Praon pequodorum wasp and pea aphid
A Praon pequodorum wasp drags a pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) onto its ovipositor. P. pequodorum is the one native North American parasitoid wasp that managed to outcompete the wasp species Aphidius ervi when A. ervi was introduced from the Old World as a predator for the invasive pea aphid. P. pequodorum earns the tag “underdog” for its immunity to the pea aphid’s bacterial defenses, which are effective against A. ervi. (Photo credit: Laura Kraft)