This wasp was ovipositing in some insect hidden behind the curl of the petal (sepal) on a heliconia plant. This chalcid is like a 1/4 the size of a grain of rice. If I have this ID'ed correctly, this is an aphid parasitoid, but it looked like it was ovipositing in a mealybug.
#Proctotrupomorph #Chalcid #Pteromalidae #Pachyneurinae #Photography #Nature #Insects #SriLanka #Insects #InsectInteraction
A super tiny parasitoid wasp investigating some possible host scale insects.
#nature #Photography #Wasp #Insects #Parasitoid #Chalcid #SriLanka #InsectInteraction
Oh fine... a real post... if I must... a fig wasp... These are pollinators of the fig which has a really unusual floral arrangement. The flower is cloistered and is essentially inside out. Once a wasp enters, it never leaves.
Welp, it seems like our mason bees had some parasites. One still-alive carpet beetle larva, one dead chalcid wasp, and many houdini fly larvae. Perhaps also cuckoo bees and chalkbrood fungus. Currently deploying mitigation measures and will have to do better at the end of this season. Poor little bees.
Ben S
cthululemon