Natural History Museum: Hymenoptera Section
Flickr Group
Chalcidoidea, Mymaridae, AlaptinaeNon-type FemaleCollected in the United KingdomSeveral Mymaridae taxa are known to parasitise aquatic insects and have been observed swimming under water to reach their hosts' eggs. Individuals of Litus cynipseus were observed by Brocher (1910) emerging from aquatic Hemiptera eggs and walking "under and against [the water surface] as on a ceiling" before using a piece of floating cork to exit the water. Photograph by Natalie Dale-Skey
a 0.4mm long female Litus cynipseus parasitoid wasp of the Mymaridae family found in short grass at the foot of the sandstone outcrop of the West Hill in Hastings. This tiny wasp is an egg parasitoid of aquatic insects, it swims underwater in order to parasitise the eggs using those beautiful wings as flippers. Additional pictures below are viewable larger with a click - note 6 funicle segments and 5 tarsal segments.