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Photo#368667
Encyrtidae - Copidosoma

Encyrtidae - Copidosoma
Ames - Tullamore, Story County, Iowa, USA
Size: 1 mm
1 mm body, with wings 1.5 mm
Lots! of wasps emerged (August/September 2009) from Trichoplusia ni, cabbage looper larva.

"Your specimens are undoubtedly Copidosoma sp., and almost certainly C. floridanum. The genus is a large one, containing ca. 180 spp. worldwide, so there are many other possibilities (of course, many fewer here locally). C. floridanum is among the most common in North America and it is known to specialize in plusiine noctuid hosts." James W. Mertins, entomologist

Images of this individual: tag all
Encyrtidae - Copidosoma Encyrtidae - Copidosoma Encyrtidae - Copidosoma Encrytidae, meconial deposits of Copidosoma adults - Copidosoma Encyrtidae, dorsal - Copidosoma Encyrtidae, lateral - Copidosoma

Moved
Moved from Chalcid Wasps.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

I have seen Cabbage Looper parasit
I have seen Cabbage Looper parasitized by Copidosoma truncatellum here in California. I've also raised Copidosomopsis plethorica from Navel Orangeworm and Raisin Moth. I would think it would difficult to tell the two apart from pictures. Maybe Copidosomopsis is an obligate on Pyralidae.