Ichneumonidae
Ichneumonidae (Ichneumonid parasitic wasps)
Taxonomy
Ichneumonidae are parasitic wasps that use their long ovipositors to deposit eggs on, into, or near an insect host. It is a large family, with over 3300 described species in North America. If you see Ichneumonidae genera listed in your bee block results, we were not able to identify the specimen to genus or species.
Description
Ichneumonids are typically slender wasps with long ovipositors, sometimes up to twice as long as their body. They have long antennae with 16 or more antennal segments.
Nest Structure
Most Ichneumonids are solitary parasitoids whose larvae feed and develop on a single host, although some species' larvae are mobile and will feed on more than one host. Hosts include a wide range of insects in the orders Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Neuroptera, and Mecoptera, and spiders and spider egg sacs.
Hole Sizes
No information at this time.
Voltinism
No information at this time.
Activity Period
No information at this time.
References
Triplehorn, C.A and N.F. Johnson. 2005. Borror and DeLong's introduction to the study of insects, 7th ed. Thomson, Brooks/Cole, Australia.
Thank you to John Luhman for identifying all of our Ichneumonid specimens.
Wasp genera in the family Ichneumonidae observed in the Bee Atlas:
Ich.genera