What is a braconid wasp?

A braconid wasp is any of over 17,000 species of parasitic wasps in the family Braconidae. They are parasitoids, meaning the larvae feed on other arthropods. Braconid wasps rarely exceed 1.5 cm in length, are typically dark in color, and have a curved abdomen with a narrow waist. Adult females deposit eggs in host larvae or eggs, and the braconid larva consumes the host's tissues. Braconid wasps are useful for the biological control of insect pests. As adults, they feed on nectar and pollen, acting as pollinators.

What do braconid wasps look like?

Braconid wasps are a large, diverse family of parasitic wasps. They are typically dark or dull in color and relatively small, seldom exceeding 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) in length. As insects, their bodies consist of three primary regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. Most have a long, slender, curved abdomen with a narrow waist, like other wasps. Braconid wasps have a pair of large compound eyes on the side of the head and usually three simple eyes on the top. They generally differ from social wasps because they have longer antennae with more segments. The ovipositor, or egg-laying organ, of the female is long and conspicuous; only a few species use it as a stinger for defense.

Where do braconid wasps live?

Braconid wasps can be found worldwide, and they belong to the family Braconidae, which contains over 17,000 species. Braconid wasps are parasitoids as larvae, meaning they feed on or inside other arthropods. Adult female braconid wasps lay eggs in the larvae or eggs of a host. Braconid larvae are either endoparasitic, living within their hosts, or ectoparasitic, living on their hosts. As adults, most braconid wasps consume flower nectar and pollen and act as incidental pollinators. Many braconid wasp species are used for insect pest control.

How do braconid wasps reproduce?

Braconid wasps reproduce by parasitizing other arthropods, especially insects like moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, and other wasps. Adult females lay eggs in the larvae or eggs of the host. Braconid larvae can be either endoparasitic, living inside the host, or ectoparasitic, living on the host. In some cases, the wasp eggs are laid within the host eggs but only develop after the host has hatched. The braconid larva stays inside the host's body until it pupates, sometimes with up to 150 larvae in a single host. Some ectoparasitic females paralyze their hosts before laying eggs on or near them. As adults, braconid wasps often feed on flower nectar and pollen and can be incidental pollinators.

How are braconid wasps helpful to farmers and ecosystems?

Braconid wasps are beneficial to farmers and ecosystems because they parasitize many insect groups, especially Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Coleoptera (beetles), and Diptera (flies). As parasitoids, braconid larvae feed on other arthropods, which helps control insect pests. Many braconid species are therefore introduced and managed for biological control . For example, Apanteles glomeratus parasitizes larvae of the cabbage butterfly and cabbage looper, which are major pests of Brassica crops. As adults, braconid wasps feed on flower nectar and pollen and act as incidental pollinators.

braconid wasp

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A braconid parasitic wasp (Apanteles species) with long antennae and slender body stands on a green leaf.

A green hornworm caterpillar on a plant stem is covered with clusters of small white wasp eggs along its back.

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Related Topics:: Apanteles congregatus; Habrobracon; Opius concolor; Apanteles glomeratus; Chremilus rubiginosus

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braconid wasp

insect

Also known as: Braconidae

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History

Top Questions

What is a braconid wasp?
A braconid wasp is any of over 17,000 species of parasitic wasps in the family Braconidae. They are parasitoids, meaning the larvae feed on other arthropods. Braconid wasps rarely exceed 1.5 cm in length, are typically dark in color, and have a curved abdomen with a narrow waist.

Adult females deposit eggs in host larvae or eggs, and the braconid larva consumes the host's tissues. Braconid wasps are useful for the biological control of insect pests. As adults, they feed on nectar and pollen, acting as pollinators.
2 Britannica Sources
1. list of ants, bees, and wasps: suborder Apocrita
2. braconid wasp
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do braconid wasps look like?
Braconid wasps are a large, diverse family of parasitic wasps. They are typically dark or dull in color and relatively small, seldom exceeding 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) in length. As insects, their bodies consist of three primary regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. Most have a long, slender, curved abdomen with a narrow waist, like other wasps.

