This delicate wasp is approximately 1 inch in length. The thorax is reddish-brown. The reddish-brown abdomen is long, slender and decurved, and has a thread waist where it attaches to the thorax. The eyes are black. The legs and antennae are long and reddish. The wings are clear. One of the identifying characters of Ophion wasps is a “horsehead shape” near the leading edge of the forewing. The tan flecks within the horsehead identify it to the genus level.
Ophion wasps are common but are not often seen since they are nocturnal. They are often found coming to lights.
This Ophion wasp is in the subfamily Ophioninae. These wasps are parasites of caterpillars.
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