This week brings a parasitic wasp from the grassy fields of Hungary. It is a species of Inostemma (Platygastridae), a genus in which females typically have the distinctive "horn" seen extending from the abdomen over the thorax. This structure houses an ovipositor (syringe-like egg laying apparatus) longer than the body itself. It uses this ovipositor to insert its eggs into the larvae of hard-to-reach gall midges (Cecidomyiidae).
No comments:
Post a Comment