To a non-entomologist, this would seem terribly pedantic, but recently I found two exciting specimens while working on pitfall samples from north Idaho. In two separate samples I found female Mymarommatidae. These are minute roughly 0.3 mm hymenopterans (the order wasps, ants and bees are found in) that are not closely related to any other living families. Three genera have been described from the fossil record but there are only ten described species in one of the genera for the living Mymarommatidae. They are felt to be living fossils. The only other hymenoptera this small are known insect egg parasites that actually have all of their life cycle but for their adult stage inside the egg of other insect. The hosts of the Mymarommatidae are not known, but they have been reared from bracket fungi or found associated with weevils in moss in New Zealand, not that that really tells us much.
That sounds exciting! Good for you!
Congratulations, Rod! Do you get a chance to name them?
Very, very neat! Wow! Did you use any kind of attractant? How about photos?
congrats!!!
so where’s the pics and sound clips? 
female Mymarommatidae aren’t noted for their dainty conversational style. Sound clips might violate Board family-friendly standards.
hurrump…different culture…we need to be more tolerant of different cultures! 
Yep, Yudaho.
djm
Actually, that picture is a male. They were just pitfall samples. I pitfall is just a container buried up to its rim in the soil that collects whatever falls in. These had alcohol as a preservative in them and left out in the field for 24 hours.
So at least they died happy…
Owen
See - that explains why people think dinosaurs are extinct. They just aren’t prepared to spare enough alcohol for a large-sized pitfall.
That’s why I use Nano-Sherman live traps, sure I have to carry a microscope into the field just to set them, but I can even catch small nemotodes.
Here’s one in Cretaceous amber, with a closeup of its wings:
Do these li’l critters fly with such a curious construction?
I read that there can be some dramatic morphological plasticity amongst a number of the Chalcidoidea based on host species and even location of the egg within the host, is Mymarommatidae one of them?
What was the last thing on his mind before he hit the dinosaur?
djm
Nyuk.
I have an update. I am up to five specimens. I told my friend James “Ding” Johnson, a good insect taxonomist about them and he got very excited. It seems likely we have a new species on our hands. The only other sighting of this family in North America is one species from around the Washington DC area. Ours are from the panhandle of Idaho and Western Montana area. Nothing definitive is known about what their hosts are for any members of the family.
I’d think that a Washington DC area insect found in the Idaho panhandle would be cause for more that a little concern… 
-OR-
Congratulations! 
Though I’ve gotta say, I’ve been mired to my axles in few over the years…
Way to go! How many pitfalls and drowned, pickled insects did you have to set up and stare at to get this bingo?