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wood wasp?
August 20, 2009
Found at 8700′ elevation on the summit of Robinson Peak in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness. Ichneumon? Wood Wasp?
\Tvashtar
Summit of Robinson Peak in N central WA

Ichneumon Wasp

Hello again Tvashtar,
Your gorgeous images are monopolizing our postings today.  This is not a Wood Wasp.  It is a Braconid Wasp.  Braconid Wasps and Ichneumons are classified together in the superfamily Ichneumonoidea of parasitic Hymenopterans.  We believe your specimen is in the genus Atanycolus, but according to BugGuide:  “Next to impossible to identify this genus from images alone, however it is one of the more common genera in the subfamily. Identification of images on this guide page are NOT absolute!”  It might also be in the subfamily Agathidinae, also represented on BugGuide.

Correction by Eric Eaton
August 29, 2009
Daniel:
… Thanks for the prompt.  I do have a couple other corrections:
The “braconid wasp” of August 20 is actually an ichneumon wasp, though I don’t know even which subfamily it belongs to.  Ichneumons are a real tough group even with specimens in hand….
… I’ll keep checking for other “errors,” but you are doing a bang-up job, Daniel.  Give my best to Lisa, keep in touch:-)
Eric

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