Chalcid wasp

JRsbugs · #1 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 02:02 AM

Hi,

This was inside today, bigger than many Chalcids I see at maybe over 3mm, or maybe I have overestimated it after seeing it through the lens!

I thought maybe someone would recognise the family, or I will be up half the night looking for it.

Janet

JRsbugs · #2 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 02:08 AM

Maybe Pteromalidae?

JRsbugs · #3 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 02:31 AM

Hmmm, this looks very much like Cyclogastrella simplex.

Cyclogastrella simplex (Walker, 1834) - Encyclopedia of Life

Cyclogastrella

We have 3 Cyclogastrella species, a guess at Cyclogastrella flavius!

Checklist of UK Recorded Pteromalidae

Any corrections welcome!

Gill Catton · #4 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 10:43 AM

OOOh I still wish I could contribute.!! Certainly the links you have submitted look good to me but I am no expert (as you know

)

Jason Green · #5 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 12:55 PM

Afternoon Janet,

I would tend to agree, though would also raise the possibility of Torymidae - they tend to be greenish with similar pterostigma too.

Take care,

Jason

JRsbugs · #6 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 01:12 PM

Gill, I'm no expert either! There's too many of them, but when one stands out and you can find pics then it seems they are more common.

Ye but Jason, it does have a remarkable likeness to Cyclogastrella simplex.

The distribution map for Cyclogastrella flavius on Fauna Europaea shows Cyclogastrella flavius in very well defined countries with no overlap. This leads me to think the two are the same species, but I haven't found anything to suggest that.

Fauna Europaea : Map

Fauna Europaea : Taxon Details

JRsbugs · #7 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 01:17 PM

Well, C. simplex is well and truly recorded here but it's not mentioned on the Hedgerow site!

Fauna Europaea : Map

Fauna Europaea : Taxon Details

JRsbugs · #8 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 01:23 PM

I found that an Species synonym for C. simplex is 'deplanatus' on Fauna Europaea but with no references, there is C. 'deplanata' on Hedgerow.

Jason Green · #9 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

Ye but Jason, it does have a remarkable likeness to Cyclogastrella simplex.

It does. Both families seem to have very similar features - I hope to spend more time on these this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

The distribution map for Cyclogastrella flavius on Fauna Europaea shows Cyclogastrella flavius in very well defined countries with no overlap. This leads me to think the two are the same species, but I haven't found anything to suggest that.

I can't find C. simplex anywhere as being a UK species. We do have flavius though according to HM. Still, with so many of these little wasps that look so similar we may have both - we just need people to get more of these under the microscope as that is where the proof is.

I'm not dissagreeing - just sounding a note of caution over fully-naming these similar-looking wasps to the full binominal based on photos, without a secimen to confirm (essentially I can't quite see anything too distinctive here).

Either way, it's nice to have these little beauties back isn't it!

JRsbugs · #10 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Green

I can't find C. simplex anywhere as being a UK species. We do have flavius though according to HM. Still, with so many of these little wasps that look so similar we may have both

Either way, it's nice to have these little beauties back isn't it!

JAson, look at my two posts before your post.

C. simplex is much more widely distributed through Europe. At least there's more than one pic of it, I can't find any of C. flavius so we don't really know what it looks like.