Orasema taii

Distribution
United States: Texas

Biology
Ant host: Solenopsis xyloni

All observations were made at one site in the Welder Wildlife refuge near Venado Mill. O. taii was found ovipositing onto the leaves and green stem tissue of Vachellia sp., Fabaceae) (Fig. 19), commonly known as Huisatche, a dominant shrubby tree in the area. Oviposition was observed on all of the trees examined, with any green tissue saturated with egg punctures. Eggs are deposited into rows (Fig. 19), with the leaf surface hollowed by the expanded ovipositor, with a single egg deposited into each incision (Fig. 18). Immature thrips parasitized by planidia were observed on the trees, and although not observed directly, use of the thrips as an intermediate host for transport by the ants to gain access to the ant nest is possible (cf. Heraty 2000). Huisatche also has extrafloral nectaries, offering another means of interaction with the host ant and access to the ant brood (cf. Carey et al. 2012; Herreid and Heraty 2017).