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Genus Melittobia

Eulophidae - Melittobia - male Eulophidae, size reference  - Melittobia Melittobia Melittobia Eulophid wasps, Melittobia sp. -- ectoparasites of mason wasp (Eumeninae) larvae - Melittobia - female Small wasp on mason bee house - Melittobia Small wasp on mason bee house - Melittobia Parasitic wasp, possibly  - Melittobia - male - 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 Chalcidoidea (Chalcidoid Wasps)
Family Eulophidae
Subfamily Tetrastichinae
Genus Melittobia
Explanation of Names
Melittobia Westwood 1848
Numbers
7 spp. in our area, 12 total(1)
Size
~1.5 mm
Food
ecto-parasitoids of a wide range of bee and wasp hosts, especially at pupal/prepupal stages
Life Cycle
arrhenotokous parthenogenesis; also, uninseminated females can produce progeny of both sexes.
Intricate life history that involves both female cooperation and variably expressed male siblicidal conflict.
Upward of 150 progeny from a single female live gregariously and emerge from a single host; 95% of them are female. Inside the host skin or pupal case, the few males aggressively compete to mate with one of the females. This can range from intensive grappling bouts where appendages are lost to emerging males being decapitated by the first males to emerge. Females do not participate in this aggression. Once mated they disperse in search of a new host.(2)
Remarks
Blind and flightless males. Short- and long-winged females.
Print References
Matthews R.W., González J.M., Matthews J.R., Deyrup L.D. (2009) Biology of the parasitoid Melittobia (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Annual Review of Entomology 54: 251-266 (Abstract)
Works Cited
1.Universal Chalcidoidea Database
2.Insect Behavior
Robert W. Matthews and Janice R. Matthews. 1988. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co.