Family Orussidae - Parasitic Wood Wasps

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Food · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Orussidae, Parasitic Wood Wasp, lateral - Orussus terminalis

Female, Kulcania tomentosa? - Kulcania tomentosa - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon ("Symphyta" - Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps)

Family Orussidae (Parasitic Wood Wasps)

Numbers

7 spp. in 3 genera in our area(1), 85 spp. worldwide(2)

Size

8-14.5 mm(1)

Identification

Mesonotum divided by nearly straight, transverse groove between bases of fore wings, the groove separating from the mesoscutum a triangular area (axilla) on either side of scutellum. Head with crown of backward-pointing teeth around median ocellus. Abdominal tergum 1 not divided medially. Abdominal terga evenly rounded at sides. Front wing with a single submarginal cell; antennae inserted below the eyes, just above the mouth(3).

Food

Larvae are ectoparasitoids of xylobiontic insect larvae, primarily of Buprestidae, but also of Cerambycidae, Xiphydriidae & Siricidae(2)

Remarks

relatively rare

Print References

Middlekauff, W. W. (1983). A revision of the sawfly family Orussidae for North and Central America (Hymenoptera: Symphyta, Orussidae). University of California Press.

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

2.	Discovery of new species confirms Oriental origin of Orussus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Orussidae) Vilhelmsen L., Blank S.M., Liu Z., Smith D.R. 2014. Insect syst. evol. 45: 51–91.

3.	A Field Guide to Insects Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson. 1998. Houghton Mifflin Co.

Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 25 March, 2005 - 6:25pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, Arturo Santos, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 15 October, 2021 - 7:54pm

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