Subfamily Helconinae

Classification · Pronunciation · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Works Cited

Braconid wasp - Helconinae - Wroughtonia - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)

Superfamily Ichneumonoidea (Braconid and Ichneumonid Wasps)

Family Braconidae (Braconid Wasps)

Subfamily Helconinae

Pronunciation

hell kon EYN ee

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Prior to Sharonowski et al. 2011, the present Helconinae was 1 of 3 tribes under the former Helconinae: Helconini. The other two tribes, Brachistini and Diospilini, were subsumed under the new subfamily Brachistinae, while Helconini promoted to subfamily status.

Numbers

14 spp. in 3 genera* in North America

* Genus not yet in the guide: Eumacrocentrus (1 sp.)

Size

5 mm or more

Identification

See general braconid identification

Fore wing with anterior edge of 2nd submarginal cell narrowed (Wroughtonia, Helcon)

Fore wing with 2 anal cross veins (see above wing diagram)

Hind wing with 1 anal cross vein (see above wing diagram)

Range

World wide. In the New World, restricted to temperate areas. 2 species as far south as Mexico, and some Neotropical species of Helcon as far north as Parana, Brazil. (Sharkey, M.J. 1997 Subfamily Helconinae In:(1))

Food

Cerambycidae larvae and perhaps larvae of other wood boring beetles (Sharkey, M.J. 1997. Subfamily Helconinae. In:(1)

Life Cycle

Solitary endoparasitoids

Print References

Sharonowsky et al. 2011. Molecular phylogenetics of Braconidae (Hymenoptera:Ichneumonoidea), based on multiple nuclear genes, and implications for classification. (with downloadable PDF)

Works Cited

1.	Manual of the New World Genera of the Family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) Wharton, R.A., P.M. Marsh, M.J. Sharkey (Eds). 1997. International Society of Hymenopterists.

Contributed by v belov on 9 December, 2009 - 3:20pm
Additional contributions by josephfortier, PaleoJon
Last updated 4 February, 2023 - 6:43pm

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