This colorful little wasp is approximately 3/8 to 1/2 inch long. The head, eyes and thorax are black. The abdomen is mostly red with the last 2 segments being black with a large white semi circle at the end. The legs are red with the hind legs having black knees. The ovipositor on the female is thick and about 1/2 as long as the abdomen. The wings are clear light brown. This wasp was identified to the subfamily Cryptinae and the Tribe Cryptini by volunteer experts at the BugGuide website. Most species of Ichneumon wasps cannot be identified to genus or species level from photographs.
The frequency of occurrence at Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods is not known although we know that they fly from June to October. There may be more than one generation during that time period. One individual was photographed in Fontenelle Forest in early October 2012 and another was photographed in June 2016.
The Cryptini Tribe is the largest tribe in the subfamily Cryptinae with 39 genera and 234 species represented in North America. Most Cryptinae species attack sawflies and develop as ectoparasitoids attached to their host bodies within the host cocoon.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Babs Padelford.