Tiny Wasp - BugGuide.Net

Moved

Moved from Scelionidae.

… Charley Eiseman, 30 October, 2009 - 3:53pm

Moved

Moved from Wasps.

… john and jane balaban, 21 April, 2007 - 5:58pm

Moved

Moved from Chalcid Wasps.

… Perry Babin, 20 April, 2007 - 5:04am

Scelionidae - female

See my comment on another (seccond from left) picture.
I too thought at first to a Ceraphronidae, but these very similar looking wasps have a differently shaped mesoscutellum - i.e, two distinct triangular lateral so-called axillae, which are obviously absent here.
Furthermore, such regular antennal segmentation is a hallmark for most Scelionids. Although Ceraphrontid females have clubbed antennae too, again the detail is different.
Such feathery hindwings are common among small members of both groups, forewings - here missing - being appreciably broader.

… Richard Vernier, 20 April, 2007 - 4:22am

It looked odd, but I didn't realize the front wings were missing, and went simply on form of the abdomen. The venation of the forewing would no doubt have led me to Scelionidae if I could see it.

… Donald S. Chandler, 20 April, 2007 - 2:23pm

Ceraphronidae

A family in the Proctotrupoidea. Your pictures turned out well.

… Donald S. Chandler, 19 April, 2007 - 6:09pm

Chalcidoid wasp

This is definitly a Chalcidoid wasp, but it they can be very difficult to ID even to family. If there are 5 tarsal segments, it is most likely a Pteromalidae, if the ceri are positioned more anteriorly (almost mid-way on the abdomen = metasoma) then it would be an Encyrtidae. Those seem like the most likely ID's from your image.

… Andy Boring, 19 April, 2007 - 12:53pm

My first guess was myrmarid o

My first guess was myrmarid or trichogrammatid... could you possibly help edify this humble dipterist as to what characters exclude those families

… Joe, Entomologist (in training), 19 April, 2007 - 1:04pm

Probably not a Trichogrammatid

Trichogrammatids have 3 tarsal segments. I think the shape of their heads are uniquely different, but that really isn't a good character. Mymarids are more slender, often poorly sclerotized, they have a mark on their face in the shape of the capitol letter 'H', and very often have a petiolate 1st metasomal (=abdominal) segment. Mymarids do have finged wings like this specimen, but that feature can be found in many other Hymenoptera (Cynipoids, Scelionids?, other Chalcidoids, Mymarommatids, and probably more). Pteromalids are difficult to nail down, and are probably paraphyletic anyway. There is a group in UC Riverside currently working on that problem. Hope this helps.

… Andy Boring, 19 April, 2007 - 4:04pm