HYMENOPTERA | Parasitic Wasps

Chalcididae (Chalcid Wasps)

This family of very small parasitic wasps is represented in Britain by just eight species. Whilst their appearance and size vary, they can generally be recognised by their swollen hind femora and bent hind tibiae. Due to both the life cycle and small size of the species’ adults seem to be rarely seen and photographed.

As a point of interest, members of this particular family should strictly speaking be called chalcidid wasps, as the shortened name chalcid is more generally used to describe all the Chalcidoidea superfamily species. That being said, many new publications are starting to use chalcidoid as the more encompassing name and sticking with chalcid for the Chalcididae family.

Brachymeria tibialis

A small (3-5mm body length) robust, black bodied, yellow-legged species with greatly swollen hind femora and distinctly curved tibiae that are typical of this family of chalcid wasps. Adults may be seen in grassland areas where Burnet moths are found as it’s the larvae of this Lepidopteran family that the female specifically targets in which to inject her eggs. Brachymeria tibialis was only added to the British list in 2008.

Cashmoor Down, East Dorset | July 21