parasatized? - Kennethiella trisetosa

It's not the clearest image of the mites...

...but it occurred to me that this image, with Dr. O'Connor's comments, might be of more value here than on the A. antilope page.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 21 February, 2015 - 9:41pm

Moved

Moved from Ancistrocerus antilope.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 21 February, 2015 - 9:35pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 21 February, 2015 - 9:08pm

Or hitchhikers

Some Eumeninae are adapted to carry tiny mites, but they store them farther back on the abdomen. I don't know if these are parasites.

… John F. Carr, 21 February, 2015 - 3:08pm

Kennethiella trisetosa

This looks typical for the mite, Kennethiella trisetosa (Winterschmidtiidae) on a male Ancistrocerus antilope. The mite has a bizarre life cycle. Unlike other Eumenine vespids, female A. antilope larvae kill all mites in their cell. So mites only develop in cells with male larvae. Adult male wasps have deeply recessed acarinaria on the lateral propodeum where mite deutonymphs attach. Excess mites attach on the posterior propodeum. When wasps mate, mites run down the male abdomen and into the female's genital capsule. This strange tale was first worked out by Kenneth Cooper in the 1950's and has been verified by later observers.

… Barry M. OConnor, 21 February, 2015 - 9:03pm

Might be Ancistrocerus antilope...

Males carry their mites on the propodeum:

… Ken Wolgemuth, 21 February, 2015 - 3:19pm

Bad design

Parancistrocerus have a garage so their mites can park out of the weather.

… John F. Carr, 21 February, 2015 - 3:36pm

Wasp mites

Parancistrocerus species host winterschmidtiid mites in the genus Vespacarus. The female acarinarium is under the 2nd gastral tergite.

… Barry M. OConnor, 21 February, 2015 - 9:06pm