ONH

Parasitic Wood Wasp ovipositing

Orussus sp.

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    1 - Orussus female ovipositing. The ovipositor is the thin nearly vertical line below the red abdomen.

    05/14/2010 Port Williams County Park, Sequim, Washington

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    2 - Orussus female ovipositing closeup of slide 1.

    05/14/2010 Port Williams County Park, Sequim, Washington

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    3 - Orussus female ovipositing.

    05/14/2010 Port Williams County Park, Sequim, Washington

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    4 - Orussus female ovipositing.

    05/14/2010 Port Williams County Park, Sequim, Washington

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    5 - Orussus female ovipositing closeup of slide 4.

    05/14/2010 Port Williams County Park, Sequim, Washington

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    6 - Orussus female ovipositing.

    04/30/2021 Port Williams County Park, Sequim, Washington

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6 - Orussus female poking around, then inserting her ovipositor into a beach log. The ovipositor is the thin nearly vertical line below the red abdomen.

7 - Orussus female tapping with her antennae, probing with her ovipositor, and returning to same spot again. The ovipositor is the thin nearly vertical line below the red abdomen.

We have observed females ovipositing. Females tap with their antennae and detect vibrations in the joints of their feet. They stop to insert their ovipositor when they detect a suitable location for ovipositing. In some cases, females raise their head and thorax, as if to reach further with their ovipositor (slide 5). We have observed a female returning to the same area (about 10cm x 10cm) of a log several times to oviposit.

In the photos and video, the characteristic swollen antenna tips of females are visible.