New Wasp Species Discovered in Norway
Published:06 Apr.2021 Source:Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Cuckoo wasps -- also called emerald wasps -- are some of the most beautiful insects we have, with colourful exteriors that shine like jewels. However, these beauties have also created a lot of headaches.
Ødegaard is an insect researcher at the NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) University Museum and belongs to the European research group that has now described thia recent contribution to species diversity. The new species is very rare, and is only a single specimen has been found on the Lista peninsula in Agder county in Norway. For more than 200 years, insect researchers have struggled to sort cuckoo wasps into the right "species boxes," and to determine which characteristics are variations within a species and which are species-specific differences.