Thoronella sp. (Hymenoptera: Scolionidae) discovered on the thorax of an Aeshnidae (Anisoptera)

L.O. HOWARD (1927, Em. News 39: 145- 147) gave a number of examples within the parasitic Hymenoptera of the phenomenon "phoresy”, i.e. the transport of small insect(s) on the body of a larger insect without evidence of direct parasitism on the adult carrier. Where known, these adult Hymenoptera oviposit in the eggs of the female hosts on which they are phoretic. C.P. CLAUSEN (1976, A. Rev. Em. 21; 343-368) provides detailed examples in his review of phoresy among entomophagous insects. On September 15, 1990, a female Epiaeschna heros (Fabr.) was collected in Walker County, Texas. While transferring the dragonfly from the collecting net. a number of small wasps were observed moving about on the thorax between the wing bases. Forty-six females of an undescribed species (L. Masner. pers. comm, to R. Wharton), of Thoronella (Fig. I) were eventually recovered from the meso- and metanotal regions of the dragonfly.