HymenopteraMymaridae2 data sources

Ooctonus vulgatus

This record describes Ooctonus vulgatus (species). Recorded family: Mymaridae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Ooctonus vulgatus is a tiny (1.5-2mm) parasitoid wasp, one of the large family of Fairy Wasps (Mymaridae) characterized by the following unique combination of features: Very similar to O. silvensis, which has F2 of the female antenna notably shorter than F1 and about as long or slightly shorter than F3, and also generally darker legs, particularly meso- and metafemora and meso- and metatibiae. Unless identified by a recognized expert, requires microscopic examination and photos of key ID features. A very common parasitoid of the Common Froghopper, Philaenus spumarius. Common (the most frequently-occurring member of this genus) but rarely recorded due to small size and identification difficulty. Triapitsyn, S. V.. Revision of the Palaearctic species and review of the Oriental species of Ooctonus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), with notes on extralimital taxa. Zootaxa , 2381, 1-74.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Mymaridae
Genus: Ooctonus

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Widespread.

Seasonal Activity

All year.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

A very common parasitoid of the Common Froghopper, Philaenus spumarius.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Common (the most frequently-occurring member of this genus) but rarely recorded due to small size and identification difficulty.

About Flies: the wider group

Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Ooctonus vulgatus. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).

Ecological role of the group

About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.

Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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