Wasp (Ichneumonid spp)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Superfamily: Ichneumonoidea
Family : Ichneumonidae
Ichneumonid wasp is of the super family Ichneumonidae which is made up of two families The Braconidae and the
Ichneumonidae.
They are solitary insects, and most are parasitoids—the larvae feeding on or in another insect which finally dies. As with all hymenopterans, ichneumons are closely related to ants and bees.
Ichneumon wasp species are highly diverse, ranging from 3 mm (1/8-inch) to 13 cm (5 inches) long. Most are slender, with the females of many species have extremely long ovipositor capable of piercing through several inches of insect-infested tree trunk to the caterpillars and other larvae within. The female finds a host and lays an egg on, near, or inside the host's body. Upon hatching, the larval ichneumon feeds either externally or internally, killing the host when they themselves are ready to pupate. Despite looking formidable, the ovipositor does not deliver a sting like many wasps or bees. It can be used by the wasps to bore into and lay eggs inside rotten wood.
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