The Ichneumon Centrator Wasp is approximately .75 inch long. The female is more colorful than the all black male. She has a dark red face and thorax and black abdomen. Her legs are black with yellow-orange tibia. Both sexes have blue-black wings and mostly white antennae. This wasp was identified by volunteer experts at the BugGuide website. The male is very similar in appearance to the Gnamptopelta obsidianator wasp and may be mistaken for it.
The frequency of occurrence at Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods is not known. The female shown here was found at Neale Woods in early November 2012. She was found under bark and was probably in hibernation.
There are about 140 species in the Ichneumon genus in North America. The adult females hibernate when temperatures are not consistently above freezing. Hibernation locations are in ravines, north facing slopes and low lying ground where humidity and temperature fluctuations are minimal. They usually hibernate beneath loose bark of fallen trees. Wasps in the Ichneumoninae subfamily lay eggs in mature caterpillars but do not complete their development until the host has pupated.
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.