Exquisite Lower Cretaceous Ichneumonid Wasp

Description: The Class Insecta is well represented in Liaoning and Hebei Provinces of China, with over 500 species referable to over 100 families based upon over 10,000 specimens. This fantastic diversity and exquisite detail is unprecedented throughout the world. This example is a superbly-preserved wasp, seen here in dorsal view. This is a member of the inchneumonid wasps, a family that uses its long ovipositor to bore into the bark of trees and deposit eggs in the grubs of beetles. Note that the wings, antennae, legs and ovipositor are all preserved in incredible detail. The fidelity of preservation is attributed to the fineness of the sediment, making this a superb example of the insect life of some 125 million years ago.