Chalcid wasp 1.3mm

[JRsbugs]

Hi,

This is my 'catch' from yesterday. Looks much like Pnigalio soemius male, size fits. The female pic they have on NMH doesn't match that on the other site, it looks more like the other wasp I had with the yellow Xmas tree on the abdomen back which I think is a Euplectrus sp. There is a yellowish area at the abdomen top so I have included the first blurry pic where it's climbing (running) up from the gap between the bricks, it also shows a metallic blue tint to the face.

Universal Chalcidoidea Database

I read a Cambirdge journal article which states trials rearing them using different temperatures causes different colouring to the abdomen, mine has a purplish sheen.

CJO - Abstract - Phenotypic plasticity of pigmentation and morphometric traits in <italic>Pnigalio soemius</italic> (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Pnigalio

I doubt the pics are good enough to get a proper ID, considering the huge number of species but this one has some good ID point such as the thorax being much longer than wide as noted on the above site.

One pic of the horizontal view shows the wings well, pics can be enlarged a little more to get a better view.

Janet

[ChrisR]

It's a lovely photo and the name you found is a "possibly" but unless you can find a site with photos of *all* the alternatives then you can never know whether something else looks the same. Also, without knowing the keys you can never be sure whether the features you are looking at are important in the identification process ... body/leg/wing colour might be variable and relatively irrelevant etc

Still, it just depends how you use the name ... if it's just for personal interest and you make it clear in your records that it can't be confirmed then at least it won't be picked up by recording schemes etc.

Mr Doom n Gloom (again)

[JRsbugs]

Thanks Chris, shame it didn't hang around for me to get better pics but the size and location were not the best for hand held (which I am well practised at!).

"Still, it just depends how you use the name ... if it's just for personal interest and you make it clear in your records that it can't be confirmed then at least it won't be picked up by recording schemes etc. "

Yes that's how I usually do it Chris, personal naming only if in doubt. I do think my other 'Xmas tree' one would stand a very good chance of a confirmed ID if I put it in the right place such as the hymis forum, I must join when I get around to it.

There is some key points to the male on this site, I see the copied version has put in both Catalan and English

Pnigalio

Pnigalio soemius (Walker, 1839)
Mida femella 1.6-2.4 mm, mascle 1.3 mm. Size female 1.6-2.4 mm, male 1.3 mm. Cos verdos a negros. Body greenish black. Coxes groguenques o rogenques, sense punts verds, femurs femella groguencs o rogencs, tibia posterior monocromatica , groguenca o rogenca, opc. Coxes yellowish or reddish, not green dots, yellow or red female femur, tibia after monochromatic, yellowish or reddish, OPC. gradualment enfosquida distalment, tars posterior femella sense artells blancs , amb tots els artells testacis o foscos. distalment gradually darkened, female tarsus later without white knuckles, knuckles testacis or all dark. Gaster fosc, o opc. Gaster dark, or OPC. rogenc. reddish. Cap amb temples llargues en vista dorsal. No longer with temples in dorsal view. Antena femella amb 4rt artell l/a=1.5. Ala anterior amb amb especulum petit o absent , vena marginal > 3x radial. Antenna nut 4th knuckles l / a = 1.5. Wing with previous especulum with small or absent, marginal vein> 3x radio. Torax mes llarg que ample, l/a sovint = 1.6x. Thorax longer than wide, l = 1.6x often. Mesotorax amb costats densament pubescents. Mesotorax sides with densely pubescent. Propodeu +-llis i llustros, costula transversa intersectant la longitudinal en la seva meitat, rarament absent als mascles petits, propodeum amb 1(2-3) seta llarga entre la plica lateral i els espiracles, costats del propodeu rugulosos. Gaster femella curt , l/a=1.4-1.7, sovint mes curt que el torax, opc. Propodeu +-smooth, glossy costula intersect the transverse and longitudinal their half, rarely absent from the male children, propodeum with 1 (2-3) long seta laterally and between spiracles escrow, propodeu rugulosos sides. Gaster female short l / a = 1.4-1.7, often shorter than the thorax, OPC. mes llarg, gaster femella amb 1er tergit amb pilositat sovint extesa cap al disc. longer, spend nut 1st Tergat with hairiness often extended toward the disk. Sobre lepidopters, curculionids i agromicids. About Lepidoptera curculionids and agromicids. Distribució palaeàrtica W. Distribution palaeàrtica W.