African Arthropods/Chalcidoidea

The megadiverse Superfamily Chalcidoidea has more than 22 000 described species (>2 800 in Africa) and there may be as many as 500 000 undescribed species. Most of these are tiny (less than 3 mm long), and are parasites of a wide variety of insects, spiders and mites, but some chalcidoid larvae eat plant material (in galls or seeds).

Before 2018, these species were placed in about 19 accepted families. However, over the past few decades, a host of studies investigating their biology, their morphology, and their DNA have suggested that many more families should be recognized. In 2022 a group of wasp taxonomists agreed to recognize about 50 families worldwide.

Macro photography has allowed non-scientists a view into the world of these minute creatures, but learning more about them is a challenge. Even with high-quality macro photographs of free-flying wasps, expert hymenopterists are unable to identify most chalcidoids to species or genus level. Nevertheless, with the help of the specialists that contribute identifications on iNaturalist and Hymenopterists Forum, it has been possible to put together this page, illustrated with photographs of live wasps from 23 of the 35-odd chalcidoid families known in Africa; it is supplemented with photos of museum specimens from another four families.

Many more images (mostly of museum specimens, including type specimens) can be found on WaspWeb. This includes photos of wasps from the following families not shown here: Azotidae, Cleonymidae, Herbertiidae, Heydeniidae, Neanastatidae, and Tanaostigmatidae.

South African Chalcidoid wasps moved to new (2018-2022) families: Metapelmus sp. from Eupelmidae to Metapelmatidae; Bohpa maculata from Pteromalidae to Ceidae; Spalangia sp. from Pteromalidae to Spalangiidae; Spathopus sp. from Pteromalidae to Pirenidae; Aperilampus sp. from Perilampidae to Chrysolampidae ; Megastigmus transvaalensis from Torymidae to Megastigmidae; Lelaps or Dipara sp. from Pteromalidae to Diparidae; Lachaisea brevimucro from Pteromalidae to Epichrysomallidae; and Solenura nigra from Pteromalidae to Lyciscidae.

Agaonidae

• 
  Ceratosolen galili female
• 
  Elisabethiella comptoni female
• 
  Elisabethiella comptoni male

Aphelinidae

• 
  Eretmocerus sp.

Calesidae

• 
  Cales sp.; female
• 
  Cales sp.; male

Ceidae

• 
  Bohpa maculata, female
• 
  Bohpa maculata, female

Cerocephalidae

• 
• 

Chalcididae

• 
  Brachymeria sp.
• 
  Dirhinus sp.
• 
  Epitranus sp.
• 

Chrysolampidae

• 
  Aperilampus sp., male
• 
  Aperilampus sp., female

Diparidae

• 
  Probably Lelaps sp. or Dipara sp. (male)

Encyrtidae

• 
  Aenasius sp.
• 
  Homalotylus sp.

Epichrysomallidae

• 
  Lachaisea brevimucro

Eucharitidae

• 
  Hydrorhoa stevensoni, male
• 
  Stilbula sp., female
• 
  Mateucharis glabra, male

Eulophidae

• 
  Subfamily Eulophinae (Unidentified)
• 
  Pediobius sp.
• 
  Subfamily Tetrastichinae (Unidentified)
• 
  Neotrichoporoides sp.
• 
  Neotrichoporoides sp.
• 
  Hemiptarsenus sp.

Eupelmidae

• 
  Pentacladia sp.
• 
  Eupelmus sp.
• 
  Eupelmidae sp.

Eurytomidae

• 
  Subfamily Eurytominae (Unidentified)
• 
  Sycophila sp.
• 
  Sycophila sp.
• 
  Subfamily Eurytominae (Unidentified)

Leucospidae

• 
  Micrapion sp.
• 
  Leucospis sp.

Lyciscidae

• 
  Solenura nigra
• 
  Solenura nigra

Megastigmidae

• 
  Megastigmus transvaalensis

Metapelmatidae

• 
  Metapelma sp.

Mymaridae

• 
  Polymema sp.
• 
  Polymema sp. or Acmopolynema sp.
• 
  Polynema sagittaria

Ormyridae

• 
  Ormyrus sp.

Perilampidae

• 
  Perilampus sp.

Pirenidae

• 
  Spathopus sp.

Pteromalidae

• 
  Halticoptera sp.
• 
  Seres rotundus
• 
  Otitesella sp.

Signiphoridae

• 
  Signiphora flavella

Spalangiidae

• 
  Spalangia sp.

Systasidae

• 
  Systasis sp.
• 
  Systasis sp.

Tetracampidae

• 
  Afrocampe prinslooi

Torymidae

• 
  Family Torymidae (unidentified)
• 
  Podagrion sp.
• 
  Ecdamua sp.
• 
  Pseudotorymus sp.

Trichogrammatidae

• 
  Poropoea africana