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Jezabel Parasitoid - Brachymeria aurea
Family CHALCIDIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Jezabel Parasitoid Chalcid Wasps that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 10mm
- We found two Black Jezabel Butterfly pupas in late summer. We brought them home and see if we were able to see the butterflies come out.
- Black Jezabel Butterfly pupa, length 20mm
- Two weeks later, the pupas became darker in colour. We knew it was not a good sign. This might indicate that the pupas were parasite by wasp or fly. Then two days later, we saw a Chalcid Wasp came out from one of the pupas. We carefully checked the other pupa. We were able to see a dark oval shape inside the pupa. It could be the pupa of the parasitic wasp. This pupa would have the same destiny.
- In the first picture above, the wasp just came out and left a hole on the side of the pupa. In the second picture above we can cleanly see the wasp pupa inside the butterfly pupa.
- As a Chalcid Wasp, this wasp was quite large. It was golden brown in typical wasp colour, had the Chalcid Wasp characteristic of straight thick antenna and enlarged hind legs, which were reddish brown in colour. There were the short thick golden hairs on its body.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p273.
