Overview
Species for which the biology is known are mostly phytophagous, and always associated with galls, either as gall-inducers or inquilines. Keys to Australasian genera are included in Boucek (1988).
Description
Tanaostigmatids are closely related to
Encyrtidae and Eupelmidae
, and are characterised by the mesopleuron large, convex and longer than high; the prepectus large, distinctly swollen and rounded anteriorly, and easily visible in dorsal view as prominent 'shoulders' at the side of the thorax; the notauli present, sinuate, and usually converging or meeting at the midline of the mesoscutum; and the mesoscutum normally convex, without any median grooves or furrows such as those seen in
Eupelmidae.
Distribution
The Tanaostigmatidae are a small family that is not generally encountered with only 10 described species in Australia. They are absent from New Zealand.
Further information about the Tanaostigmatidae can be found in Boucek 1988, Gibson 1993, Naumann 1991and Noyes 2001.