Mini review of parasitoids collected in the Cerrado Biome in Brazil

Abstract

The climate is predominantly hot with a rainy and a dry season. Second only to the Amazon, the Cerrado occupies an area of more than 2 million km, corresponding to about 25% of the national territory. It is not only the second largest ecosystem in Brazil, but also in all South America. It is known as such in our country, but in other parts of the world it occurs under the name of savannas, which are characterized by vegetation with low trees, spaced shrubs, and grasses. For the elaboration of this mini review, which consists of the construction of a bibliographic summary of the main groups of parasitoids of the Order Hymenoptera, with an emphasis on the hymenopterans parasitoids collected in the Cerrado Biome (savanna). A bibliographic search was carried out that contained papers published from 2001 to June 2021 on the quantitative aspects of Superfamilies, Families, Subfamilies, Genera and Species. The mini review was carried out from February to June 2021. Parasitoids are often called parasites, but the term parasitoid is more technically correct. By definition, insect parasitoids have a free-living adult stage and an immature life stage that develops on or within an insect host and ultimately kills it. After feeding on host body fluids and organs, most parasitoids leave their hosts to pupate or emerge as adults. Parasitoids have a free-living adult stage and an immature life stage that develops on or within an insect host and ultimately kills it. They are effective control agents in pest population.