Five new wasp species discovered in Cyprus, one named after Aphrodite

Researchers have described five wasp species new to science that are found only in Cyprus. The discovery has more than doubled the number of endemic chalcid wasps on the island: until now, four were known; there are now nine.

All five species belong to the Pteromalidae family — very small parasitoid wasps. They lay their eggs inside caterpillars, aphids and other insects, acting as a natural mechanism for controlling agricultural pests. The specimens range from 2 to 2.7 mm in length and are almost impossible to see without a microscope.

Fieldwork took place in 2024 and 2025. It was conducted by entomologist Evangelos Koutsoukos of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and researcher Mircea-Dan Mitroiu of Romania’s Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. The project was funded through the British Darwin Plus programme and carried out by the Enalia Physis Environmental Research Centre under the direction of entomologist Angeliki Martinu, with the participation of the University of Leeds. Samples were collected on agricultural land, in villages and in protected natural areas, including the area of the British Akrotiri base.

The names of the new species are linked to Cyprus. Ablaxia makrisi and Erythromalus makrisi were named after Cypriot entomologist Christodoulos Makris, who collected the holotypes of both species. Ablaxia toxeftrae was named after Toxeftra Beach on the Akamas Peninsula, while Hemitrichus akrotiriensis was found on a fig tree in the village of Akrotiri — an area the researchers describe as one of Cyprus’s most important biodiversity hotspots. The smallest species, Janssoniella aphrodite, measuring around two millimetres, was discovered in Yeroskipou near Paphos and named after Aphrodite: in antiquity, these places were associated with the worship of the goddess.

Scientists believe this is only the beginning. According to Koutsoukos, many other interesting specimens were collected during the surveys, some of which may also prove to be unknown to science. The researchers plan to describe dozens of additional Pteromalidae finds in a separate publication.