wild carrot wasp

not listed

not listed

not listed

Wild carrot wasp is widespread and fairly common across North America and Europe. It is a parasite on the nests of bees and wasps that nest in wood or twigs.

Adults are ½″ to ¾″ long and mostly black with some reddish-brown markings.

The head is black and is clearly separated from the thorax by a long neck. The back of the head is shallowly concave when viewed from above. The top of the head is dull, not shiny, and is covered with scattered, small, indistinct punctures. The mouth parts are brown. The compound eyes are conspicuously covered with dense, short hairs. The antennae are short and thread-like. The female antenna has 14 segments, the male antenna 13 segments. The fourth antennal segment is 2.5 times as long as wide on the male, 2.7 times as long as wide on the male.

The thorax is entirely black. The upper front margin of the plate on the first thoracic segment (pronotum) usually has a weak, blunt, forward-projecting tooth. The second thoracic segment (mesonotum), has fine, smooth sculpting and small, indistinct punctures. The lateral lobe is dull, not shiny. It has scattered, fine, indistinct punctures, and is not wrinkled. The small plate covering the wing base (tegula) is black.

The abdomen very long, slender, and mostly black. It is attached to the thorax high, far above the bases of the hind legs (coxae). It is very slender at the base, gradually widening as it approaches the tip. The end of the second and third abdominal segments are reddish-brown. On the female, the ovipositor sheath is entirely black and short, a little over one third the length of the forewing.

The forewing has a closed cell on the front (costal) margin. In the median area, there is only a single cross vein (recurrent vein) and a single closed medial cell. When at rest, the forewing folds back on itself.

The front and middle legs are brown beyond the two black basal segments. The tibia on the front and middle legs are distinctly pale at the tip. On the hind leg the second basal segment (trochanter) has two segments. The tibia are swollen and have a pale area near the base. The section corresponding to the foot (tarsus) is brown and has five segments. The second segment is long, about 3.7 times as long as wide on the male, 3.0 times as long as wide in the female.

Total length: ½″ to ¾″

Mid-May through September

Third stage (instar) larvae overwinter in cocoons. They pupate in the spring and emerge as adults in spring or early summer.

The larva in the cell of the host nest, followed by the food collected for it in that cell. When that is consumed, it may move on to an adjacent cell.

Flower nectar and pollen

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

Fairly common

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota