Overview
The biology and host-associations of pteromalids are extremely varied, but most species are
idiobionts, many developing as ectoparasitoids of larvae and pupae of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Diptera (flies), Coleoptera (beetles) and Hymenoptera. Concealed hosts, such as leaf-miners and gall-inducers are commonly attacked. Other species are idiobiont endoparasitoids,
commonly of lepidopterous pupae. Most members of the tribe Miscogasterini are
koinobiont larva
l- pupal parasitoids of Diptera: Agromyzidae, and
Tomicobia
species develop on adult Coleoptera. A number of pteromalids are
predatory rather than parasitic, and still others are phytophagous. Thus, almost the whole range of biologies found in the Chalcidoidea is present in the Pteromalidae. Several species have been used successfully in biological control, however they do not rival the success of other parasitoid groups such as Aphelinidae, Encyrtidae and Braconidae.
Boucek (1988) provides keys to the Australasian genera.
Description
The family is not as clearly defined as many other chalcid families, and members are generally recognised by the lack of distinctive characters which are used to define other families. Indeed, some subfamilies appear to be assigned to Pteromalidae mainly because they do not fit into any other chalcid family. A great deal of work still needs to be done to establish a more stable classification for the chalcidoids, and a re-evaluation of the pteromalid groups, necessarily, will be an integral part of this. As presently defined the family is characterised by having the tarsi 5-segmented, the antenna usually with 5-7 funicular segments, the ovipositor rarely exserted, the postmarginal and stigmal veins of the fore wing well-developed and the mesopleuron not swollen and convex; in general not displaying distinctive features characteristic of other families.
Distribution
The Pteromalidae are one of the three largest families of Chalcidoidea. Currently 560 species are described from Australia and 30 from New Zealand.
Further information about the Pteromalidae can be found in Boucek 1988, Gibson 1993, Naumann 1991, Noyes & Valentine 1989 and Noyes 2001.