Braconid Wasp
subfamily Doryctinae
BRACONID WASP FAMILY (Braconidae)
A small brown wasp, about 1/4 inch long (6 mm) with long flesh colored legs, black eye, long antennae and clear, typically marked braconid wings. The abdomen is long and slender. The individual shown is a male.
Braconid wasps are common in this area but this is the first photo of a braconid wasp in the sub-family Doryctinae in Fontenelle Forest. This one was found during a general insect survey in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods in June 2016.
Doryctinae is one of the most diverse and species-rich subfamilies of the Braconidae. The larvae of Doryctinae feed on the larvae of beetles, sawflies and some moths. They are idiobiont ectoparasitoids which means the host is totally paralyzed by the wasp’s venom and and the host’s development is terminated. The eggs are laid on the host and the Doryctinae larvae attack the host from the outside.
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