Diagnosis - Scutellum with only a single pair of setae. Submarginal vein with 2 setae on dorsal margin. Notauli generally incomplete or absent, but may be present in some species known as leafminers parasitoids. Fronto-facial sutures, when present, situated near middle of face and distinctly removed from median ocellus. Marginal vein (MV) relatively long and stigmal vein (STV) relatively short.
Classification and distribution - The Entedoninae
is one of the two largest subfamilies of the Eulophidae, with almost
1200 species in 85 genera. Members are common and abundant in all
geographic realms. It is currently divided into two tribes: the Entedonini
contains most of the genera and species (including all genera known
to attack leafminers), and the Euderomphalini (La
Salle & Schauff, 1994; Hansson
& La Salle, 2003; Hernández-Suárez
et al., 2003) contains a small number of genera and species
which are all parasitoids of whiteflies.
Identification - Keys to genera of Entedoninae
are available for Australasia (Boucek,
1988), North America (Schauff
et al., 1997) and for Holarctic region (Schauff,
1991). Gauthier et al.
(2000) provided a list all genera in this subfamily. Noyes
(2003) provided an electronic catalogue for the Universal Chalcidoidea.
Biology - Entedoninae are all internal parasitoids,
often attacking young or small host stages. Several genera are predominantly
parasitoids of leafminers, such as Achrysocharoides
(mainly on Lepidoptera), and Chrysocharis,
Closterocerus, and Neochrysocharis
(on a variety of leafminer hosts). Other genera have wider biological
ranges, but contain leafminer parasitoids, as Pediobius
and Asecodes.
