Pseudomalus auratus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pseudomalus auratus: https://marylandbiodiversity.com/species/15705
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Source: Wikipedia

Pseudomalus auratus
A live individual of Pseudomalus auratus
Pseudomalus auratus. Museum specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Chrysididae
Genus: Pseudomalus
Species:
P. auratus
Binomial name
Pseudomalus auratus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
  • Chrysis auratus
  • Omalus auratus (Linnaeus, 1761)

Pseudomalus auratus is a species of cuckoo wasp (insects in the family Chrysididae).[1]

Description

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Pseudomalus auratus can reach a length of 3–7 millimetres (0.12–0.28 in). Head and thorax of these little wasps are metallic bluish, while the abdomen is reddish. Head and thorax are hairy.[2][3]

Biology

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These wasps fly from late May to early October.[2] They mainly parasitize hymenoptera in the Apidae family (Ceratina), Colletidae family (Hylaeus), Megachilidae family (Anthidium) and in the Crabronidae family (Pemphredon lethifera, Pemphredon unicolor, Passaloecus gracilis, Passaloecus turionum, Passaloecus brevicornis, Rhopalum coarctatum, Psenulus and Trypoxylon).[2] Larvae mainly can be found in blackberry and raspberry branches and dead wood.[2][3]

Distribution and habitat

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This species is present in most of Europe (UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, Greece, Canary Islands, Crete and Switzerland, in the East Palearctic ecozone, in the Near East, in North Africa and in Asia (including Russia, Manchuria, Korea and Japan).[2][4] These wasps inhabit open areas, forest edges and thickets where its nesting hosts can be found.[2]

It was accidentally introduced in the United States, probably before 1828. Bugguide

Bibliography

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  • Rolf Witt: Wespen. Beobachten, Bestimmen. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89440-243-1.

References

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