Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00619
Gonatocerus californicus
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About Gonatocerus californicus
Gonatocerus californicus is a member of Mymaridae in the order Hymenoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced / adventive parasitoid.
Gonatocerus californicus (Gonatocerus californicus) is documented from Kauaʻi. Fairyflies are minute parasitoid wasps, most commonly developing within the eggs of other insects. On Kauaʻi, observations are most useful when they record exact host egg, emergence, release/biocontrol context and voucher adults. Where island-specific host, prey, breeding-site, abundance, or seasonal information is not yet firmly documented, those details should remain tied to direct specimens and field observations rather than inferred from populations elsewhere.
Gonatocerus californicus is a minute parasitoid wasp documented from multiple Kauaʻi localities. It attacks leafhopper eggs and is ecologically linked to grass/sharpshooter communities.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Hawaii Biological Survey key records Kauaʻi specimens from Moloaʻa, Opaekaʻa Falls lookout, and Wailua Falls.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Taxon-specific life cycle to verify.
Habitat
Vegetation and habitats where host insects deposit eggs.
Food and ecological role
Immatures consume a host egg; adults use short-lived liquid resources.
Reproduction
Females locate and parasitize host eggs.
Movement
Tiny adults fly and can be wind-dispersed.
Ecosystem role
Egg parasitoid and natural enemy.
Threats and impacts
Introduced parasitoids can have non-target effects depending on host range.
Monitoring
Record exact host egg, emergence, release/biocontrol context and voucher adults.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Gonatocerus californicus
- Family
- Mymaridae
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced / adventive parasitoid
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Gonatocerus californicus is a member of Mymaridae in the order Hymenoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced / adventive parasitoid.