hosts of braconids.73 individual Braconid fossils of the Königsberg Amber Collection were destroyed during World War II as they were "stored in a salt-mine about 40 km from Göttingen" with petrol.
PreꞒScientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaArthropodaInsectaHymenopteraIchneumonoideaLatreilleSynonymsparasitoidIchneumonidaeAerophilusAleiodesApantelesAsobaraBraconCenocoeliusChorebusCotesiaDiachasmaDimerisMicrogasterParapantelesSpathiusSyntretuslabrumclypeuscladesmonophyleticTrachypetinaeAcampsohelconinaeAgathidinaeAlysiinaeAmicrocentrinaeAphidiinaeApozyginaeBrachistinaeBraconinaeCardiochilinaeCenocoeliinaeCheloninaeDirrhopinaeDoryctinaeEuphorinaeHelconinaeHomolobinaeIchneutinaeMacrocentrinaeMesostoinaeMeteorinaeMicrogastrinaeOpiinaeRogadinaeSigalphinaeMüllerian mimicry complexesvenationantennaetrochantersovipositorsmicrolepidopteransColeopteraDes Helmoreinsectslarval stagesDipteraLepidopterahemimetabolousaphidsHeteropteraEmbiidinasterilebiological pest controlOstrinia furnacalisAfrican sugarcane borerDanaus chrysippusLiriomyza trifoliiManduca quinquemaculataAnastrepha suspensaPolydnavirusEndoparasitoidimmune defensesbracovirusesimmunosuppressionCretaceousCenozoicherbivoresfossilKönigsbergWorld War IIGöttingenAlliesevolutionsister groupApozyx penyaiMicroplitis croceipesnarcoticsexplosives detectionionizing radiationAleiodes indiscretusPapilio demoleusAphis neriiLysiphlebusBibcodePiper, R.Greenwood PressZoologische MededelingenZoologische VerhandelingenWikispeciesUniversity of FloridaInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesHymenopteranPterygotaNeopteraHolometabolaSymphytaTenthredinoideaArgidae (argid sawflies)Blasticotomidae (fern sawflies)Cimbicidae (cimbicid sawflies)Diprionidae (conifer sawflies)Pergidae (pergid sawflies)Tenthredinidae (common sawflies)XyeloideaXyelidaePamphilioidea