Flower Wasp vs Metaphycus Scale Parasitoid
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Flower Wasp | Metaphycus Scale Parasitoid |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cerceris rybyensis | Metaphycus helvolus |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Crabronidae | Encyrtidae |
| Size | 8-14 mm | 1-1.5 mm |
| Habitat | Heathland | Orchards |
| Diet | Predators | Parasitoids |
| Regions | Europe | Worldwide (introduced for biocontrol) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
Flower Wasp
A solitary wasp that hunts small mining bees to provision its nest. Nests in sandy soil, often in dense aggregations. Distinguished from other wasps by its hunting specialization.
Did You Know?
Specializes in hunting mining bees (Andrena), catching them on flowers and carrying them back to its burrow.
Metaphycus Scale Parasitoid
A golden-yellow parasitoid wasp that attacks black scale and other soft scale insects on citrus and olive trees. It is one of the most widely used encyrtids in commercial biological control.
Did You Know?
Adults also feed directly on young scale insects by piercing them with their ovipositor, killing hosts through both parasitism and host-feeding.