Braconid wasps (Braconidae) are a huge family of parasitoid wasps and, after their close relatives the ichneumon wasps, they form the second-largest family within the order Hymenoptera. Around 17,000 species have already been described, and many thousands more are still unknown to science. They can be very similar in appearance to ichneumon wasps, which is why telling the two groups apart is often not easy. In general, braconids tend to be smaller, less brightly colored, and have shorter abdomens, as well as different wing venation. Like ichneumon wasps, however, they are parasitoids that lay their eggs inside other insects or spiders, making them important players in the balance of ecosystems. I encountered this charming little wasp during a walk in Nono, a small village in the Ecuadorian highlands, just a short bus ride from Quito.