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This long skinny insect was seen on a sheet under a night light in mountain terrane at Rancho Naturalista. The genus Pelecinus is the only living member of the family Pelecinidae (there are also two fossil genera), and contains only three species, restricted to the New World. One species, Pelecinus polyturator, occurs from North through South America, and the others occur in Mexico (Pelecinus thoracicus) and South America (Pelecinus dichrous). The females are glossy wasps, very long (up to 7 cm) and the abdomen is extremely attenuated, used to lay eggs directly on scarab larvae buried in the soil. Virtually every pelecinid wasp you see is a female. Males, about half the size of females, are rare and usually not seen.
Primary pre-montane Caribbean slope rainforest at 2970ft (900m)
Spotted on Jul 13, 2013
Submitted on Oct 24, 2013
4 Comments
Thanks Gilma!
thanks Forest Dragon...
Great spotting, Pam.
Pam, I am pretty sure this is a species of Pelecinid Wasp. It is lovely.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelecinus
http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/ins...