#trichopria

[addicted2wasps]

Who has the best head accessory? Who wears it best? Tyrannoscelio (bottom), Dirhinus (middle) or Sparasion (top)? They're all outlandishly stylish as far as this Trichopria (left) is concerned...

[drhoz]

#2378 - Trichopria sp.

A minute Diapriid wasp >2mm long, that I spotted while I poked around in the woodshed at Mill House.

Diapriids are pupal or larval parasitoids usually targeting flies, and there roughly 2300 known species and 200 genera worldwide - although sexual dimorphism has led to many males and females being mistaken for different species. Trichopria is a large genus, and some of which are known to attack the pupae of serious agricultural pests such as the Medfly Ceratitis capitata, and various Drosophilia.

Winglessness is fairly common, sometimes in both sexes. If they have wings at all, venation is strongly reduced - this one, for example, has no obvious wing veins at all.

Pohokura, North Island, New Zealand

[wedontneedfeatherstofly]

Trichopria sp.  ♂