Stylopid - Xenos - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#243665

Copyright © 2008 Jeff Gruber & UW-Madison Dept. of Entomology

Stylopid - Xenos -

Blue River Bluffs SNA, Grant County, Wisconsin, USA
August 2, 2008
Size: ~3mm

This specimen emerged (10 Aug 2008) from a Polistes wasp that I collected (2 Aug 2008) on some low vegetation on a steep bluff prairie. I had noticed while out in the field that the wasp was parasitized. This little guy emerged overnight and managed to drown himself in the water bowl (aspirator cap) that I had provided the wasp. Hence no live shots :-(

All pics taken with automontage system. Actual montaging done with CombineZP.

Images of the strepsipteran were taken while specimen was submersed in personal lubricating jelly (for stabilization) - suggested by Dr. Dan Young.

Images of this individual: tag all

Wasp host for strepsipteran - Polistes fuscatus - female

Contributed by Jeff Gruber on 7 December, 2008 - 5:59pm

Wow Jeff, you've out-done you

Wow Jeff, you've out-done yourself with these. Bugguide has been in need of Strepsiptera photos like these for a long, long time. I love the coarsely fasceted compound eyes, the ommatidia are huge!

… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 7 December, 2008 - 8:35pm

Thanks

Thanks Will. I like the mandibles. So bizarre. Wonder what it does with them, if anything. I hopefully will be able to get it id'ed to species. Have to send it off to the UK.

… Jeff Gruber, 9 December, 2008 - 2:24pm

Awesome

Excellent shots Jeff!!

… George Waldren, 12 December, 2008 - 10:59pm

Thanks

Thanks George.

… Jeff Gruber, 14 December, 2008 - 6:32pm

Good shots

Good series. These things are small.

… John F. Carr, 7 December, 2008 - 6:47pm

Thanks

Thanks John.

… Jeff Gruber, 9 December, 2008 - 2:18pm

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