| Home | Parasitica | Glossary | Species lists | Ecology of hedgerows | Mammals | Plants | Birds | Invertabrates |
Mesopolobus amaenus is a parasitoid of the family Pteromalidae. As such it parasitises many members of the gall forming family of Cynapidae such as; Andricus corruptrix agamic, A. curvator sexual and agamic, A. kollari agamic, A. lignicola agamic, A. quercuscalicis agamic, A. solitarius agamic and Biorhiza pallida sexual galls. The flight times of this wasp are from march to april then from june through to january.
The female measures from 2.3-2.8mm with an average of 2.6mm head and body.
The head is reticulated, largely hairless and coloured bright metallic gold green with the clypeus slightly notched at the centre of the margin. The eyes are red brown in colour and moderatly sized and the ocelli are pale red. The antennae are brown and blend into golden segments towards the club, which is the lightest part, and the heavy taper also blends smoothly into the club. The scape and pedicel are bright dark yellow and there 3 rings and 5 funicular segments.
The thorax is bright metallic green and largely hairless and reticulate with incomplete notaulicesand the pronotal collar has a ver large reticulation. The tegulae are pale yellow and lead to the wings which are clear with neutral hairs and veins and a long pale stigmal vein. The legs have coarsely reticulate metallic green coxae with brown femora and the rest being yellow, ecept for the bottom joints of the 5 tarsel segments and the claws.
The gaster (abdomen) is a glossy metallic gold green with bands of long hairs towards the rear and on the sides. The ovipositor sheaths are not visable.
The male measures 1.8-2.2mm averaging out at 2mm
The head is reticulated with some hairs and a bright metallic green in colour. there is a light notch in the centre of the clypeus margin with carina fanning out over the face. The eyes are large and red brown and the ocelli are also red brown. The antennae have 3 rings and 5 funicular segments that are a striking orange gold with the funicular segment 3 and the last 2 of the club being dark. The long and fat scape is orange and the pedicel is smaller.
The thorax is bright metallic green and largely hairless and with the pronotal collar having a large reticulation and the notaulices being incomplete. The tegulae are pale yellow and lead to the wings which are clear with neutral hairs and veins and a long pale stigmal vein. The legs have a coarsely reticulated metallic green coxae, with the rest being a pale bright yellow. The middle tibia is enlarged and there are 5 tarsel segments.
The gaster is slender from the side and the first segment is a glossy dark metallic green with the remainder being a dark brown bronze with a varible amount of dirty yellow just behind the first segment, which can vary from a vague central spot through to a narrow and ill defined band. There are bands of hair towards the back and on the sides.
More detailed descriptions and identification keys are available from Robin Williams at the British Plant Gall Society.
[back to previous page]