The Megalyroidea are a small hymenopteran superfamily that includes a single family, Megalyridae, with eight genera and at least 45 extant species. Modern megalyrids are found mostly in areas of relict primary tropical forests, with very few New World representatives. The most abundant and species-rich megalyrid fauna is in Australia. Another peak of diversity appears to be in the relict forests of Madagascar, but most of these species are still undescribed. Historically, there has been much confusion about the definition of this family. Species now placed in Megalyridae have in the past been classified into as many as six other families. The best defining feature, unique to the family, is the mesothoracic spiracle has moved, and is actually located in the upper corner of the pronotum, though this is a fairly obscure feature to see. Perhaps the most useful visible character is that the base of the antenna fits into a wide, concave groove below the eye, though a few other wasp families exhibit this trait. Females of Megalyra have ovipositors ranging from five to eight times their body length, but this is not true of the other genera. Wikipedia [ - ]

The Megalyroidea are a small hymenopteran superfamily that includes a single family,... [ + ]