HelpfulGardener.com

There are multiple species of parasitic wasps that are beneficial to the garden. They are tiny and hard to see but you might have seen some of their handiwork like aphid mummies or parasitized hornworms.

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galv ... rnworm.htm
https://www.organicgardening.com/learn-a ... itic-wasps

Great links!

Yep! I love seeing the mummies left by the aphid mummy makers, and most hornworms I see in my garden are already carrying those pupae.

There's another kind that parasitizes the cabbage worm and, when they pupate, they turn the entire caterpillar into an yellowish cottony splat on the cabbage/kale/broccoli, etc. leaf. A few days later, the tiny wasps emerge.

OK I was looking for a good picture and came across these websites:

https://www.drmcbug.com/parasitic.htm
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg ... geworm.htm

...ah ha! Here are some photos I took in my own garden
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 345#p94345

great links apple.

Great links! I noticed a bunch of these on the flowers early in the spring on my Syrian oregano, but not on other things.

I haven't seen a hornworm in ages, but then, I usually don't get many butterflies visiting. I have been seeing more moths and butterflies lately, but I don't have many things they like to eat. I got rid of the butterfly bush.