ichneumonid wasps
(Family Ichneumonidae)
Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy
Overview |
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Ichneumonidae is a very large family of narrow-waisted wasps. It is the largest family of insects. There are an estimated 60,000 species in 39 subfamilies worldwide, but currently only about 25,000 species have been described. There are about 5,000 described species in almost 500 genera in 36 subfamilies in North America, and at least 744 species in at least 17 subfamilies in Minnesota. Ichneumonidae occur worldwide on all continents except Antarctica. According to BugGuide.net, they are “common almost everywhere.” Almost all ichneumonid wasps inject their eggs into the body of a host or lay their eggs on the surface of a host. Very few lay their eggs in the ground. When the eggs hatch the larvae consume the still living host. |
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Description |
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Adults are ⅛″ to 19⁄16″ (3 to 40 mm) long not including the antennae or the ovipositor. They have a slender waist. The antennae have 16 or more segments and are long, at least half as long as the body. The females of some species have a very long ovipositor which allows them to drill a few centimeters deep into rotted wood to deposit their eggs into a host. Unlike stinging wasps, the ovipositor is not modified into a sting. Ichneumonidae are very similar in appearance to braconid wasps (Family Braconidae). They differ in having two recurrent veins on the forewing. The second submarginal cell is small or missing. The base of the cubital vein is missing, and the first submarginal and second discoidal cells are fused together. |
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Distribution |
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| 7/2/2022 | ||||
Taxonomy |
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Order |
Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) | ||
Suborder |
Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees) | ||
Superfamily |
Ichneumonoidea (ichneumonid and braconid wasps) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Subfamily Acaenitinae Subfamily Adelognathinae Subfamily Anomaloninae Subfamily Banchinae Subfamily Brachycyrtinae Subfamily Campopleginae Subfamily Collyriinae Subfamily Cremastinae Subfamily Cryptinae Subfamily Ctenopelmatinae Subfamily Cylloceriinae Subfamily Diacritinae Subfamily Diacritinae Subfamily Diplazontinae (hover fly parasitoid wasps) Subfamily Eucerotinae Subfamily Hybrizontinae Subfamily Ichneumoninae Subfamily Labeninae Subfamily Lycorininae Subfamily Mesochorinae Subfamily Metopiinae Subfamily Microleptinae Subfamily Neorhacodinae Subfamily Ophioninae (short-tailed ichneumonid wasps) Subfamily Orthocentrinae Subfamily Orthopelmatinae Subfamily Oxytorinae Subfamily Phrudinae Subfamily Phygadeuontinae Subfamily Pimplinae Subfamily Poemeniinae Subfamily Rhyssinae Subfamily Stilbopinae Subfamily Tryphoninae Subfamily Xoridinae |
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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ichneumonid wasps ichneumons ichneumon wasps |
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Ichneumonidae are often referred to as ichneumon wasps, but that name is properly applied to the genus Ichneumon, and should not be used for this family. |
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Glossary
Ovipositor
A tube-like organ near the end of the abdomen of many female insects, used to prepare a place for an egg and to place the egg.
Visitor Photos |
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Alfredo Colon |
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Bill Reynolds |
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… climbing all over Cosmos (flower) stalks and branches. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| The Ichneumonidae are a parasitoid wasp family within the order Hymenoptera Living Earth |
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About
Published on Apr 25, 2019 I go through the forests, mountains, hills, fields, and waters to understand the living world and to create a living mind. The Ichneumonidae are a parasitoid wasp family within the order Hymenoptera |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this insect. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Bill Reynolds September 2022 |
Location: Pennington Co. MN |
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| John 8/17/2022 |
Location: Cherry Grove in Fillmore County it was around our house for a couple hours. |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/8/2022 |
Location: Albany, NY |
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| Alfredo Colon 6/27/2021 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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| Alfredo Colon 6/3/2021 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/16/2018 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 6/13/2019
Last Updated: