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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » parasitic Apocrita » Braconids and Ichneumons (Ichneumonoidea) » Ichneumon Wasps (Ichneumonidae) » Rhyssinae » Giant Ichneumons (Megarhyssa)

Genus Megarhyssa - Giant Ichneumons

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Giant Ichneumon - Megarhyssa atrata - male Stump Stabber (giant ichneumon) - Megarhyssa macrurus New here and loving it! - Megarhyssa macrurus Ichneumonoid Wasp - Megarhyssa atrata? - Megarhyssa atrata - female Long Tail - Megarhyssa macrurus - female I don't know... - Megarhyssa atrata Megarhyssa (nortoni?) - Megarhyssa - female Ichneumonid - Megarhyssa - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (parasitic Apocrita)
Superfamily Ichneumonoidea (Braconids and Ichneumons)
Family Ichneumonidae (Ichneumon Wasps)
Subfamily Rhyssinae
Genus Megarhyssa (Giant Ichneumons)
Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 4 North American species.
Size
23-75 mm (body)
Identification
Extensive yellow-markings on abdomen.
Range
Forested areas of North America
Habitat
Forests
Season
Spring, sometimes summer (April-October for North Carolina, two species)
Food
Adults do not feed.
Life Cycle
Parasitoid of horntail larvae, which bore in wood.
Numerous discussions of the ecology of three of the species can be found online (1), (2), and (3)
Remarks
Size: Males 23-38 mm, females 35-75 mm (body), 50-110 mm (!) with ovipositor. (1)
Print References
Milne, p. 809, fig. 465 (1)
Swan and Papp, p. 527, fig. 1155--M. macrurus (2)
Brimley, p. 410 (3)
Internet References
North Carolina State University Entomology lists all four species for that state, with number pinned in collection: atrata (32), greeni (16), macrurus (79), nortoni (8).
Megarhyssa on oak
Image of M. atrata
Insects of Quebec page on M. atrata
Image of M. macrurus
Texas Coop. Extension page on Megrarhyssa, including a good image of M. macrurus.
Works Cited
1.National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
By Lorus and Margery Milne
2.The Common Insects of North America
By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp
3.Insects of North Carolina
By C.S. Brimley
Contributed by Cotinis on 8 June, 2004 - 7:14pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban
Last updated 21 October, 2006 - 4:13pm

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