Ichneumon Wasps

The bug slacker is back, I have a ton of bugs to post just no time to do it. I’ve run across some pretty neat Ichneumon Wasps in the yard recently and thought I would share them. These wasps can look pretty nasty but actually don’t sting like a regular wasp does. Their ovipositors are very sharp and apparently they will occasionally use these in defense but it is not common for them to do this. These wasps paracitize different insects and most of them have a specific host insect or insect larva that they hunt for laying their eggs onto/into. This group of wasps is very large and once you are aware of them they are very common.

First up is an interesting wasp that has been coming to my mothing lights at night. Every night I have run the lights (incandescent and black lights) I have had from two to four of these wasps show up. This is a Pelecinid Wasp (Pelecinus polyturator) notice the large heavy duty strong ovipositor that is used to push down in the ground and lay eggs in june beetle larva.

Next up is a Megarhyssa atrata this is one of the longest ichneumon wasps in my area. This wasp was over 10cm long. These wasps paracitize the larva of wood boring insects.

Finally this is an unidentified wasp from my archives I’m fairly certain that it is in the Subfamily Banchinae but I have not narrowed it down any further.