#chalcidoid

[autistrix]

[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57188495]

Chalcidoid Wasp || Genus Perilampus

Observed in Canada

No Conservation Status

[collemblogging]

Chalcidoid wasp

[bowelflies]

the hymenopteran family Pteromalidae is a hyper-diverse (probably polyphyletic) group of parasitoid wasps. there's currently thousands of described species but with how understudied parasitoid wasps are, there's probably actually a shitload more than that. anyway most species are somewhere around 1-3mm long, often barely discernible without a microscope. but i read somewhere that they range up to almost 50mm, about 2 inches, which is huge for any insect and positively gargantuan for a pteromalid. so of course i had to go and look up what the biggest one was. turns out it's Doddifoenus wallacei and while a big chunk of that 50 mm length is ovipositor, it's still way less than i expected!

source

here's some other impressive species in the same genus:

sources 1 2+3 4

[wedontneedfeatherstofly]

Ogloblinisca americana

[onenicebugperday]

Lazair night wasp, Smicromorpha sp., Chalcididae

Photographed in Mandalay Rainforest, Australia by Steve & Alison1

Photos shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!

[onenicebugperday]

@kingofthecastle submitted: I saw the prettiest little bug on the car ride home. Stuck to our window for at least 15 minutes and stayed with us to our stop.

It's super small! Way smaller than my pinkie fingernail (that's my hand in the pic). I would have picked it up for better pics, bit it has a stinger, by the looks of it.

Can you tell me what it is though? Google wasn't helpful rip

Please remove this, but this is in [removed].

Tiny!! Honestly impressive photos of such a small friend. Looks like a wasp and the "stinger" is a harmless ovipositor. Best guess is a Chalcidoid wasp in the family Megastigmidae :)