The adult parasitic wasps chew a round hole in the abdomen to emerge. Not all species in these groups are parasitic. Biology and details of development vary with species. Adult wasps emerge from pupae and females seek suitable host insects into or on which to lay eggs singly or in clusters. However, some parasitic wasps, such as Copidosoma spp.
Most parasitic species have high reproductive capacity and develop rapidly.
Several generations can sometimes develop during a single generation of the host, although some species have only a single generation per year. Mouthparts of larvae and adults are for chewing. Those that kill their hosts are called parasitoids. Many species are host specific, developing in one or a limited number of related host species. Adults of some parasitic wasps feed on other insects to obtain energy to seek other suitable hosts into or on which to lay eggs.