Ceraphronidae

The Ceraphronidae, commonly known as ceraphronids or ceraphronid wasps, are a small hymenopteran family with 14 genera and some 360 known species, though a great many species are still undescribed. It is a poorly known group as a whole, though most are believed to be parasitoids (especially of flies), and a few hyperparasitoids. Many are found in the soil, and of these, a number are wingless.

The family is distinguished from the closely related Megaspilidae by having a very small stigma in the wing, a very broad metasomal petiole, and a single median groove in the mesoscutum.

The taxon was erected by Alexander Henry Haliday in 1833.

This family contains the following genera:^[1]

• Abacoceraphron Dessart, 1975
• Aphanogmus Thomson, 1858
• Ceraphron Jurine, 1806
• Cyoceraphron Dessart, 1975
• Donadiola Dessart, 1975
• Ecitonetes Brues, 1902
• Elysoceraphron Szelenyi, 1936
• Gnathoceraphron Dessart & Bin, 1981
• Homaloceraphron Dessart & Masner, 1969
• Kenitoceraphron Dessart, 1975
• Microceraphron Szelenyi, 1935
• Pteroceraphron Dessart, 1981
• Retasus Dessart, 1984
• Synarsis Förster, 1878

• Dessart, P., 1965 Contribution à l'étudendes Hyménoptères Proctotrupoidea.(VI)Les Ceraphroninae et quelques Megaspilinae(Ceraphronidae)du Musée Civique d'Histoire Naturelles de Gênes. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Royale Entomologique de Belgique:101:105-192.
• Watson, L., and Dallwitz M.J., 2003. British insects: the families of Hymenoptera.Version: 16 July 2011 [1]

• Cedar Creek Archived 14 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine Images of pinned specimens.
• Waspweb
• Images at Bug Guide