Telenomus

a genus of hymenopterous insects of the family Scelionidae. Members of the genus, which are egg parasites, measure 0.7–1.5 mm in length and are black in color. They parasitize the eggs of butterflies, hemipterous insects (true bugs), and flies. A single parasite usually develops in the host’s egg but six to 16 may do so, for example, in the case of T. fariai and T. gracilis. The maturation period lasts from two weeks to 1½ months. Some species produce as many as ten generations a year.

Under natural conditions, Telenomus is one of the most important regulators of the population of many harmful insects. It is bred in laboratories to control crop pests biologically. In the USSR, T. sokolovi is used to control Eurygaster integriceps, while T. gracilis is used to control Dendrolimus sibiricus and T. laeviusculus is bred to combat the lackey moth (Malacosoma neuslria). In the USA, T. emersoni is used to control horseflies. In old works on entomology, Telenomus comprises species of the genus Asolcus, which parasitize eggs of Eurygaster integriceps.