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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Gasteruption jaculator
Hymenoptera / Gasteruptiidae
Gasteruption jaculator is a slender wasp whose female carries a long, pale-tipped ovipositor sheath. Its larvae develop in solitary bee nests.
Read the species accountFemales have a distinct ivory or white band at the end of the ovipositor sheath. The sheath is approximately 1.0–1.2 times body length. The hind tibia is swollen, with pale subbasal markings on both the tibia and first tarsal segment; males lack the long female sheath. [1]
The species occurs in Europe, North Africa, Iran and Turkey. [1]
Within Gasteruption, larval development takes place in the nest of a solitary bee or wasp. Larvae consume host brood and, in several species, stored provisions; the precise placement of the egg and the subsequent feeding sequence differ among species. [2]
Female Gasteruption investigate potential host nests by hovering and antennating at the entrance. The ovipositor is inserted into the nest, and sealed nest material can be pierced without a drilling motion. [2]
A flat head surface immediately before the occipital ridge, together with antennal characters, helps distinguish G. jaculator from similar species. [1]
The 2014 revision designated a female lectotype in the Linnean Society collection, London, probably originating near Uppsala, Sweden. [1]
ZooKeys 458 · Accessed 2026-10-13
Tree of Life Web Project, Jennings and Deans · Accessed 2026-10-13
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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