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This Small Tortoiseshell butterfly parasitoid emerged today (13/09/08). It was one of 54 parasitoids to emerge from 29 butterfly pupae from my Bedford garden. (The remainder have been sent to Oxford University for their research).

Can this be ID'd from the photos please?

Thanks, Keith

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I'll suggest this is Sturmia bella, from the host association - but best wait for Chris or Theo to confirm it from the pictures.

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Yup - a nice Sturmia bella - notice the bristle-comb on the hind tibia :) Good to hear from someone who is contributing to the project - sounds like you have found plenty of parasitoids. Was it a mixture of different species - Diptera & Hymenoptera? :)

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Thanks for confirming the ID. All the parasitoid pupae looked much the same to me, with only slight variation in size, so I suspect most will be Diptera. I retained only two for myself. The other 52 went off to Oxford ten days ago, so those guys will have the fun of seeing the mix, and checking all the IDs.

Thanks again, Keith

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It is great to have this forum. Two years ago nobody would have recognized this pic, and now 2 excellent ID's.

Sturmia bella is typical for Nymphalidae. And for autumn.

So all fits.


Theo