Giant Ichneumon wasp and mates
December 29, 2010 1:32 pm
I wish I would have discovered your web site earlier in the year.  I had the unusual pleasure of discovering the Giant Ichneumon along with her small males in my garage.  It was an awesome experience to see her and two of the smaller blue black males.  They were flying around the garage and attracted to the fluorescent light. At the time I did not know what they were.  My husbands first reaction was to grab the bug spray….needless to say I did not allow that to happen!  Why is it that so many people want to destroy what they do not understand? Anyway, I love your site!
Signature: Kristi Bird

Giant Ichneumon Mating Activity

Dear Kristi,
Thanks for sending in an awesome letter.  WE wish you had enclosed a photograph.  We found a photo in our archives that illustrates male Giant Ichneumons congregating around females to accompany your letter in our posting.  It was originally submitted in 2007.

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Unknown Fly
Location: England, London, Esher
November 4, 2010 11:40 am
Hello! I am 14 and this bug flew into my face during the night, it was terrifying. I kept it in a jar but felt kind of guilty, so now I’m wondering what on earth it actually is, it doesnt seem to be any of the flies Ive looked up (craneflies etc.) because it always has one major feature different. It has long antennae, sometime appears red tinted but generally brown, six legs, an abdomen that hangs on a tiny little string! The picture isnt great and i had only enough battery for one photo, so ive drawn a picture in paint to help.
I’d love to know what the fly is, i’ve never been so intrigued about bugs before!– That photo has turned out to be terrible, hopefully my picture would be enough! Thanks so much if you get the time to identify! If it helps I saw it rubbing its legs on its abdomen, or eachother, at some point and when it flies the wings go to either side. It has tiny whitish rings around its tiny bead-like black eyes.
Signature: Nick

Short Tailed Ichneumon we believe

Dear Nick,
We are nearly certain you have drawn a Short Tailed Ichneumon.  We recently posted a photo from New York that we identifies as a member of the genus Ophion and it looks nearly identical to your drawing.  Ichneumons are internal parasites and many prey upon caterpillars.  These Short Tailed Ichneumons are often attracted to lights at night.

Short Tailed Ichneumon

thanks it looked just like that! Just a bit darker.  thanks for answering so fast as well, great job!

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OMG I hope it doesn’t bite…!
Location:  New Paltz, NY
September 23, 2010 3:59 pm
Was about 2-2.5 inches from antenae to back legs. Abdomen was very flat and perpendicular to the glass window it was on. Looking straight down on it, it looked like a large insect from behind with big eyes – markings to fool prey from behind, no doubt… You can zoom pretty far in on photo – decent resolution
Signature:  Yeesh that’s cool!

Short Tailed Ichneumon

Dear Yeesh,
This is a Short Tailed Ichneumon in the genus Ophion, which you can verify on BugGuide. Ichneumons are in the same insect order as the bees and wasps, but most do not sting.  Not long ago we learned that some Ichneumons are capable of stinging.  They are parasitoids, and the female Ophion preys upon caterpillars, generally laying a single egg.  According to BugGuide:  “Adult Ophion species will hunt for their host caterpillar. Usually one egg is laid per host. Caterpillar usually dies during pupal stage though wasp larva remains to pupate itself.“  BugGuide also indicates that adults are attracted to lights.

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what is this?
Location:  Aberdeen, United Kingdom
September 15, 2010 8:57 am
hi there, found this bug on the ground in aberdeen, uk. found outside a university. can you help identify it?
Signature:  Lewis

Sabre Wasp

Dear Louis,
This is an Ichneumon, a Parasitic Hymenopteran that is classified with bees and wasps.  In North America, similar looking Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa prey upon the Pigeon Horntail, a species of Wood Wasp whose larvae are found feeding on dead or dying wood.  The female Ichneumon, and your specimen is a female, can be identified by her long stingerlike ovipositor which she uses to deposit her eggs in wood that is infested with the larvae of the Pigeon Horntail.  Our hypothesis is that the UK specimen you have photographed may have a similar Wood Wasp host in Europe, but without successfully identifying the species of your Ichneumon, we cannot be certain.  We found a BBC Science and Nature page that indicates that Rhyssa persuasoria, commonly called a Sabre Wasp, is the largest Ichneumon “fly” in Britain, and it is described as:  “Giant ichneumons have slender bodies, with a wasp waist, and long, flexible antennae. The apparently fearsome-looking sting at the end of the female wasp’s abdomen is actually an ovipositor (egg-laying instrument). This is protected within a sheath. This species has a black body with pale yellow/white markings on the abdominal segments. The legs are orange.“  Alas, there is no image, but the written description appears to fit your photograph.  Before leaving the BBC Science and Nature Page, we decided that the behavior description also needed to be included here:  “Ichneumons are parasites that lay their eggs in or on the larvae of other insects or spiders. The hosts of giant ichneumons are usually the larvae of horntails, or wood wasps (Orocerus gigas), and related species, as well as the larvae of longhorn beetles (Monochamus sutor). The female looks for hosts, which live within fallen timber. She may detect them through the smell of their droppings, which are then contaminated by fungi, or by sensing their vibrations within the wood. However she does it, the accuracy with which she locates them is remarkable. When she finds the right spot, she drives her slender ovipositor into the wood (which can be inches thick) by rotating the two halves backwards and forwards very rapidly. She lays one egg next to or on the host larvae. The whole process takes about 20-40 minutes. When the fly larvae hatches it feeds externally on the host. It overwinters and pupates in the spring before emerging from the wood. Giant ichneumons sometimes emerge in houses from furniture made from new timber. The adults are active from July-August.“  We found an image of a female depositing her eggs on the Insect Images website, and there is a strong resemblance to your specimen.  The Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust website has a nice photo and description.  Though the markings on your individual are not as pronounced, we are confident it is at least in the genus Rhyssa.

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