Pelecinid Wasps

Family Pelecinidae

Pelecinus polyturator. Photo:Stephanie Boucher

The larvae are parasitoids of June beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. Pelecinids seem to go through population cycles and females are much more abundant in some years than in others. Males are very rarely collected. The females are black shiny wasps with an extremely long narrow abdomen. Males have a much shorter abdomen but are extremely rare and are almost never seen.