There are at least 411 Lissonota species worldwide, about 150 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 18 species in Minnesota (CCESR).

The larvae of all Lissonota species develop inside a host that is still living and feeding (kionobiont endoparasitoids). They eventually kill the host. The hosts of all Lissonota species are mostly larvae of butterflies or moths (caterpillars), but also beetle larvae. Many species specialize in hidden hosts like stem-boring or leaf-rolling caterpillars. Adults are often solitary.

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Description

Lissonota are relatively small to medium-sized wasps.

The body is long and slender. It is usually black or brown with yellow or reddish markings.

While the attachment of the abdomen to the thorax (waist) is relatively long and slender, it is not petiolate. On the female, the ovipositor is as long or longer than the body. It is notched near the end, but this is usually not visible as the ovipositor is within a protective sheath when not in use.

The plate on the face above the upper lip (clypeus) is usually well separated from the face by a groove. The antennae are thread-like and long, often longer than the body, and they have up to 30 or more segments.


Distribution
		Sources 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83.
10/22/2024


Taxonomy
Order	Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies)
Suborder	Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees)
Infraorder	Terebrantes
Superfamily	Ichneumonoidea (ichneumonid and braconid wasps)
Family	Ichneumonidae (ichneumonid wasps)
Subfamily	Banchinae
Tribe	Atrophini

Subordinate Taxa
ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota acrobasidis) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota atrimalis) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota brevipappus) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota brunnea) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota conferta) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota coracina) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota crevieri) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota cruralis) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota cylpeator) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota exigua) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota exilis) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota imitatrix) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota parva) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota punctata) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota rubrica) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota scutellaris) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota stenostoma) ichneumonid wasp (Lissonota tegularis)

Synonyms


Common Names
This genus has no common name. The common name of the family Ichneumonidae is Ichneumonid wasps, and it is applied here for convenience.

Glossary

Clypeus

On insects, a hardened plate on the face above the upper lip (labrum).

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.


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Luciearl

This insect I could see through the clear plate of water I leave out for the birds. Picked up the plate to see if it moved. Yes! Ran in house, grabbed phone. Two shots. One turned out.


Alfredo Colon


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Lissonota sp. [Valongo-Susão (22/2/14)]
João Nunes

About

Published on Feb 22, 2014

Camcorder


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