Type species. Embolemus ruddii Westwood, 1833: holotype, male— Yorkshire, England, UK, OUMNH, (Figs 3A– 3K).
Type material examined. HOLOTYPE, ♂: UNITED KINGDOM, England, Yorkshire, Rev. (Reverend) G. T. Rudd (George Thomas Rudd) coll., des. H. Hilpert 1987, Embolemus ruddii Phil. Mag., W. Rudd, OUMNH.
Diagnosis (Male). Antenna filiform, first antennomere shorter or slightly longer than third antennomere (Fig. 3A); head swollen in dorsal view (Fig. 3F); face with two convergent longitudinal and median sutures from clypeus to antennal toruli; ocelli distinct (Fig. 3C); labial 2 or 3-palpomeres (Fig. 3C); maxillary 4 or 6-palpomeres, third maxillary palpomere broadened (Fig. 3C); macropterous, fore wing usually with Costal (C), Radial (R), first cubital (1Cu), and first medial (1M) cells enclosed by pigmented veins, second cubital (2Cu) cell almost always open, first medial (1M) cell occasionally open (Fig. 3B); tibial spurs formula 1/2/2 (Fig. 3A).
Distribution. Worldwide, except Antarctica (Olmi 1996, 1997; Chény et al. 2020).
World species. 39 species (Perkovsky et al. 2020; Olmi et al. 2020).
Host. Parasitoids of nymphs of Cixiidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoromorpha) living in the soil and feeding on roots (Olmi et al. 2014).
Type species status. Type specimen is glued to the triangular card on its ventral side and in good condition. Left antennomeres with the last four missing.