Insect ovipositor

[J Garza]

Hi all,
My first photo.
This was taken trough a Zeiss Universal, 10 Pol. objective. It is from a prepared slide-maybe Entomologists out there can tell more about it.
The slide is labeled Insect ovipositor. It appears to be from some type of parasitic wasp....



Brightfield 10 Pol objective



Polarized, 10 Pol Objective.

Thank you all! JG

[_Michal_]

Nice

[rjlittlefield]

It is from a prepared slide-maybe Entomologists out there can tell more about it.
The slide is labeled Insect ovipositor. It appears to be from some type of parasitic wasp....

JG, welcome aboard!

Ovipositor is the bit of anatomy used to lay eggs. In bees and wasps, the "stinger" is actually an ovipositor modified to deliver venom. There is a lot of similarity between the structure shown on your slide and other shots of stingers for example at http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=7423. That thread also has a lot more information about the anatomy and how it works.

--Rik

[J Garza]

Thank you! _Michal_

And thanks! --Rik, for the link to previous postings related to this.
I have more pics of insect "stingers" saved some where, I just have to find them and will post some them on this forum...

Thank you all!

JG

[carlos.uruguay]

Excellent