Lady Beetle and Wasp - Dinocampus coccinellae - BugGuide.Net

HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » "Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps » Braconid and Ichneumonid Wasps (Ichneumonoidea) » Braconid Wasps (Braconidae) » Euphorinae » Dinocampini » Dinocampus » Dinocampus coccinellae

Photo#152056

Copyright © 2007 Lynette Elliott

Lady Beetle and Wasp - Dinocampus coccinellae -

Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington, USA
October 14, 2007

We found these two next to Bradley Lake. The wasp was chasing the beetle around on this reed. The beetle didn't seem too worried, just a bit annoyed. It did turn to fight off the wasp at one point. I believe the wasp was trying to lay eggs inside the beetle, but was having a hard time getting its ovipositor under the beetle's shell. I don't think it succeeded while I was there.

I think the beetle is a 13 spotted lady beetle, not sure about the wasp.

Images of this individual: tag all

Lady Beetle and Wasp - Dinocampus coccinellae - female

Lady Beetle and Wasp - Hippodamia tredecimpunctata

Lady Beetle and Wasp - Hippodamia tredecimpunctata

Lady Beetle and Wasp - Dinocampus coccinellae

Wasp - Dinocampus coccinellae - female

Lady Beetle and Wasp - Dinocampus coccinellae - female

tag · login or register to post comments

Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 15 October, 2007 - 10:32am
Last updated 1 February, 2013 - 10:25am

Moved

Moved from Microgastrinae.

… Lynette Elliott, 17 November, 2007 - 8:38pm

login or register to post comments

Braconid Wasp

Of the Microgasterinae subfamily. This female was actually trying to lay on the Ladybird, whether under the elytra or on the underside. An interesting case of a Braconid species parasitizing an adult insect, the exception rather than the rule.

… Richard Vernier, 15 October, 2007 - 11:00am

login or register to post comments

Dinocampus coccinellae

This is a really cool wasp in the braconid subfamily Euphorinae. I am currently revising this subfamily. There is one species of this wasp, with worldwide distribution. It attacks ladybird beetle adults (and sometime late instar lavae). It lays its egg within the adult beetle, the egg develops into the first instar larvae where it waits within the beetle as they overwinter. About a month after it warms up, the wasp will emerge from the beetle as a larvae, and spin a cocoon underneath the beetle's dead body. The aposomatic colors supposedly (very likely) protect the wasp larvae as it pupates. Awesome photo sequence! One shows how the wasp rotates the abdomen to oviposit in the direction it is facing.

… Andy Boring, 17 November, 2007 - 8:21pm

login or register to post comments

Great,

thanks for all the interesting info too.

… Lynette Elliott, 17 November, 2007 - 8:39pm

login or register to post comments

Thanks Richard

for the ID help, and info.

… Lynette Elliott, 15 October, 2007 - 11:16am

login or register to post comments

Thanks to both

For interesting photos and info.

… Ron Hemberger, 15 October, 2007 - 11:54am

login or register to post comments

Yes!

This just makes BugGuide shine!

… David Moll, 15 October, 2007 - 12:57pm

login or register to post comments

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version

Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact