Aspicera hartigi
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/Aspicera%20hartigi.jpg?itok=Sv5nHw6P)
Detailed Description
This is picture 4 from a 12 picture invited series by Matt Buffington (matt.buffington@usda.gov) at the USDA Parastitic Hymentoptera group using specimens from the U.S. Natural History Museum Smithsonian. Matt uses a system very similar to ours to photograph and stack this super tiny wasp.Aspicera hartigi is a remarkable parasitic wasp! Females lay eggs into aphid-predaceous syrphid larvae (hover flies). Well, syrphid larvae don't like to be parasitized, as it puts a cramp in their style! Syrphids try to fight off Aspicra, but Aspicera is just too fast, using a quick-strike oviposition behavior to lay an egg in the syrphid larvae before it can defend itself. Aphids everywhere can thank Aspicera for saving their lives!
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.