Metallic Hyperparasite - _TNY_4865
You know those small balls that sometimes appear on leaves? Those are called galls and are the result of the larvae of a small wasp which use the gall as protection while eating from the leaf.
This here is the tiniest of countermeasures, a sub-2mm (0.079") chalcid wasp in the Torymus genus shot at a whopping 4.8:1 magnification while walking on my thumb.
Telling which exact species this is can't be done without picking it apart which you know isn't my thing, but each species target a different species of gall wasp and they use their ovipositor to lay their egg in the larva inside the gall.
The concept of parasitising on a parasite is known as hyperparasitism.
I also managed to take a photo of this one using my phone camera which provides a better view of the scale here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53243460936/
Metallic Hyperparasite - _TNY_4865
You know those small balls that sometimes appear on leaves? Those are called galls and are the result of the larvae of a small wasp which use the gall as protection while eating from the leaf.
This here is the tiniest of countermeasures, a sub-2mm (0.079") chalcid wasp in the Torymus genus shot at a whopping 4.8:1 magnification while walking on my thumb.
Telling which exact species this is can't be done without picking it apart which you know isn't my thing, but each species target a different species of gall wasp and they use their ovipositor to lay their egg in the larva inside the gall.
The concept of parasitising on a parasite is known as hyperparasitism.
I also managed to take a photo of this one using my phone camera which provides a better view of the scale here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53243460936/