Weaving a new web: gregarious parasitism in Idris Förster (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) attacking spider eggs.

The present study, conducted in West Bengal, India, explored the unique 'multi-chambered' appearance of certain spider eggs, leading to the discovery of gregarious parasitism in the idiobiont endoparasitoid Idris Förster (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Little is known about the roles of parasitoid Hymenoptera in regulating spider populations. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I marker identified five distinct species of Idris.