A revision of the British species of Dendrocerus
Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera : Ceraphronoidea)
with a review of their biology as aphid
hyperparasites
N. D. M. Fergusson ^
Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7
5BD
Contents
Synopsis ............ 255
Introduction ............ 255
Terminology and methods .......... 256
Abbreviations ............ 257
Depositories ............ 257
Suprageneric classification 257
Key to families and subfamilies of the Ceraphronoidea . . . . -257
Generic classification in the Megaspilidae . . . . . . -258
Key to the British genera of Megaspilidae ....... 258
Dendrocerus Ratzeburg . . ....... 259
Subgenera
Synonymic list of British species
Key to British species
Species descriptions
Review of the biology of Dendrocerus
261
261
263
266
293
Host aphid list for Dendrocerus species ....... 293
List of the Aphidiidae (Hymenoptera) parasitized by Dendrocerus . . . 295
Other hosts 297
Host information on some non-British species of Dendrocerus. . . . 300
Non-British species . . . . . . . . . . -301
Doubtfully placed species .......... 309
Acknowledgements ........... 309
References ............ 309
Index 313
Synopsis
The species of Dendrocerus occurring in Britain are revised; 72 nominal species are involved, of which 14 are
considered to be valid. Six species are recorded as British for the first time and 1 7 new specific synonyms are
established. All the European and some non-European species are discussed. Keys are given to the families
and subfamilies of Ceraphronoidea, to the genera of Megaspilidae and to the British species of Dendrocerus.
The genus Dendrocerus is redefined and its subgenera discussed, and one new generic synonym established.
The biology of each species is discussed and the biology of the genus as a whole is reviewed.
Introduction
Dendrocerus Ratzeburg is the most economically important genus of the Ceraphronoidea as it
contains most, if not all, of the aphid hyperparasites known from this superfamily. Species of
Dendrocerus are also associated with other Homoptera, and with Neuroptera and Diptera. The
Bull. Br. Mus. not. Hist. (Ent.) 4 1 (4): 255-314 Issued 1 8 December 1 980
BioStor
