pelecinid wasp? - Pelecinus polyturator

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » "Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps » Proctotrupoidea » Pelecinid Wasps (Pelecinidae) » Pelecinus » American Pelecinid Wasp (Pelecinus polyturator)

Photo#134424

Copyright © 2007 andrewbateman

pelecinid wasp? - Pelecinus polyturator -

Brossard, Quebec, Canada
August 4, 2007
Size: 3 inches

Abdomen curled:
I have never seen this before. I’m not good at estimating size but it was at least three inches long, and moved very clumsily. When it was on a leaf the abdomen was either curled (first picture) or extended (second picture), when it crawled (dragged itself) over the mud it raised its abdomen high over its head (unfortunately the photos of this behavior were badly out of focus). Other than a whitish mark on the antennae it was metallic black all over. It took a long time to figure out what it was, but from the guide I am fairly sure it is a pelecinid wasp.

Overall it had a science fiction quality about it, it is an amazing animal

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pelecinid wasp? - Pelecinus polyturator - female

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Contributed by andrewbateman on 6 August, 2007 - 12:49am
Last updated 1 November, 2011 - 1:16am

The first time i ever seen on

The first time i ever seen one of these was last Friday. It flew through my car window and landed an my lap. I'm guessing i startled it and it stung me in my leg. It didn't hurt it only bruised up. should I be woried???

… Brittany Todd, 10 July, 2011 - 10:25pm

Pelecinid Wasp

WOW !!! i just found one of these insect's out side on my step last night. i have never seen such an insect such as this ever, and ive been fasanated with insect's since i was a child, i have seen many strange insects every so often but not like this, i live in Sudbury Ontario, Canada.....is it common 2 see these here, i mean im 29 years old and have never seen one in my life, or even in books or television........i noticed one fellow, said that he seen his in Quebec, which quite some distance from Sudbury, would they or could they be migrating up north ?

… jace lyte, 18 August, 2008 - 3:23am

Hi;
Well there is another photo in here from Manitoba, and this one from Quebec, so I guess they would make it to Sudbury. They don’t seem to be all that common here; I have only seen one. We have been having some quite mild winters lately (except last winter), which might help. I’ve also noticed an unwelcome explosion of Japanese beetles locally and, since these wasps lay their eggs in the beetle larva that might be what attracted it?

… andrewbateman, 18 August, 2008 - 9:32pm

Pelecinid Wasp

This is Pelecinus polyturator (Drury). We see it in New Hampshire usually in September.

… JBurger, 8 August, 2007 - 1:28pm

Yes.

Pelicinids are virtually unmistakable. Nice find!

… Eric R. Eaton, 6 August, 2007 - 2:43pm

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