Subject: A bug with a red round thing
Geographic location of the bug: Nazareth, Israel
Date: 11/15/2017
Time: 10:18 AM EDT
Sorry for the not so great picture, I took it around the house with my phone and the bug was too quick and tiny. I would love to know what’s the name of this insect (if it’s clear enough!) and was wondering what is that red round thing attached to it?
I don’t know much about insects so I tried googling a variety of words to do with this that could lead me to similar pictures and maybe more info but no luck.
Thanks in advance for your help!
How you want your letter signed: Shico
Dear Shico,
There are enough physical similarities for us to comfortably state that this reminds us of a parasitoid Ensign Wasp in the family Evaniidae, like the one pictured on BugGuide. Ensign Wasps prey upon the eggs of Cockroaches. We have never seen images of an Ensign Wasp with a red abdomen, and the antennae and hind legs also look different than those of a typical Ensign Wasp. This might be some other closely related parasitoid Wasp.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you very much for the information. Sounds like a useful bug to keep around the house! I’m just surprised I never seen it before, or just probably missed it since it’s tiny.
Thank you again for your help, glad I found the “Whatsthatbug” website.
Have a great day,
Charbel (Aka Shico)