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HYMENOPTERA, Rotoitidae (Chalcidoidea) -- <Images> & <Juveniles>

This family is confined to New Zealand, and there is very little information about its biology. It is small family of rare, relictual parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. There are only two species identified, each in their own genus, one from New Zealand and one from Chile. They are probably of ancient lineage in the superfamily.en though, and little is known of their biology. Females of the Chilean species, Chiloe micropteron, have their wings that appear only as tiny bristles.

Various aspects of their anatomy, including their primitive wing venation, indicate that may be very primitive Chalcidoidea and related to the Mymaridae.

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References: Please refer to <biology.ref.htm>, [Additional references may be found at: MELVYL Library]

Boucek, Z. and J. S. Noyes. 1987. Rotoitidae, a curious new family of Chalcidoidea from New Zealand. Syst. Entomol. 12: 407-412.

Gibson, A. P. & J. T. Huber. 2000. Review of the family Rotoitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with description of a new genus and species from Chile. Natural Hist. 34(12): 2293-2314.