Leucospis

thumb|Leucospis gigas Leucospis is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Leucospidae. Most species are brightly coloured with yellow and black patterning and about 2 cm long. They have characteristically enlarged femurs on the hind leg, with the lower margin toothed. The wings have a longitudinal fold and the long ovipositor is bent over their backs above the abdomen or metasoma. They are parasitic on wasps and solitary bees that construct cells and provision food for their offspring. The Leucospis larvae live and grow as ectoparasites of the host larvae. Usually, only one parasite emerges from a single cell. The genus Micrapion from South Africa is very closely related, and phylogenetic studies suggest merging of the two genera. The genus Leucospis is found across the world in the tropical regions.

==Species== Species within this genus include: Leucospis addenda Boucek, 1974 Leucospis affinis Say, 1824 Leucospis africana Cameron, 1907 Leucospis aliena Boucek, 1974 Leucospis anthidioides Westwood, 1874 Leucospis antiqua Walker, 1862 Leucospis aruina Walker, 1862 Leucospis atriceps (Girault, 1925) Leucospis aurantiaca Shestakov, 1923 Leucospis auripyga Boucek, 1974 Leucospis australis Walker, 1871 Leucospis azteca Cresson, 1872 Leucospis bakeri Crawford, 1915 Leucospis banksi Weld, 1922 Leucospis bifasciata Klug, 1814 Leucospis biguetina Jurine, 1807 Leucospis bioculata Boucek, 1974 Leucospis birkmani Brues, 1925 Leucospis brasiliensis Boucek, 1974 Leucospis brevicauda Fabricius, 1804 Leucospis buchi Hedqvist, 1968 Leucospis bulbiventris Cresson, 1872 Leucospis calligastri (Ferrière, 1938) Leucospis carinifera Kriechbaumer, 1894 Leucospis cayennensis Westwood, 1839 Leucospis clavigaster Boucek, 1974 Leucospis colombiana Boucek, 1974 Leucospis conicus (Schrank, 1802) Leucospis coxalis Kirby, 1885 Leucospis darjilingensis Mani, 1937 Leucospis desantisi Boucek, 1974 Leucospis dorsigera Fabricius, 1775 Leucospis egaia Walker, 1862 Leucospis elegans Klug, 1834 Leucospis enderleini Ashmead, 1904 Leucospis fallax Boucek, 1974 Leucospis femoricincta Boucek, 1974 Leucospis fuelleborniana Enderlein, 1903 Leucospis funerea Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis genalis Boucek, 1974 Leucospis gigas Fabricius, 1793 Leucospis giraulti Boucek, 1974 Leucospis glaesaria Engel, 2002 Leucospis globigera Boucek, 1974 Leucospis guzeratensis Westwood, 1839 Leucospis histrio Maindron, 1878 Leucospis holubi Boucek, 1974 Leucospis hopei Westwood, 1834 Leucospis ignota Walker, 1862 Leucospis imitans Boucek, 1974 Leucospis incarnata Westwood, 1839 Leucospis insularis Kirby, 1900 Leucospis intermedia Illiger, 1807 Leucospis japonica Walker, 1871 Leucospis klugii Westwood, 1839 Leucospis lankana Boucek & Narendran, 1981 Leucospis latifrons Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis leptomera Boucek, 1974 Leucospis leucotelus Walker, 1852 Leucospis mackerrasi Naumann, 1981 Leucospis maculata Weld, 1922 Leucospis malaica Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis manaica Roman, 1920 Leucospis metatibialis Boucek, 1974 Leucospis mexicana Walker, 1862 Leucospis micrura Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis miniata Klug, 1834 Leucospis moleyrei Maindron, 1878 Leucospis morawitzi Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis nambui Habu, 1977 Leucospis namibica Boucek, 1974 Leucospis nigerrima Kohl, 1908 Leucospis nigripyga Boucek, 1974 Leucospis niticoxa Boucek, 1974 Leucospis obsoleta Klug, 1834 Leucospis opalescens Weld, 1922 Leucospis ornata Westwood, 1839 Leucospis osmiae Boucek, 1974 Leucospis parvula Boucek, 1974 Leucospis pediculata Guérin-Méneville, 1844 Leucospis petiolata Fabricius, 1787 Leucospis pictipyga Boucek, 1974 Leucospis pinna Grissell & Cameron, 2002 Leucospis poeyi Guérin-Méneville, 1844 Leucospis procera Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis propinqua Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis pubescens Boucek, 1974 Leucospis pulchella Crawford, 1915 Leucospis pulcherrima Nagase, 2007 Leucospis pulchriceps Cameron, 1909 Leucospis pyriformis (Weld, 1922) Leucospis regalis Westwood, 1874 Leucospis reversa Boucek, 1974 Leucospis rieki Boucek, 1974 Leucospis rileyi Schletterer, 1890 Leucospis robertsoni Crawford, 1909 Leucospis robusta Weld, 1922 Leucospis rostrata Boucek, 1974 Leucospis santarema Walker, 1862 Leucospis schlettereri Schulthess-Schindler, 1899 Leucospis sedlaceki Boucek, 1974 Leucospis signifera Boucek, 1974 Leucospis sinensis Walker, 1862 Leucospis slossonae Weld, 1922 Leucospis speifera Walker, 1862 Leucospis sumichrastii Cresson, 1872 Leucospis texana Cresson, 1872 Leucospis tricolor Kirby, 1883 Leucospis vallicaucaensis Pujade-Villar & Caicedo, 2010 Leucospis vanharteni Schmid-Egger, 2010 Leucospis varicollis Cameron, 1909 Leucospis ventricosa Boucek, 1974 Leucospis versicolor Boucek, 1974 Leucospis violaceipennis Strand, 1911 Leucospis viridis Vago & Pauly, 2003 Leucospis williamsi Boucek, 1974 Leucospis xylocopae Burks, 1961 Leucospis yasumatsui Habu, 1961