Page 80 - AG 7-2011 Revised 2016

Ichneumon Wasp adult Ichneumon Wasp adult

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

Ichneumon Wasp adult

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

1.Antenna- 16 segmented 6.Thorax-yes Ichneumon Wasp
7.Petiole- yes
2.Eyes- compound w/ocelli 8.Abdomen-very long ovipositor at the end of it 58
9.Color- various-orange, red, etc.
3.Head- 10.Other- very long ovipositor 10
1
4.Legs- 6
7
5.Wings- yes 6

Life Cycle Drawing by Andrew Schaible
Females have a sharp ovipositor which pierces the skin of a host insect. Eggs
are deposited, and the larvae that hatch feed on the internal parts of the
host. They even pupate within the host, and then emerge, sometimes leaving
nothing more than a hollow shell.

The Ichneumonid Wasp is a beneficial predator insect. It can be used as a biological control
in a wide variety of agricultural settings. These wasps vary greatly in size from just under 1/8th
inch to over an inch long. They have long antennae and a slender body, with the abdomen
appearing to be flattened. They are parasites on many other harmful insects, attacking
caterpillars, beetles, worms, moth larvae, spiders, and flies.

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