Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#2122460
Tiny mystery bug; Years of searching have yielded no ID!

Tiny mystery bug; Years of searching have yielded no ID!
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
February 16, 2022
Size: 2 mm
Environment: Hawaii, no particular time of day or year; indoors (bedroom) is only place I’ve ever seen them. Flies and lands on random surfaces.

Behavior: only ever seen lone individuals. They fly away super fast to evade capture/swatting (ie like a flea or springtail). Completely noiseless; rapidly moves/shakes antennae when walking.

Appearance: seem to be harder bodied, sometimes appear to have a metallic green appearance to some parts of body? Large round head (or eyes?) with L-shaped jointed antennae with a white band. Uncovered, small thin/papery wings also have a lighter band. I may or may not have seen a furucle(?)

Images of this individual: tag all
Tiny mystery bug; Years of searching have yielded no ID! Tiny mystery bug; Years of searching have yielded no ID!

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Definitely an Encrytid
Maybe this genus:

 
I agree, this is definitely ...
... an encyrtid, and Metaphycus is a good guess for the genus, but I can't be positive about that. However, since this insect is from Hawaii, I suspect it falls beyond the scope of Bug Guide.

Parasitic Wasp.
There are some similar specimens in the family Encyrtidae--but yours could very well belong to a different family. Hold on to see what the experts have to say.

Welcome to BugGuide!

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.