# Ootheca parasites



## Hypoponera (Jun 2, 2007)

Does anyone know if our native parasitic wasps will infect the ootheca of the Chinese or European mantids? I am currently incubating a European ootheca and found what appears to be a parasitic wasp in the bug room. It looks like the same kind of wasp that emerged from a wild found _Stegmomantis_ ootheca I had hatch on May 21. That egg case was parasitized and had several wasp exit holes. It did produce 20 healthy nymphs though! I assume the wasp came from that ootheca. My European does not have any visible exit holes as of yet. But the wasp's appearence made me wonder if our native wasps have the ability to attack the Chinese or European ootheca. How about the ootheca of_ Iris oratoria_?


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## jplelito (Jun 2, 2007)

I don't know about chinese but european egg cases are somewhat similar in size so maybe.. but parasitoids are often pretty specific.

Either way, I've had 100+ nymphs come out of _Stagmomantis _ooths even when a dozen or two wasps came out as well.

There are two different species of what I believe are Chalcid wasps that I have observed coming out of _Stagmomantis_ oothecae.


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## Hypoponera (Jun 2, 2007)

Can you tell me when the wasps attack the ootheca? Does the attack happen while the ootheca is still soft or later after it has hardened? Do the wasps work around the female mantis or wait until she has moved away?


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## Asa (Jun 2, 2007)

I think the wasps attack when the ootheca is soft, but I'm not sure.


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## yen_saw (Jun 4, 2007)

I have seen parasite wasp attacked a hatched stamomantis ootheca, they can oviposit the eggs into the ootheca using a long "tail". When cut open the ootheca, it was empty, so probably the ootheca was either hatched out or heavily infested by all the parasite wasps which have hatched earlier. So i guess they can attack the ootheca even it has hardened.


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## asdsdf (Aug 16, 2007)

kind of late, the wasp larvae eat the eggs, but since there are so many eggs, the wasps don't need to eat them all.


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## Minicuk (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi,

the name of parasite is Chalcidien (French).

it's that ? : http://aramel.free.fr/Diglyphus-isae-2.jpg

He isn't rarely in (south) France in north it's cold for him (?)

Bye


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