Green Chalcid - Torymus

Moved

… Bob Carlson, 24 May, 2014 - 1:15pm

Almost certainly Torymidae

The shape of the ovipositor of this superb female (although fairly short for the family), the relative great size of its hind legs and above all the typical shape of the radial vein on the left forewing (short, but club-shaped) all strongly suggest a Torymidae rather than a Pteromalidae. However, I could be 100 % conclusive only by seeing the hind coxae, or else the detail of the antennal segments between scapus and flagellum (the latter would require, of course, a virtually microsopical level of magnification). Great picture anyway!

… Richard Vernier, 14 March, 2005 - 5:30am

Side view added

Perhaps the additional image will help pinpoint the identification. Both photos were taken with my old camera (i.e. not the best), but I will definitely look for this wasp again this season and hopefully get better pics.

I believe you are correct about family Torymidae, and I have moved the image to that family's page in the guide. A photo of a pinned metallic green Torymid wasp from the Insects of Cedar Creek website can be found here.

… Richard Leung, 21 March, 2005 - 7:27pm

Definitely a Torymidae

Now that the left hind coxa is clearly visible on the side view of the insect, there is no doubt left: no Pteromalid has such large hind coxae, almost as large as the hind femora. So you were right to move your pictures to the page devoted to the Torymids, of which this species is quite typical, except maybe the relatively short ovipositor.

… Richard Vernier, 2 April, 2005 - 12:38pm

Chalcid, not sawfly

Wow! This is clearly some kind of chalcidoid wasp, most of which are parasitic on other insects and valued biological controls. There is a great site with lots of chalcid photos out there. Can someone with more sophisticated computer knowledge please post a link? It is a European site, of course, but great images, and much of the fauna is holarctic (found in both North America and Eurasia).

… Eric R. Eaton, 28 June, 2004 - 1:13pm

probably Pteromalidae

This is probably a species of the Pteromalidae.

Some links to Chalcidoidea:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/chalcidoids/introduction.html
http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/hym/chalcid.html

Paul

http://www.diptera.info

… Paul Beuk, 16 August, 2004 - 6:25am