What’s This Bug?
Location: Chicago land
March 4, 2011 12:37 am
I Found this ant like insect on my basement workbench, I thought it was a regular old ant, but I noticed the stinger on it’s back. I’m in the Chicago land area and the outside temperatures got above freezing this day (3-2-11) it’s real small about 1/8 of an inch (I used a 60mm macro lens with a extension tube)
Thanks
Signature: Bill G
Hi Bill,
We can only surmise that this is some species of flightless Parasitic Wasp. We need to rush off and cannot research this at the moment, though we have requested assistance from Eric Eaton. Moments before posting, we decided to try to locate any Flightless Ichneumons, and BugGuide has numerous images in the genus Gelis. BugGuide states: “Many species of Gelis are wingless. Habits are diverse. Many are external parasites of Lepidoptera in cocoons, others are parasitic on Symphyta, spiders, Diptera larvae and pupae, or wood-boring Coleoptera larvae. Many are Hyperparasites.”
Eric Eaton provides confirmation
Daniel:
Wow! Great image of an adult female ichneumon wasp in the genus Gelis:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/41499
May I use this image in one of my blogs I wonder? 🙂
Eric
sure he can use it, no problem and thanks for the info, BTW is this bug a common thing or something that I should be concerned about? since I found another one by my back door.
also great web site you have, it’s now bookmarked
Thanks
Bill Grenchik
Hi Bill,
We are copying Eric Eaton with your response. There is no need to be concerned regarding the Ichneumon. We understand that some Ichneumons are capable of stinging, but that is a rare occurrence if they are carelessly handled.