Eupelmidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. The group is apparently polyphyletic, though the different subfamilies may each be monophyletic, and may be elevated to family status in the near future. As presently defined, there are over 905 described species in 45 genera. The larvae of the majority are primary parasitoids, commonly on beetle larvae, though many other hosts are attacked, including spiders, and details of the life history can be variable (e.g., some attack eggs and others are hyperparasites). They are found throughout the world in virtually all habitats. The term parasitic wasp refers to a large, artificial assemblage of Hymenopteran superfamilies which are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods. ... Chalcidoidea is a superfamily of Hymenoptera There are nineteen families Agaonidae Walker, 1846 Aphelinidae Thomson, 1876 Chalcididae Latreille, 1817 Encyrtidae Walker, 1837 Eucharitidae Latreille, 1809 Eulophidae (including Elasmidae) Westwood, 1829 Eupelmidae Walker, 1833 Eurytomidae Walker, 1832 Leucospidae Fabricius, 1775 Mymaridae Haliday, 1833 Ormyridae Forster, 1856 Perilampidae Latreille, 1809 Pteromalidae Dalman... In biology, a taxon is polyphyletic if it is descended from more than one root form (in Greek poly = many and phyletic = racial). ... In phylogenetics, a group is monophyletic (Greek: of one stem) if all organisms in that group are known to have developed from a common ancestral form, and all descendants of that form are included in the group. ... A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Suborders Adephaga Archostemata Myxophaga Polyphaga See subgroups of the order Coleoptera Beetles are one of the most diverse groups of insects. ... Suborders Araneomorphae Mesothelae Mygalomorphae See the taxonomy section for families Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals that produce silk, and have two tagma, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ...

They are somewhat variable in appearance, though a fair number of species are relatively easy to separate from other Chalcidoidea by the possession of a medially concave mesonotum. They also have the unusual tendency to arch the body strongly upwards when dead, with the head and metasoma often nearly touching above the thorax. Chalcidoidea is a superfamily of Hymenoptera There are nineteen families Agaonidae Walker, 1846 Aphelinidae Thomson, 1876 Chalcididae Latreille, 1817 Encyrtidae Walker, 1837 Eucharitidae Latreille, 1809 Eulophidae (including Elasmidae) Westwood, 1829 Eupelmidae Walker, 1833 Eurytomidae Walker, 1832 Leucospidae Fabricius, 1775 Mymaridae Haliday, 1833 Ormyridae Forster, 1856 Perilampidae Latreille, 1809 Pteromalidae Dalman... Scorpion anatomy: 1 = Prosoma; 2 = Mesosoma; 3 = Metasoma The metasoma is clearly visible on this ant: it is the posterior section, including the petiole The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma...

External links

• Universal Chalcidoidea Database