Mrs. Myrmecos and I have returned from Brazil! Blogging will resume shortly, once I’ve had time to run the laundry, answer a month’s email accumulation, and get through the painful withdrawl process of a chronic Pão de Quiejo addiction.
In the meantime, here’s what advanced scientific research reveals to be the Cutest Wasp Ever:
I will consider alternative views of entomological cuteness in the comments, however.
Encyrtidae: (wiki)
“Some species exhibit a remarkable developmental phenomenon called “polyembryony”, in which a single egg multiplies clonally in the host and produces large numbers of identical adult wasps. Even more remarkably, some of the larvae are larger than the others and act in a similar way to the “soldiers” of eusocial insects, attacking any other wasp larvae already in the body of the host, and dying without reproducing (“altruism”).”
WOW
Oh who can tell me why a wasp would mimic a beatle?
Is it so “you won’t see me”? (1965)
You have to understand that no wasp decides to mimic a beatle. It just ‘happens to be’ effective. If a wasp looks slightly more like a beatle, maybe something eating wasps doesn’t attack it as often. Or maybe things that it would eat don’t run away because they think it’s a harmless beatle. Or, whatever other advantage it might give. But, like I said, remember that no wasp thought ‘I’m going to look like a beatle, this is a good strategy.’ Due to mutations, if a wasp looked more like a beatle, apparently it got to eat more/get eaten less and so could pass on its genes. If any of his mutant children looked even more like a beatle, they’d in turn get eaten even less/eat more themselves (or whatever other advantage they just happened to have) and so on.
Oh, I now see that you might look for a specific reason instead of a general one. Sorry. I have no clue and would be interested in the answer.
When I was 16 (in the 60’s), I wanted to look like a Beatle, so I got my hair cut like theirs.
I don’t think I could offer anything nearly that cute. The eyes are amazing!
How about Xanthocryptus novozealandicus?
Beautiful more than cute I think 🙂
Looks remarkably like a scolytine weevil, but then why in the world would it want to do that?
What was your immediate impression when you first saw it?
Funny you should ask, Ted. I thought “Mirid” first, because of the angled wings.
I have yet to see a wasp that was not cute.
My vote for cutest goes to anything in the genus Ammophila. For instance:
http://bugeric.blogspot.com/2010/11/wasp-wednesday-ammophila-aberti.html
Aww…
While this little encyrtid is certainly in the running for cutest wasp, I have to cast my vote solidly for the little apterous scelionines in the genus Baeus. . .even the name is tiny, round, and chubby looking.
Ah, Baeus are indeed adorable! I thought this might be one, too, until I saw it magnified.
Baeus, “The Cartoon Bug”, has been dubbed the cutest bug ever. Like the encyrtid, the eyes are large and cartoon-like. But the frons doesn’t project as much. See:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/440898
Not a hymenopteran, but every time I see a pentatomid nymph I want to give it a hug: http://www.briancutting.com/2012/06/stink-bugs-are-cute.html
I agree that Baeus is pretty cute as well, and the encyrtid in question is certainly endearing; but in a bobblehead rather than duckling kinda way.
Encyrtids know they are cool. Is that Hambletonia?
Definitely a cute wasp, but Camponotus innocens is more adorable. The ‘innocent’ freckled kid with the overbite in the genus. http://www.antweb.org/description.do?rank=species&genus=camponotus&name=innocens&project=paraguayants
bah – it needs a shave.
You could take a picture of one too young to have a beard yet tho….
Why even try to get over an addiction like that ?
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php/topic/128561-authentic-brazilian-pao-de-queijo-cheese-puffs-or-rolls/page__p__1697193#entry1697193
http://www.yumsugar.com/52-Weeks-Baking-Brazilian-Cheese-Bread-280828
This guy should be friends with the walking stick guy (the one with the awesome eyes) in the pixar movie you will be a consultant for.
Sooo cute!!!
This cute bug contest is a delight! The entries are just darling (except maybe Jason’s Camponotus, which is more Geroge Clooney than cute and rounded).
As for that addiction, find some Brazilians to get together for a pa~o de queijo, feijoada and couve party. ….. Or, you could use Ruby Tuesday’s garlic biscuits as a sort of methodone treatment.
Yes, it is the cutest wasp! The photograph is beautiful!
Alex
What is Pão de Quiejo ????
Not a wasp, or even a hymenopteran, but I love lacewing larva:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshuallen/5913242980/in/set-72157627664683486