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A striking black and white Wasp with white rings around the eyes. The legs are yellow-brown, except for the hind tarsi, which are white. The black antennae have a white band just past the midline. The first 3 pictures are of the female, with a robust ovipositor as long as the abdomen. The last 3 pictures are of the male which was photographed 2 days later on 12 July 18, in the same area. There are minor differences in coloring between them, especially on the lateral areas of the thorax. They are both about 1.3 cm in length. Family Ichneumonidae. These wasps are parasitoids of the larvae of other insects, especially Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and other Hymenoptera and always kill their hosts.
Garden lights, semi-rural residential area, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, 2,200 meters.
Spotted on Jul 10, 2018
Submitted on Nov 27, 2018
5 Comments
I found the male of this species 2 days later and have added him.
Thank you Ashley for the honor of the nomination.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Very vivid pic with great detail. Great shot :)
This one is a beauty. Nice images Lauren.