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Looks like a micro wasp #946617

Asked October 06, 2026, 3:25 PM EDT

It is 2 mm or less in length insect. It has a thin waist and it can fly. I am finding them in the kitchen, and have seen about 15 of them. They fly away fast when I try to kill them. It is Hard to get a clear picture even with macro turned on. I want to know what kind of insect it is so I can kill them. That is what I need from you their name. Thank you very much for your help. Liz

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for your question.

The first two photographs were too blurry for me to attempt an identification. The insect in the third image looks like it could be a minute parasitoid wasp. You were quite close in calling it a micro wasp. It might be in the Diapriidae family. I would be hesitant in classifying lower than this. Many diapriids parasitize the immature stages of tiny flies, including fungus gnats, fruit/vinegar flies, and other flies developing in moist organic material. They do not bite people, sting people, infest food, or damage the house. In fact, their presence can sometimes indicate that another small insect—often a fly—is breeding somewhere nearby. It appears that relatively little is found about them in the scientific literature. That you found these in a kitchen area is not surprising as many host insects would be found in such a locale. Among these would be the common fruit fly Drosophila. These wasps would lay eggs in the pupae of this host species. See the following:

https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/15955/bgimage

https://apps.extension.umn.edu/environment/citizen-science/bee-atlas/bee-blocks/SpeciesDetail?speciesId=185&categoryId=2

https://minnesotabeeatlas.umn.edu/species-guide/wasps/parasitic/diapriidae

Interesting insect. Thanks for consulting us about it.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied October 06, 2026, 6:19 PM EDT

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