The Braconid and Ichneumonid parasitoid wasps : biology, systematics, evolution and ecology / Donald L.J. Quicke.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Morphology and Biology. Adult External Morphology -- The Ovipositor and Ovipositor Sheaths -- Internal and Reproductive Anatomy -- Immature Stages -- Idiobionts, Koinobionts and Other Life History Traits -- Sex, Courtship and Mating -- Host Location, Associative Learning and Host Assessment -- Overcoming Host Immune Reaction and Physiological Interactions with Host -- Convergent Adaptations -- Taxonomic and Systematic Treatment. Overview of Ichneumonoidea: Relationships and Systematics -- Phylogeny and Systematics of the Braconidae -- Phylogeny and Systematics of the Ichneumonidae -- Ecology and Diversity. Ecology -- Local and Global Patterns in Diversity -- Collecting and Rearing Ichneumonoidea -- Epilogue -- Glossary -- References -- Author Index -- General Index -- Host Index -- Ichneumonoid Genus, Tribe and Subfamily Index -- Ichneumonoidea Species Index.

The Ichneumonoidea is a vast and important superfamily of parasitic wasps, with some 60,000 described species and estimated numbers far higher, especially for small-bodied tropical taxa. The superfamily comprises two cosmopolitan families - Braconidae and Ichneumonidae - that have largely attracted separate groups of researchers, and this, to a considerable extent, has meant that understanding of their adaptive features has often been considered in isolation. This book considers both families, highlighting similarities and differences in their adaptations.