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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps » Parasitic Wood Wasps (Orussidae)

Family Orussidae - Parasitic Wood Wasps

Parasitic Wood Wasp - Orussus terminalis Wasp ID - Orussus terminalis Wasp ID - Orussus terminalis Wasp ID - Orussus terminalis Wood Wasp - Orussus Parasitic Wood Wasp - Orussus - male Orussidae - Orussus minutus Orussus occidentalis female - Orussus occidentalis - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps)
Family Orussidae (Parasitic Wood Wasps)
Numbers
Nomina Insecta Neartica lists 4 North American genera totaling 9 species.
Size
8-14 mm
Identification
Frontwing with only 1 submarginal cell. Antennae rise below the eyes, just above the mouth. (1)
"You can tell the family by the low attachment of the antennae and the spikes/nodules on the frons." (comment by Matt Bertone)
Food
Larvae are parasites of Metallic Wood-boring beetles (Family Buprestidae).
Remarks
This is a small and relatively rare group.
See Also
Adults resemble Horntail wasps, but are much smaller.
Print References
"Peterson's Field Guide to Insects" p. 316 (1)
Internet References
The University of Wisconsin has several species listed in their collection.
And, though it is out of our country, the Zoological Museum at the University of Copenhagen has some information.
Works Cited
1.A Field Guide to Insects
By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson
Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 25 March, 2005 - 6:25pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Harsi S. Parker
Last updated 20 November, 2009 - 4:05pm

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