Dirhinus anthracia Walker

Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Chalcididae

Body robust, dorsum dark brown to black with strong metallic coppery reflections; antennae and first two pairs of legs reddish brown, last pair or legs blackish, except tarsi reddish brown. Head with a pair of horn-like anterior projections, each horn outside of apex with a distinct notch; anterior and dorsal edges of horns converging in acute to right angle, anterior and lateral edges forming acute angle of about 60 degrees. Propodeum with a median areola with convex sides. First abdominal tergite with longitudinal striae in anterior half reaching up to about one-third length. Hind femora greatly enlarged and swollen.

 Head, dorsal view

   Adult, dorsal view
 Adult, ventral view

Throughout India. Pakistan.

Parasitic on synathropic flies (Diptera: Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae) and other dipterous hosts such as Tephritidae and Tachinidae; Lepidoptera (Narendran, 1989). Mass produced and used augmentatively in the biological control of Indian Uzi fly, Exorista bombycis, a pest of Bombyx mori.