Braconid wasps have a pair of large compound eyes on the side of the head and usually three simple eyes on the top. They generally differ from social wasps because they have longer antennae with more segments. The ovipositor, or egg-laying organ, of the female is long and conspicuous; only a few species use it as a stinger for defense.
2 Britannica Sources
1. braconid wasp: Physical description
2. Hymenoptera: External structure
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where do braconid wasps live?
Braconid wasps can be found worldwide, and they belong to the family Braconidae, which contains over 17,000 species. Braconid wasps are parasitoids as larvae, meaning they feed on or inside other arthropods. Adult female braconid wasps lay eggs in the larvae or eggs of a host. Braconid larvae are either endoparasitic, living within their hosts, or ectoparasitic, living on their hosts. As adults, most braconid wasps consume flower nectar and pollen and act as incidental pollinators. Many braconid wasp species are used for insect pest control.
2 Britannica Sources
1. braconid wasp: Physical description
2. list of insects: ants, bees, and wasps (order Hymenoptera)
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do braconid wasps reproduce?
Braconid wasps reproduce by parasitizing other arthropods, especially insects like moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, and other wasps. Adult females lay eggs in the larvae or eggs of the host. Braconid larvae can be either endoparasitic, living inside the host, or ectoparasitic, living on the host. In some cases, the wasp eggs are laid within the host eggs but only develop after the host has hatched. The braconid larva stays inside the host's body until it pupates, sometimes with up to 150 larvae in a single host. Some ectoparasitic females paralyze their hosts before laying eggs on or near them. As adults, braconid wasps often feed on flower nectar and pollen and can be incidental pollinators.
1 Britannica Source
1. braconid wasp: Natural history and parasitism
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do braconid wasps eat or use for food?
Braconid wasps are parasitoids as larvae, meaning they feed on other arthropods, especially insects like moths, butterflies, beetles, and flies. Braconid larvae are either endoparasitic, living inside the host, or ectoparasitic, living on the host.

Adult braconid wasps feed on flower nectar and pollen, acting as incidental pollinators.
2 Britannica Sources
1. braconid wasp: Natural history and parasitism
2. Hymenoptera: Distribution and abundance
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are braconid wasps helpful to farmers and ecosystems?
Braconid wasps are beneficial to farmers and ecosystems because they parasitize many insect groups, especially Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Coleoptera (beetles), and Diptera (flies). As parasitoids, braconid larvae feed on other arthropods, which helps control insect pests. Many braconid species are therefore introduced and managed for biological control. For example, Apanteles glomeratus parasitizes larvae of the cabbage butterfly and cabbage looper, which are major pests of Brassica crops. As adults, braconid wasps feed on flower nectar and pollen and act as incidental pollinators.
2 Britannica Sources
1. braconid wasp: Natural history and parasitism
2. Hymenoptera: Economic importance
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

braconid wasp, (family Braconidae), large and diverse family of more than 17,000 species of parasitic wasps, a number of which are useful for the biological control of insect pests. Like most species of solitary wasps, braconid wasps are parasitoids, meaning their larvae feed and develop on or within the bodies of other arthropods. They parasitize many insect groups, especially Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), and other Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps).

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita

Physical description

Braconid wasps are dark or dull in color and relatively small, seldom exceeding 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) in length. They are similar in appearance to ichneumon wasps, a related family of parasitic wasps, though braconids are typically smaller. The wings are sometimes banded or spotted. The ovipositor, or egg-laying organ, of the female is long and conspicuous; only a few species use the ovipositor as a stinger for defense.

As insects, braconid wasps have a body formed of a head, thorax, and abdomen, and six legs. Most species resemble other wasps in having a long, slender, curved abdomen with a fairly narrow waist. They have a pair of large compound eyes on the side of the head and three ocelli (simple eyes) on the top of the head. They usually differ from social wasps in having longer antennae with more segments, or sections.

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Natural history and parasitism

Braconid larvae are either endoparasitic, living within their hosts, or ectoparasitic, living on their hosts. Endoparasitic adult females lay an egg or eggs in the larvae or eggs of the host (braconid wasps do not typically exploit adult hosts). Many species are egg-larval parasitoids, meaning the wasp eggs are laid within the host eggs but do not develop until the host has hatched. The braconid larva remains within the still-living host’s body at least until the host’s tissues and fluids are exhausted and the wasp is ready to pupate. The pupa may be formed in the body of the host, attached to the body of the host, or formed away from the host in a cocoon on a leaf or stem. In some species, as many as 150 larvae may develop in a single host. Certain groups of ectoparasitic females are idiobionts, paralyzing their hosts with their ovipositor before laying eggs on or near the host.

As adults, most braconid wasps feed on flower nectar and pollen and are at least incidental pollinators.

Major biological control species

Many species of braconids are valuable in the control of insect pests and are introduced and managed in many places as a form of biological control. Apanteles glomeratus, for example, parasitizes the larvae of the cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) and the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), important pests of a number of Brassica crops. Apanteles congregatus parasitizes the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and the tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata).

Some braconids attack wood-boring pests such as beetles of the families Buprestidae and Cerambycidae. The braconid Chremilus rubiginosus attacks the grain weevil (Sitophilus granarius). In the Mediterranean region Opius concolor is a parasite of the olive fly (Dacus oleae), which is a destructive pest of commercial olives.

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