Wood-boring-parasite
Guides
Leucospis
Leucospis is a genus of large chalcidoid wasps in the family Leucospidae. Adults are typically 2–14 mm long with distinctive yellow and black coloration that resembles mason wasps. Females possess a uniquely curved ovipositor that arches over the back, used to drill into wood and reach host larvae in sealed cells. Larvae develop as ectoparasites on solitary bees and wasps, with typically only one parasite emerging per host cell. The genus has a global distribution in tropical and temperate regions.
Leucospis affinis
Leucospis affinis is a large chalcidoid wasp and the most common and widespread North American species in the family Leucospidae. Females are easily recognized by their whip-like ovipositor that curls over the dorsal surface of the abdomen, which they use to drill through wood and deposit eggs in the nests of solitary bees. The species is an external parasite (ectoparasitoid) primarily of megachilid bees including leafcutter bees (Megachile), mason bees (Osmia), and resin bees (Dianthidium), though it has also been recorded from the mason wasp Ancistrocerus antilope.
Leucospis robertsoni
Leucospis robertsoni is a parasitic wasp in the family Leucospidae, a group of relatively large chalcidoid wasps often mistaken for mason or potter wasps due to their black and yellow markings. Like other leucospids, females possess a distinctive ovipositor that curls over the top of the abdomen, which they use to drill into wood and deposit eggs in the nests of solitary bees and wasps. The species is recorded from the southeastern United States and Mexico.