TheTiphiidae (also known astiphiid wasps,[1]flower wasps,[2][note 1] ortiphiid flower wasps[3]) are afamily of large, solitarywasps whose larvae areparasitoids of variousbeetle larvae, especially those in the superfamilyScarabaeoidea.[4] Until recently, this family contained several additional subfamilies, but multiple studies have independently confirmed that these comprise a separate lineage, and are now classified in the familyThynnidae.[5][6]
The females of someBrachycistidinae are wingless, and hunt ground-dwelling (fossorial) beetle larvae.[4] The prey is paralysed with the female's sting, and an egg is laid on it so the wasp larva has a ready supply of food. As some of the ground-dwelling scarab species attacked by tiphiids are pests, some of these wasps are considered beneficial asbiological control agents.[7]
^Obeysekara, Piyumi T.; Legrand, Ana (2014). "The Influence of Host Species and Location in the Host Detection Ability of Tiphiid (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) Parasitoids".Environmental Entomology.43 (6):1594–1602.doi:10.1603/EN13275.PMID25289963.S2CID31183862.
^"Flower wasps".The Australian Museum. 2020. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2023.
^Kelaidis, Panayoti; Tankersley, Boyce; Zale, Peter (2019)."November 2019"(PDF).International Rock Gardener (119): 115 pp.ISSN2053-7557. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2023.
^abBrothers, Denis J. (1993). "Key to subfamilies of Tiphiidae". In Goulet, Henri; Huber, John T. (eds.).Hymenoptera of the World, an Identification Guide to Families. Ottawa, Ontario: Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research. pp. 178–185.ISBN0-660-14933-8.
^Pilgrim, E.; von Dohlen, C.; Pitts, J. (2008). "Molecular phylogenetics of Vespoidea indicate paraphyly of the superfamily and novel relationships of its component families and subfamilies".Zoologica Scripta.37 (5):539–560.doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00340.x.S2CID85905070.
Arnett, R. H. Jr. (2000) Segunda edición.American insects. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Londres, New York, Washington, D. C.ISBN0-8493-0212-9
Borror, D. J., DeLong, D. M., Triplehorn, C. A.(1976) cuarta edición.An introduction to the study of insects. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. New York, Chicago.ISBN0-03-088406-3
