Overview
Signiphoridae (historically also known as Thysanidae) is a small family of in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. They are almost exclusively associated with scale insects, either as parasitoids or hyperparasitoids of other parasitic wasps or flies. There are only some 45 species in 4 genera, and they are primarily tropical and subtropical in the New World.
They are typically short, squat wasps, best recognized by subtle features of the wings (long marginal setae but few setae on the membrane), and a long, unsegmented antennal club. Some species are highly modified into a polished, smooth teardrop shape.
Taxonomy
The Family Signiphoridae is a member of the Superfamily Chalcidoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Signiphoridae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Superorder: Hymenopterida
- Order: Hymenoptera
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Ants, Bees, and Wasps
- Suborder: Apocrita
- Ants, Bees
- Superfamily: Chalcidoidea
- Family: Signiphoridae
- Superfamily: Chalcidoidea
- Suborder: Apocrita
- Ants, Bees
- Order: Hymenoptera
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Ants, Bees, and Wasps
- Superorder: Hymenopterida
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Family Signiphoridae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Genus (3): Signiphora · Thysanus · Xana
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 7 species and subspecies in the Family Signiphoridae.
Genera
Signiphora
Thysanus
Xana
More info about the Genus Xana may be found here.
Sources
- The distribution map on the Distribution tab comes from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and is used with permission.
- Photographs on this page are copyrighted by individual photographers, and individual copyrights apply.
- The technology underlying this page, including the controls behind Keep Exploring, is owned by the BayScience Foundation. All rights are reserved.