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Project Noah Nature School
Podagrion sp.
Tiny female flying insect with an extended ovipositor (long tail) and toothed hind femora. I went to check on the Mantis egg sac and this little one was on it. It wouldn't fly away when I got the camera right up next to it. Unfortunately only one image was in focus :( The second image is the original image showing the size of it compared to the egg sac which is about 4 cm long.
On Mantis ootheca (egg sac) along Lake Hodges trail.
Submitted to BugGuide - "Can't see some of the critical features in this image of a female, but the extended ovipositor, distinctive parapsidal sutures, toothed hind femora, and coincidental presence on a mantid egg case do suggest this genus. Only six known species that are mostly found in the southern half of the US. Nice find."
Spotted on Nov 19, 2011
Submitted on Nov 20, 2011
7 Comments
I would agree with BugGuide that this is Podagrion. The combination of metallic coloration, long exserted ovipositor, and hind femora enlarged an toothed mean that it pretty much has to be in the Podagrionini - and I think Podagrion is the right genus. The biology also agrees.
Ugh, me too! I wouldn't interfere with nature but had I known, I'm sure I would have been tempted to flick it off!
I feel bad for the baby mantids, but what a cool find!
BugGuide agrees that it's a Chalcid wasp and suggested a genus that is known to be a parasite of Mantid egg cases :(
The more I look at this, the more I think it's a Chalcid wasp based on the thick rear legs. Thoughts?
Thanks textless. That's what I'm thinking but since I don't have a shot showing what's under the wing, I can't say which one. I may just settle with that general description.
Nice photos! Could it be a tiny parasitic wasp?