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A Review of Aphid Parasitoids, with an Identification Key to the Genera of Economic Importance
by
, , and
Mar Ferrer-Suay
1,*
,
Marc Barreda
1,
Ehsan Rakhshani
2,
Eugenia Rodrigo
3,
Jesús Selfa
1 and
Andrew Polaszek
4
1
Departament de Zoologia, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, Campus de Burjassot-Paterna, Bloc B, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
2
Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol 98615-538, Iran
3
Instituto Agroforestal del Mediterráneo, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
4
Science: Research, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2025, 16(7), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16070648
Submission received: 16 May 2025
/
Revised: 17 June 2025
/
Accepted: 17 June 2025
/
Published: 20 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protecting Field Crops from Economically Damaging Aphid Infestation)
Simple Summary
Agriculture relies on effective pest control to meet global food demands, with aphids being one of the most damaging pest groups worldwide. Hymenopteran aphid parasitoids play a key role as biological control agents due to their efficiency and selectivity. The two main primary parasitoid groups treated here are Aphelinidae (Chalcidoidea) and Braconidae (Ichneumonoidea). Additionally, various hyperparasitoid families, such as Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae; Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Moranilidae, Pteromalidae and Signiphoridae, and Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae, are included because of their potential to undermine pest control efforts by attacking primary parasitoids. The study provides dichotomous keys to identify the superfamilies, families and economically important genera associated with aphids.
Abstract
Agriculture plays an essential role in meeting global food demand, and so effective pest control is crucial. Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are a significant problem for many crops worldwide, and cause crop losses. They are considered one of the most important groups of pests in the world. Aphid parasitoids are very important as biological agents, both for their effectiveness and their host range selectivity. This study provides a review of these groups of parasitoids and their possible role and use in aphid biological control. Two groups of primary parasitoids, Aphelinidae and Braconidae: Aphidiinae, are the main groups that can be used in the biological control of aphids. There is also a diversity of hyperparasitoids whose hosts are these primary parasitoids and therefore are likely to be detrimental to the biological control programs: Megaspilidae in the superfamily Ceraphronoidea, the following Chalcidoidea families: Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Moranilidae, Pteromalidae, and Signiphoridae, and Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae. Records of Mymaridae emerging from aphids, while assumed to be obligate egg-parasitoids, are discussed. Dichotomous keys are provided to identify the superfamilies, families and most important genera associated with aphids.
