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Genus Gasteruption

wasp or not - Gasteruption - male Gasteruption - male Ichneumon female with long white-tipped ovipositor - Gasteruption - female Gasteruption species? - Gasteruption Ichneumon wasp? - Gasteruption Gasteruption - male Wasp - Gasteruption Gasteruption? - Gasteruption
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 Evanioidea (Aulacid, Ensign, and Gasteruptiid Wasps)
Family Gasteruptiidae (Carrot Wasps)
Genus Gasteruption
Other Common Names
Carrot Wasp
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Rhydinofoenus Bradley, 1909 was used in older literature for 12 of the 15 nearctic species currently placed here(1)
Explanation of Names
Gasteruption Latreille, 1796
Numbers
15 spp. in our area(2)(3)(1)
1. Gasteruption amputatum: western (AZ, CO)
2. Gasteruption assectator: transcontinental (NS west to AK, south to w. NC, ne KS, AZ, & n. CA)
3. Gasteruption barnstoni: transcontinental (NS west to AK, south to NM, AZ, & n. CA, ne. WV, c. OH, n. IL, s. MB, & s. AB)
4. Gasteruption enode: western (AZ, se CA)
5. Gasteruption floridanum: eastern (s. ME west to s. WI & ne KS, south to GA, FL, & s. TX)
6. Gasteruption kaweahense: southern (s. LA, se TX, c+s CA)
7. Gasteruption kirbii : northeastern (NS, PE, NB, ON, QC; NY) and western (s. BC; n. CA, CO, n ID, OR, w. WA, nw. WY)
8. Gasteruption nevadae: southwestern (n+s CA, s. NM, w. NV)
9. Gasteruption occidentale: western (nw MT west to s. BC, south to AZ & s. CA)
10. Gasteruption pattersonae: western (s. ID, n. UT, c. WA, south to s. CA)
11. Gasteruption septentrionale: western (sw. AB, BC; n. AZ, w. CO, se OR)
12. Gasteruption striatum: western (ne. ID west to sw. BC, south to w. NV & s. CA)
13. Gasteruption tarsatorium: eastern (QC south to e SC, west to IA, ne. KS & MO); s. AZ,
14. Gasteruption turbinatum: se AZ
15. Gasteruption visaliae: western (s. TX, s. AZ, nw. OR south to s. CA)
Size
13-40 mm
Identification
Body slender; antenna with 12 flagellomeres in female, 11 in male; propleura long and neck-like, clearly separating head from pronotum; metasoma attached so high on propodeum that it appears to touch metanotum; metatibia strongly clavate in both sexes; ovipositor moderately to very long.(4)

Keys by Townes (1950) for all 15 species (treated under Gasteruption and Rhydinofoenus)(3) and Smith (1996) for the 5 eastern species.(1)


Wing venation
Range
Common in Canada and n. US
Habitat
Adults found on flowers in fields, meadows.
Season
Jun-Aug in MN, May-Sep in NC(5)
Food
Adults feed on flowers and appear to favor Apiaceae. Larvae are predators or predator-inquilines of other Hymenoptera that nest in twigs or other woody sites.
Remarks
Gasteruption have a characteristic hovering flight with the swollen metatibiae hanging down so that the insect resembles a helicopter carrying a large load on a cable.(4)
Several species of Gasteruption are parasitic in bee's and wasp's nests in twigs and wood.(6)
See Also
Ichneumonidae
Works Cited
1.Review of the Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera) of Eastern North America
David R. Smith. 1996. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 98:491-499.
2.Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico
Karl V. Krombein, Paul D. Hurd, Jr., David R. Smith, and B. D. Burks. 1979. Smithsonian Institution Press.
3.The Nearctic species of Gasteruptionidae (Hymenoptera)
Townes H. 1950. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 100(3259): 85-145.
4.Hymenoptera of the world: an identification guide to families
Goulet H., Huber J., eds. 1993. Agriculture Canada Publication 1894/E. 668 pp.
5.Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
6.Eastern Forest Insects
Whiteford L. Baker. 1972. U.S. Department of Agriculture · Forest Service.