About Tetrasphaeropyx
“Aleiodes (Tetrasphaeropyx)” are small parasitic wasps known only from Mexico, Canada, the U.S, and one species from northwestern Europe. These wasps vary in size from 3.5 mm to 5 mm in length. They are rarely collected. As with all Aleiodes species, females of A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) have short ovipositors . As with all species in the family Braconidae to which genus Aleiodes belongs, A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) are “parasitoids:” parasites that always kill the host after it has been utilized as food. The host is killed upon or shortly after completion of the parasitoid larval stage. For about a third of known A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) species, specimens have been host-reared. As far as known, all A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) only utilize inchworm caterpillars (Geometridae); thus, all host-reared A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) specimens have only been reared from geometrids. As with all known Aleiodes species with host records, all A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) species with host records transform their host into a “mummy,” inside of which the A. (Tetrasphaeropyx) larva pupates. The shape of these mummies is unique to genus Aleiodes. There are about 400 known species of Aleiodes world-wide. Tetrasphaeropyx species may be distinguished from other Aleiodes species by their large, carapace-like metasomal tergite IV (MT IV).