ICHNEUMON

ICHNEUMON

Ichneumon
ICHNEUMON WASP FAMILY (Ichneumonidae)

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This colorful Ichneumon wasp, in the sub-family Banchinae, is approximately 1/2 inch in length. It has large black eyes. The thorax is black with large white spots. The abdomen is red with yellow on the sides and black dashes in the yellow. The antennae are long and black with a white mid-stripe. The legs are red. The ovipositor is black and recurved. The wings are clear and do not extend to the end of the abdomen.

The frequency of occurrence is unknown. It has been photographed in Fontenelle Forest in late July.

The subfamily Banchinae includes 600 species in 21 genera north of Mexico. These Ichneumon wasps are endoparasitoids of the larvae of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera.

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: Loren Padelford.