''Spathius'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of doryctine wasps. The larvae of this genus of wasps feed on beetle larvae. They act as biological controllers of the certain pest beetles, such as ''

Hylurgopinus rufipes ''Hylurgopinus rufipes'', known as the native elm bark beetle, is a species of elm bark beetles in the tribe Hylesinini (crenulate bark beetles). It is found in Canada and the United States. It is of particular importance as a vector of Dutch ...

'' and the

emerald ash borer The emerald ash borer (''Agrilus planipennis''), also known by the abbreviation EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash trees, ash species (''Fraxinus'' spp.). Females lay eggs in bark crevices o ...

References

* Belokobylskij, S.A.; Austin, A.D. 2013: New species of flightless doryctine parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) from Australia and New Zealand. Australian journal of entomology, 52(4), pages 338–355, * Belokobylskij & Maeto 2009: Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Japan. Volume 1. Natura optima dux Foundation, Warszawa, 2009, pages 1–806 * Belokobylskij, S.A.; Samartsev, K.G. 2014: Palaearctic species of the Spathius exarator species group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) with entirely sculptured mesopleuron. Zootaxa 3900 (4), pages 483–504, * Tang, P., Belokobylskij, S. & Chen, X-X. 2015: Spathius Nees, 1818 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Doryctinae) from China with a key to species. Zootaxa 3960 (1), pages 1–132,

External links

* * * Braconidae genera Biological pest control wasps Braconidae {{Ichneumonoidea-stub