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Story: Wasps and bees

Certonotus fractinervis female

<em>Certonotus fractinervis</em> female

Certonotus fractinervis is the largest native parasitic wasp. It is long and slender, and the female measures up to 40 millimetres. She has an extremely long ovipositor (the three long threads). This bores holes into beech tree trunks to lay eggs in the larvae of elephant weevils, which make tunnels in native trees.

Using this item

Lincoln University, Entomology Research Museum

by Christina Troup

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How to cite this page

John Early, Wasps and bees – Parasitic wasps, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11146/certonotus-fractinervis-female (accessed 23 June 2026).

Story by John Early, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

Charles
30 December 2011
I have a 300ha plantation at Leslie Hills in North Canterbury and have noticed some of those very large parasitic wasps, Certonotus fractinervis. There are a lot of rotting thinnings so I presume there are weevil larvae in those, as there are no beech trees for miles around? The one I saw first was trying to bore into a hard dry dead tree, without much luck. Do the weevils infest live trees too?