Subject: Identify
Location: Memphis TN
July 24, 2017 8:57 pm
These were in my friends house and we don’t know what they are. Ranged in size from an ant to a large housefly.
Signature: Kim Hicks
Dear Kim,
These look like parasitoid Chalcid Wasps to us, but upon researching that possibility, we learned on BugGuide that: “The terms ‘chalcid’ and ‘chalcid wasp’ typically refer to the whole superfamily Chalcidoidea, so it is best to use ‘chalcidid’ when specifically referring to this family.” Following that advice, we believe this is a Chalcidid Wasp. According to BugGuide: “hosts: mostly Lepidoptera and Diptera, though a few attack Hymenoptera, Coleoptera or Neuroptera(1). Parasites of Lepidoptera usually attack young pupae, while those of Diptera attack mature larvae.“
