Family CHALCIDIDAE - Chalcid Wasps
All members in Chalcididae are parasitic. They are small to medium size wasps. Most attack larvae and pupae of moths, butterflies and Diptera. Some parasite other wasps or beetles.
- Chalcid Wasps are easily recognizable by their greatly swollen hind femora and bent hind tibiae. They are usually dark colours and non-metallic, some with yellow or red colours on legs.
- Jezabel Parasitoid
- Brachymeria aurea, subfamily Chalcidinae, body length 10mm
- We found two Black Jezabel Butterfly pupas in late summer. We brought them home and see if we were able to see the butterflies come out. Two weeks later, the pupas became darker in colour. We knew it was not a good sign. This might indicate that the pupas were parasite by wasp or fly. Then two days later, we saw a Chalcid Wasp came out from one of the pupas. More information and pictures please visit this page.
- Pupal Parasite Chalcid
- Brachymeria ovata, subfamily Chalcidinae, body length 5mm
- We found the moth pupa in a front yard during early summer. We brought it home and waited to see what kind of moth it would be. However we end up saw a small wasp came out from the Pupa. This wasp is shiny black in colour with yellow legs. Its wings are dark in colour. Its hind legs are enlarged. Its black antenna are short and elbowed. This wasp is known parasite on pupae from many species include butterfly, moth, wasp, and Tachinidae that parasitising moth. More pictures information can be found un this page.
- Unknown Black Chalcid Wasp
- ? sp. body length 10mm
- Pictures were taken on May 2007 in our backyard in Eight Mile Plains.
- Unknown Brown Chalcid Wasp
- ? sp., female, body length 6mm
- Above pictures were taken in Yimbin Park on July 2009.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 960.
- 2. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009,
- 3. What wasp is that? - An interactive identification guide to the Australasian families of Hymenoptera, 2007.
