Jewel-wasp
Guides
Ampulex
cockroach wasps, jewel wasps
Ampulex is a large cosmopolitan genus of cockroach-hunting wasps in the family Ampulicidae, comprising over 130 species concentrated in tropical regions of the Old World. Fewer than 15 species occur in the New World, and fewer than 5 are native to Europe or the United States. The genus is notable for its specialized parasitoid biology: females sting cockroaches with venom that induces a state of hypokinesia—suppressed escape response and reduced locomotion without paralysis—then lead the subdued host to a shelter, lay eggs on its legs, and seal it inside where the larva consumes the living host. The emerald jewel wasp Ampulex compressa is the best-studied species and has spread globally alongside its host cockroaches.
Chalcidoidea
Chalcidoid Wasps, Chalcid Wasps, Jewel Wasps
Chalcidoidea is a superfamily of Hymenoptera containing over 22,500 described species, with an estimated true diversity exceeding 500,000 species. Members are commonly known as chalcidoid wasps or jewel wasps due to their often metallic coloration. They are predominantly parasitoid wasps that attack other insects to lay eggs upon or within hosts, with larvae feeding and developing at the host's expense. The group originated in the late Jurassic approximately 162 million years ago, with fossil evidence extending to 130 million years ago.
Cleptes
cuckoo wasps, jewel wasps
Cleptes is a genus of cuckoo wasps comprising approximately 100 recognized species, making it the largest genus in the subfamily Cleptinae. Members are parasitoids of sawfly prepupae, exhibiting the characteristic brood parasitism of their family. The genus has been relatively well studied in Europe and North America, though Asian faunas remain poorly documented. A 2013 revision from China recognized seventeen species, nine of which were newly described.
Cleptes rufigaster
cuckoo wasp, jewel wasp
Cleptes rufigaster is a species of cuckoo wasp in the family Chrysididae. The genus Cleptes comprises parasitoid wasps known for their metallic coloration and distinctive nesting habits. Members of this genus are parasitoids of sawfly prepupae. The species was described from China as part of a 2013 revision that recognized seventeen Cleptes species from the country, nine of which were new to science.
Cleptes speciosus
Cleptes speciosus is a species of cuckoo wasp in the family Chrysididae, first described from China. The species is one of nine new species discovered during the first systematic revision of the genus Cleptes from China. Members of this genus are parasitoids of sawfly prepupae and exhibit the distinctive metallic coloration and conglobation behavior characteristic of cuckoo wasps.
Diglyphus pulchripes
Diglyphus pulchripes is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae. It belongs to a group of tiny wasps known as jewel wasps or pteromalids, which are characterized by their parasitoid life history where immature stages develop inside host insects, eventually killing the host. The species has been documented in Canada across multiple provinces. Like other members of its genus, it likely parasitizes leaf-mining insects, though specific host associations for this species require further documentation.
Nasonia
jewel wasp
Nasonia is a genus of small pteromalid parasitoid wasps comprising four described species: N. vitripennis, N. giraulti, N. longicornis, and N. oneida. These wasps are ectoparasitoids of fly pupae, primarily targeting blow flies and flesh flies. The genus has become a prominent model system in behavioral genetics and evolutionary biology due to its short generation time, ease of laboratory rearing, and the ability to hybridize species in controlled crosses. Nasonia wasps exhibit a distinctive emerald sheen on their exoskeleton, earning them the common name 'jewel wasps.'
Omalus
cuckoo wasps, jewel wasps
Omalus is a genus of cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae), commonly known as jewel wasps for their metallic coloration. These small parasitoids employ a distinctive reproductive strategy: females insert eggs into living aphids at the hunting sites of their host wasps, using the aphid prey as an unwitting vehicle to transport their offspring into host brood cells. This indirect nest-entry strategy avoids the need for adult wasps to physically enter host nests. The genus includes multiple species across Europe, Asia, and North America, with some introduced species established in the United States.
Pseudomalus
cuckoo wasps, jewel wasps
Pseudomalus is a genus of cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae), commonly known as jewel wasps for their brilliant metallic coloration. Species in this genus are kleptoparasites that exploit the nests of solitary wasps and bees. A distinctive behavioral trait involves females ovipositing into aphids, which are then captured by crabronid wasps and carried to their nests—indirectly delivering the cuckoo wasp larva to its eventual host. The genus includes both Palearctic natives and at least one introduced species (P. auratus) now established in North America.