Aphid-association
Guides
Pseudomalus auratus
cuckoo wasp, jewel wasp
Pseudomalus auratus is a small cuckoo wasp in the family Chrysididae, notable for its striking metallic coloration with emerald green head and thorax contrasting with a ruby red abdomen. Native to the Palearctic region, it has been accidentally introduced to North America, likely before 1828. The species exhibits an unusual indirect parasitic strategy: females oviposit into aphids, which are then captured by crabronid wasps and carried to their nests, where the cuckoo wasp larva emerges to kill the host larva and consume the stored provisions.