Gall-wasp-associate
Guides
Eupelmus messene
Eupelmus messene is a tiny parasitoid wasp in the family Eupelmidae. Females are brachypterous (short-winged) and reproduce via thelytoky, producing only daughters. The species is a specialized idiobiont ectoparasitoid of the gall wasp Aulacidea hieracii, attacking both concealed and exposed larvae and pupae of its host. Females possess a remarkably thin, flexible, and mobile ovipositor capable of drilling through hard substrates, including polystyrene Petri dish walls in laboratory observations.
Ormocerus
Ormocerus is a genus of minute parasitoid wasps in the family Pteromalidae, subfamily Ormocerinae. The genus was established by Francis Walker in 1834. Species in this genus are known or suspected to be parasitoids of gall-forming insects, particularly cynipid gall wasps on oaks. At least one species, Ormocerus dirigoius, has been documented from Maine, United States.