Brasema rhadinosa Gibson, (1995)    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Hymenoptera   >   Family Eupelmidae   >   Genus Brasema   

Description:

Females of this species are quite easily recognized in the genus based on their elongate-slender habitus and a forewing that has a longitudinal infuscate band (just visible in image). (Gary Gibson)

Where to find:

The species is quite common and widespread, extending from at least as far south as Costa Rica north throughout the USA into southernmost Canada. Nothing is known for sure about its hosts. It has been reported once as a parasite of the southern pine beetle, but I suspect this is erroneous and the real hosts are the eggs of Orthoptera and/or Mantodea. Males are not associated with females because in the subfamily Eupelminae there is extreme sexual dimorphism and males look nothing like females. Really need to rear the species to associate the sexes. Female eupelmines are also renowned for their jumping ability. One name that was coined was "back-rolling wonders" (because they tend to tumble on landing and when killed often die in a strongly contorted U-shape, which results because of how they jump). Various eupelmine females are mimics of other insects, particularly ants. (Gary Gibson)

There is 1 record in the project database.

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A female Brasema rhadinosa in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/18/2020). Verified by Ken Wolgemuth/BugGuide. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)


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