Other Common Names
family name often misspelled "Chalcidae"
"chalcid" [pronounced KAL-sid] is the correct term (not chalcidid) when used as an adjective or as a noun in referring to a member of the group; "chalcidian" is a synonym of "chalcid" -- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1983
Explanation of Names
CHALCIDIDAE: from the Greek "chalkos" (bronze or copper) - a reference to their metallic color -- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1983
Numbers
nearctica.com lists 119 species in 13 genera in North America
US Dept. Agriculture reports about 100 species in 11 genera in the Nearctic region
Life Cycle
"All chalcidids are parasitic. Most attack pupae of Lepidoptera and Diptera, but some parasitize other Hymenoptera or beetles. Parasites of Lepidoptera usually attack young pupae, while those of Diptera attack mature larvae (Clausen 1940)."
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, US Dept. AgricultureInternet References
taxonomy plus numbers, biology, description, distribution (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, US Dept. Agriculture)
