Lysiphlebus

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Lysiphlebus is a genus of tiny parasitoid wasps in the Braconidae family. They attack aphids, laying eggs inside them; the developing larvae later form a mummy-like cocoon inside the aphid. The genus is found almost worldwide. Most Lysiphlebus species are haplodiploid, like many other wasps, but several species (including L. fabarum, L. cardui, and L. confusus) have female-only lineages. These asexual lineages reproduce by parthenogenesis (reproducing without fertilization). The sex-determination system in Lysiphlebus is complementary, and the gene responsible is thought to exist in multiple copies. Asexual females can sometimes produce diploid males, and when these mate with sexual females they can convert sexual lineages to asexual ones, a phenomenon called contagious parthenogenesis. Like other Aphidiinae, Lysiphlebus wasps specialize in aphids that are defended by ants, and they avoid ant attacks by mimicking the aphid’s chemical signals on their bodies.