We envision a resilient world dependent on the thoughtful cultivation of plants

Garden Allies: Braconid Wasps

Articles: Garden Allies: Braconid Wasps

Apanteles sp. Illus: Craig Latker
Good Wasps in Small Packages
The word “wasp” usually brings to mind some sort of pesky insect: the yellow jackets that join us for a picnic, or the paper wasps that dangle a threateningly large nest over the front door. Yet most wasps are innocuous garden residents, usually non-aggressive, diminutive, and stingless. Aphid parasitoid wasps are so small that they go about their business virtually unnoticed, but their presence is easily ascertained by examining an aphid colony. Look for papery black or beige “mummies,” many with a neat exit hole gnawed by an emerging adult wasp. Several wasp families include species that attack aphids. The small, non-stinging wasps in the family Braconidae include aphid parasitoids, as well as wasps that attack other garden pests such as caterpillars, flies, true bugs, and beetles.

Braconid wasps can be distinguished by the typical, narrowed “wasp-waist.” They may be shades of black, red, brown, or yellow, often with a dark spot at the edge of the forewing. The antennae have sixteen or more segments, and are shorter than the forewing. Although...

READ THE WHOLE STORY


Join now to access new headline articles, archives back to 1977, and so much more.

Enjoy this article for FREE:

Voices of the West; New Science on Life in the Garden by Frederique Lavoipierre

If you are already a member, please log in using the form below.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Social Media

Garden Futurist Podcast

Most Popular

Videos

Topics

Related Posts

Pacific Plant People: Carol Bornstein

Spring 2022 Public gardens play a key role in demonstrating naturalistic planting design, selecting native and adapted plants for habitat, and testing techniques for reducing

Powered By MemberPress WooCommerce Plus Integration

Your free newsletter starts here!

Don’t want to see this pop-up? Members, log-in here.

Why do we ask for your zip code?

We do our best to make our educational content relevant for where you garden.

Why do we ask for your zip code?

We do our best to make our educational content relevant for where you garden.

The information you provide to Pacific Horticulture is NEVER sold, shared, or rented to others.

Pacific Horticulture generally sends only two newsletters per Month.