Tiny, 1mm, Wasps

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:51 pm

Horse fly laying an egg mass on grass stem and already an egg parasitoid (small black wasp) appears to be laying one of its eggs into a horse fly egg (Kd 64, photographed in nature).

In a few hours the eggs darken but parasitoids still able to attack them (Kd 64, photo in nature).

This is one adult parasitoid that developed in a single tabanid egg (slide preparation).
1mm long wasp, possibly a Telenomus sp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Note 4 wings but almost no wing veins
D2Xs, 23cm extension, MF 105mm Micro Nikkor at full extension, reversed 50mm.
About a 40% crop of full frame.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:45 pm

Beautifully done!

The slide specimen seems a lot lighter colored than the wild ones.

Is that just due to the lighting, or has the specimen been partially cleared, or is it a slightly different beast, or... ?

--Rik

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:57 pm

This 2008 specimen is slightly cleared; possibly a different species than the live ones (photos 1990's).
Several species attack tabanid eggs:
SEE HERE

Jbailey · Post by **Jbailey** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:59 am

Most excellent photos! Well executed.

Jim

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:22 pm

Talk about being at the right place at the right time and having your camera with you and capturing a very important event.