California Cuckoo Wasps in the Family Chrysididae (Hymenoptera)

California has one of the world's most diverse chrysidid wasp faunas. These are large, brightly metallic-colored parasitoids of sphecoid wasps and bees. This study reviews the species and genera of Chrysididae in California, maps their overall distributions, and gives keys to California genera and species. In addition, three species described by Linsenmaier in 1994 are synonymized.