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Upcoming Events

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

National Moth Week was July 23-31, 2022! See moth submissions.

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

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12


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TaxonomyBrowse
Info
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Genus Platygaster

Parasitic wasps in goldenrod bunch gall - Platygaster - female Platygastridae? - Platygaster wasp - Platygaster Platygastrid from rough-stemmed goldenrod - Platygaster Wasp - Platygaster - female Platygaster tephrosiae - male Platygastridae ex. Rhopalomyia - Platygaster Platygastridae? - Platygaster
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)
Superfamily Platygastroidea
Family Platygastridae
Subfamily Platygastrinae
Genus Platygaster
Explanation of Names
Platygaster Latreille 1809
Numbers
~100 spp. in our area(1), several hundreds worldwide(2)
Size
body usually 1-2 mm
Identification
Strongly elbowed antennae, a glossy black and slender appearance, abdomen with rounded lateral margins, and limited wing venation. Some species have unusual protuberances on the scutellum
Range
worldwide (map)(2)
Food
Parasitize gall midges such as Dasineura and Rhopalomyia
Life Cycle
Remarks
Some spp. used in pest control