Diamond back moth parasitoid

Diadegma semiclausum are very important beneficial wasps that attack diamondback moth. They are black in colour and range in size from 5-7 mm in length. Their life cycle consists of four stages including an egg, larval, pupae and adult stage that can take from 12-16 days to complete. Often part of this life cycle is completed inside diamondback larvae. D. semiclausum attack diamondback moth larvae by laying their eggs inside the host pest. The wasp larvae feed internally and pupate within the host forming a cocoon, eventually killing the diamondback larvae and emerging and completing their cycle into an adult wasp.