To be known as a “parasite” is not considered complimentary, conjuring as it does visions of some two-legged leech out to drain one’s financial or psychic resources to the point of ruin. However, one ...

I was beneath an ash tree at the University of Colorado, examining leaves for emerald ash borers, when I found a leaf with a dense cluster of more than 50 strange creatures. I had no idea what these ...

Jewel wasps (Chalcidoidea) are one of the most diverse groups of insects, with more than 120,000 species described and an estimated true diversity of nearly one million. The chalcids are parasitoid ...

An ichneumon wasp uses its long ovipositor to pierce the bark of a tree and deposit its eggs on larva inisde. (Susan DiMaso) Indeed, quite a few parasitic wasps can be found on Staten Island. A few ...

The study of chalcid wasps that live within syconia of fig trees (Moraceae, Ficus), provides a unique opportunity to investigate the evolution of specialized communities of insects. By conducting ...

Mymaridae, commonly known as fairyflies, are one of about 18 families of chalcid wasps. Fairyflies occur worldwide, except in Antarctica. They include the world's smallest known winged insect - Kikiki ...