Ormyrus nitidulus

A truly splended insect dressed head to toe (or rather antenna to ovipositor) in shining metallic green.

This species (if it really is just a single species, which is probably unlikely given its mulitple hosts) is reasonably easy to separate from the other Ormyrus species by a combination of the following characters - two very short antennal segments (3 and 4) (I found this quite hard to see), a keel down the centre of the abdomen (upper side), a sharp angle between this and the epipygium (the end of the abdomen), very long epipygium (much longer than the previous segment). The first gastral segment has a smooth shiny base and a distinct honeycomb structure covering the rear. This was one of two found on Holm Oak.

female Ormyrus nitidulus showing antenna (segment 1 on right, segments 3 & 4 in centre), abdomen keel, epipygium and gastral segment 1, Elmham Park, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 4th September 2021

This one was on Oak. These are normally associated with Oak galls being parasites of the gall causers.

female Ormyrus nitidulus showing antennae and abdomen keel, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 8th September 2019

I didn't think this one had the keel down the top of the abdomen at first - it was surprisingly hard to see until I removed the wings so I could look at it from directly above. This one was on Bramble and Rhododendron (but there was Oak, which these are normally associated with, nearby).

female Ormyrus nitidulus showing abdomen keel, close-up of first gastral tergite sculpture and tip of abdomen from side, Ling Plantation, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 31st August 2022