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I know they are hard, but I don´t know how hard, so I got some questions.

Are there more than 5 Gymnosoma to chose between? (The fice in the gallery)

Are all of them parasites on shieldbugs?

Is there any possibility for me, to determine some of them, just lookiing at them in my garden?

And, of course, is it possible to say which one this is? It is a little bit bigger than I am used to see them.

40 km NW Stockholm Sweden. Picture taken 13 june 2010.

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Yes - there are 13 listed in Fauna Europaea but I'm not sure how many would be found in your area - most are quite southerly species so you might have a lot less to choose from :) I count 4 or 5 listed for Scandinavia in Tschorsnig & Herting's key but there might be more now.


They are all parasitoids (not parasites) of Hemiptera (possibly not just shieldbugs)


Sorry, no - most species are very similar and they need very close examination under a microscope. Even with a specimen they can be very difficult. :(

I'd be happy to try naming some if you sent me specimens though. They usually need examination of genitalia and very close examination of dusting and hairs.


It is a female but I'm not sure which species it would be. Theo is usually very reluctant to give names for Gymnosoma in photos but he might be able to see something in this photo that gives him an idea? :)

Chris R.

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Thank you very very much, Chris! I save the answers in my own "archives".
Gymnosoma sp are not so common here, at least I don´t see them often. And I´m not used to kill flies, (without making them flat ;)), and that wouldn´t do examination easier, I guess ...

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Hmm, flat would make them a bit too hard to identify I think ;) Gymnosoma are rare here too but with global warming we seem to be getting more phasiines so they might spread and we might get more species from mainland Europe :)