#conura

29 of 50. The amazing Conura lasnierii, or as I like to call it, the Darth Maul wasp. I had planned to draw this one for a long time and I finally got around to it! Drawn with coloured pencils.

Conura, from our Research Center in Maryland. These small parasitic wasps are thought (or so google indicates) to be hyperparasites...infecting other parasites that have parasitized things like caterpillars. Unsure of what species. Lovely form, check out the expanded unusual legs with teeth. Photo by Cole Cheng.

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What a little lovely parasitic wasp in the Chalcididae clan. This one appears to be Conura dema, based on picture booking from bugguide.net. I am not sure if that is true or not, but it is a very reasonable match, but I will let experts determine and validate that identification. Captured at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, Maryland. Photography by Elizabeth Garcia. 

Conura, from the proposed 200 acre MAGLEV trainyard site on our Research Center in Maryland.   These small parasitic wasps are thought (or so google indicates) to be hyperparasites...infecting other paarasites that have parasitized things like caterpillars.  Unsure of what species.  Lovely form, check out the expanded unusual legs with teeth.  Would be sad to see this species and its hosts go if the MAGLEV corporation takes the research center's land.  Photo by Cole Cheng

hosts: mostly Lepidoptera and Diptera, though a few attack Hymenoptera, Coleoptera or Neuroptera. Parasites of Lepidoptera usually attack young pupae, while those of Diptera attack mature larvae.

Helping me study #conura #distraction #toocute #morehinderancethanhelp