''Aphidius'' is a genus of

insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...

of the family

Braconidae The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

. The genus has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...

Adult An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social an ...

Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are

endoparasitoids In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasitism ...

aphids Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the inside of the aphid. As the larvae mature, the hosts die and become slightly enlarged or mummified, often becoming tan or yellow. Complete metamorphosis occurs within the host. The adult parasite chews the sugar out of the mummy leaving a hole. The genus Aphidius includes many species that provide

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or ot ...

of aphids on

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

crops, greenhouses, urban

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

and home gardens.

Species

*''

Aphidius absinthii ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' Marshall, 1896 *'' Aphidius adelocarinus'' Smith, 1944 *'' Aphidius alius'' Muesebeck, 1958 *'' Aphidius apolloni'' *'' Aphidius avenaphis'' Fitch *'' Aphidius balcanicus'' Tomanović & Petrović, 2011 *''

Aphidius banksae ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' Kittel *'' Aphidius colemani'' ( Dalman, 1820) *'' Aphidius chaetosiphonis'' Tomanović &Petrović, 2011 *''

Aphidius ervi ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' ( Haliday, 1834) *''

Aphidius linosiphonis ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' Tomanovic & Starý, 2001 *''

Aphidius gifuensis ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' Ashmead, 1906 *''

Aphidius matricariae ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' (Haliday) *''

Aphidius nigripes ''Aphidius nigripes'' is a species of parasitoid wasp in the subfamily Aphidiinae of the family Braconidae. It is the most common parasitoid of the potato aphid ''Macrosiphum euphorbiae'' in eastern North America. Many other species of aphids may ...

'' Ashmead, 1901 *''

Aphidius rhopalosiphi ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' De Stefani Perez *''

Aphidius transcaspicus ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' Telenga, 1958 *''

Aphidius uzbekistanicus ''Aphidius'' is a genus of insects of the family Braconidae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult Aphidius is a small wasp, usually less than long. Aphidius wasps are endoparasitoids of aphids. The female wasp lays eggs in an aphid ...

'' Luzhetzki

References

{{Authority control Braconidae Braconidae genera Taxa named by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck Taxa described in 1818