''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 ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Maamingidae. So far only known from

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, the two named species are ''

Maaminga marrisi ''Maaminga '' is a genus of parasitic wasps containing two species and constituting the family (biology), family Maamingidae. So far only known from New Zealand, the two named species are ''Maaminga marrisi'' and ''Maaminga rangi, M. rangi''. T ...

'' 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 ''Maaminga '' is a genus of parasitic wasps containing two species and constituting the family Maamingidae. So far only known from New Zealand, the two named species are ''Maaminga marrisi'' and '' M. rangi''. The genus (and family) name derive ...

'' is common in forests, particularly

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...

forests of the northern part of the North Island. The more robust and stocky ''

'', 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 Monomachidae is a family of parasitoid wasps in the order Hymenoptera comprising two genera. The species of the family are found in the Southern Hemisphere, primarily in the tropics of the New World with a few from Australia and New Guinea. D ...

References

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