More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Wasps of Zihuatanejo
ORDER HYMENOPTERA
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)
-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
-Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)
-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)
-Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)
-Bees and Apoid Wasps (Superfamily Apoidea)
-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)
-Aulacid, Carrot, and Ensign Wasps (Superfamily Evanioidea)
-Ensign Wasps (Family Evaniidae)
-Genus Evania
-Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp (Evania appendigaster)
The Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp (Evania appendigaster) is a small but very distinctive parasitic wasp, best known for its unusual body shape. Small, typically 7–14 mm long. The abdomen is small, triangular, and held upright like a flag, attached high on the thorax. Prominent metallic blue eyes, giving the wasp its common name. Non-aggressive toward humans. They rarely sting, and stings are mild if they occur at all.
Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp
Evania appendigaster
Description
• Evania appendigaster is a species of ensign wasp in the family Evaniidae. It has a distinctive small, triangular abdomen attached high on the thorax by a slender stalk, giving it a flag-like appearance. The body is usually black, with long legs and antennae. This species is best known as a parasitoid of cockroach egg cases, also called oothecae.
Range
• Evania appendigaster is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions around the world and has been introduced to many areas through human activity. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• This wasp occurs in warm environments, including tropical forest, gardens, buildings, and other places where cockroaches are present. Adults may be seen walking over walls, vegetation, or other surfaces while searching for suitable cockroach egg cases.
Diet
• Adults feed on nectar and other sugary liquids when available. Females lay their eggs inside cockroach oothecae, where the wasp larvae develop by feeding on the developing cockroach eggs and prevent them from hatching.