Cremnops desertor
The Braconid Wasps are the largest wasp family except for the Parasitic Wasps of the family Ichneumonidae. Worldwide some 17,000 species are known. Probably there are over 30,000 species. There are many very small species among them. Most are parasitic to various other insects. Some species though live inside plants and cause the well known galls. Mind you there are other animals causing galls, such as other wasps, some beetles and certain mites. When live animals are used as host for the larvae Braconids usually kill their victim. In some cases however the host is kept alive, but it reacts strangely and often is less active. Someway these Braconids produce a virus which infects the victim. A number of Braconids is used in pest control. They often look like parasitic wasps, but you can tell them apart by looking at the wings. The wing pattern is very simple in Braconids and they have less veins compared to the wings of the Parasitic wasps.
We know little of the beautiful Cremnops desertor. What we do know is that the status of the species is very unclear. It may be comprised of several species. The animal lays several eggs in the caterpillars of various butterflies and moths.
