Abstract.(1) 6449 chalcids representing 212 species, ninety‐six genera and eleven families were collected. The frequency of species and individuals did not fit a logarithmic series and Yule's index was chosen as a suitable index of diversity.(2) Species diversity of the total chalcid fauna in a zone was directly related to the number of flowering plants in the zone. However, Jaccard's coefficient of similarity between pairs of zones showed that there was little correlation between the similarity of zones based on the occurrence of plants and the presence of chalcids.(3) The Eulophidae and Pteromalidae showed two peaks of occurrence, the other families had only one. The times of peak occurrence varied on different zones and presumably reflected the main flowering period or some other seasonal aggregating factor.(4) Overall there was a higher female to male ratio. In a majority of the more common species the males were more aggregated than the females.(5) The overall sex ratio varied throughout the year, with a high female ratio at the beginning and end of the season. The Pteromalidae showed a greater fluctuation through the season and over the zones than the other families.(6) Several species were collected on the sand‐dunes although their known hosts were absent.(7) Thirteen rare species were captu