''Maaminga '' is a genus of parasitic

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...

s containing two species and constituting the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Maamingidae. So far only known from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, the two named species are '' Maaminga marrisi'' and '' M. rangi''. The genus (and family) name derives from the Māori word "māminga", simply translated as "trickster" as the species evaded discovery for so long. The delicate and slender '' Maaminga rangi'' is common in forests, particularly

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

forests of the northern part of the North Island. The more robust and stocky '' Maaminga marrisi'', which is polymorphic for wing size (brachyterous, fully winged), appears to be associated with coastal scrub, and forest, particularly on offshore islands, but is also found in alpine snow tussock. Maamingidae was placed within the Proctotrupoidea, but was later moved to the superfamily Diaprioidea along with

Diapriidae The Diapriidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. These tiny insects have an average length of 2–4 mm and never exceed 8 mm. They typically attack larvae and pupae of a wide range of insects, especially flies. The about 2,300 described ...

and Monomachidae.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14539490 Hymenoptera genera Endemic fauna of New Zealand Endemic insects of New Zealand