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What are WOWBugs?

Are WOWBugs real?

Emphatically yes! WOWBugs are tiny, easily maintained, harmless insects. Scientifically speaking, WOWBugs are Melittobia digitata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Many features of their bizarre life history make them particularly well suited for instructional use.

What do WOWBugs look like?

WOWBugs are about the size of very small ants. They are best examined with a microscope or magnifying glass.

Male and female WOWBugs are strikingly different.
Female WOWBug	Male WOWBug

Female WOWBugs are black. They have four normal wings, although the smaller pair of hind wings are often hidden. With a little magnification, you can see their compound eyes and typical insect antennae.

Male WOWBugs are the color of honey or amber. They have stubby wings and cannot fly. They have antler-like antennae that are used in courtship.

A close look at the males shows only shallow pits where compound eyes should be. Males often have three tiny simple eyes (called ocelli) on their foreheads. These may be useful in distinguishing light and dark, but for all practical purposes, male WOWBugs are functionally blind.