page_title: Braconidae
section_title: Parasitoidy
hierarchical_section_title: Braconidae / Parasitoidy
caption_attribution_description: (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Cotesia ruficrus illustrated by Des Helmore.
context_page_description: 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 estimated a total between 30,000 and 50,000, and another provided a narrower estimate between 42,000 and 43,000 species.
context_section_description: The larvae of most braconids are internal or external primary parasitoids of other insects, especially the larval stages of Coleoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera, but also some hemimetabolous insects such as aphids, Heteroptera, or Embiidina. Most species kill their hosts, though some cause the hosts to become sterile and less active. Parasitoidy on adult insects (particularly on Hemiptera and Coleoptera) also occurs. Members of two subfamilies, the Mesostoinae and Doryctinae are known to form galls on plants. Braconids are often used as biological pest control agents, especially against aphids.
caption: Cotesia ruficrus illustrated by Des Helmore
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