Parasitic Wasps
 
                 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Insect Eggs Parasite Wasps - Family Mymaridae

Below are the Parasite Wasps that we cannot identify. We think they are in the family Mymaridae but not exactly sure. Please advise if you know any of them.
 

 
Parasitic Wasps laying eggs on Planthopper egg sac
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?sp., body length 3mm 
On a newly built Planthopper egg sac, there were a group of Parasitic Wasps laying their eggs into it. The wasps were black in colour. Also notice that in the first picture, there is a Case Moth bag beside the egg sac.
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The above pictures show another Planthopper egg sac. A wasp was just hatch, made a hole and emerged from the egg sac.
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The above pictures show another two Planthopper egg sac. The first picture shows the young Planthoppers just emerged, they were luckily not infected by the parasitic wasp. The second picture shows the Planthopper egg sac which was partly infected. Those empty egg cases with creamy colour and small opening are not infected. Those with darker colour and round hole opening are believed parasited by the wasps. The round hole opening is the typical mark made by parasitic wasp when they emerge.
 

 
Leaf Beetle Parasitoid
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?sp., body length 2mm
We found those Leaf Beetle eggs on Acacia leaf. We brought the leaf home with the eggs. We kept the eggs in a jar and expected to see the Leaf Beetle nymphs came out. However, a few days later, we saw some small black wasp flying inside the jar. Carefully inspected the eggs, all eggs had a round opening, which is the typical mark made by parasitic wasp when they emerge. All five eggs were infected.
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We found the Leaf Beetle eggs in Karawatha Forest during early summer.
 

 
Leaf Beetle Parasitoids
 
?sp., body length 3mm  
We found that the Leaf Beetle eggs were heavily infected by the tiny parasite wasps, especially from mid to late summer season. The batches of Leaf Beetle eggs that we collected in late summer season are all parasitised.
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Last updated: October 17, 2006.