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Mini-Ichneumonid Wasp

Photo by LaurenZarate
Published on Project Noah
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16.7354, -92.6387

Field Notes

Description:

Very small wasp of about 4 mm in length. Black with pale blue stripes on the thorax and orange legs. Probably a male. Family Ichneumonidae.

Habitat:

Came to an ultraviolet light in the garden, San Cristobal de Las Casas, 2,200 meters.

Notes:

This is similar to, but not the same species as a previous spotting for a mini-Ichneumonid:
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/24970017/fullscreen.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)
LaurenZarate
Thank you John. Good to know all that. I'll separate the two wasps into 2 spottings. Maybe I'll find the females for both someday. How nice you've been to Chiapas! Wonderful place.
John La Salle
Hola Lauren Yes, ichneumonids can display sexual dimorphism - although not as much as is seen in some of the other wasp groups and it is often limited to simply the shape of the abdomen and whether there is a clearly visible (and often quite long) ovipositor. Having said that, there are quite a few ichneumonids that don't have a conspicuously extended ovipositor. Just as a suspicion - I figure both the wasps in the pictures are males, and that they are different species. PS - I spent some very enjoyable time collecting small wasps in Chiapas slightly over 30 years ago!
LaurenZarate
@John LaSalle, hello, can Ichneumonid wasps display sexual dimorphism? Do I have two sexes here, or two species?

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PublishedApril 3, 2013

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