Overview
Signiphorids are quite commonly reared from scale insects (Hemiptera), both Diaspididae and Pseudococcidae, and may be
primary or hyperparasitoids.
Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera) and dipterous (fly) puparia are also attacked, as are lepidopteran (moth and butterfly) eggs. In most of these cases the signiphorids are hyperparasitic.
Description
The Signiphoridae are a small family, characterised by the wings being bare (i.e. without any small setae (hairs) on their surface, although a few large setae may be present); the thorax smooth with the scutellum and axillae fused and forming a narrow transverse sclerite; and a triangular area in the middle of the propodeum; the antenna without funicular segments, with 2 4 anelli followed by a long, unsegmented club, the tarsi 5-segmented, and the body non-metallic. Signiphorids are small in size (0.5 1.2 mm), and are generally black or yellow and black or brown in colour.
Distribution
There are no keys to Australasian genera, however Woolley (1988) provided a key to world genera.
Further information about the Signiphoridae can be found in Gibson 1993, Naumann 1991, Noyes 2001, Noyes & Valentine 1989 and Woolley 1988.