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Photo#119173
Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa greenei - female

Ichneumon Wasp - Megarhyssa greenei - Female
Hurricane, Putnam County, West Virginia, USA
September 17, 2006
Size: 2.25in w/o ovipositor
This beauty got into my house when my daughter opened the door to come outside with me to search for insects to photograph. We found pure treasure in our first moments outside when this beautiful Ichneumon flew to the light at my back door. I rescued her from the house and set her free, unharmed.

Moved

Megarhyssa greenei
No dark smudging along basal vein

Megarhyssa sp.
She's been on the wing for awhile. Note her tattered forewings. Thanks for sharing the story as well as the image:-)

 
forewings...
Her forewings appear to be "tattered" as you say, but in the exact same pattern bilaterally. That seems a bit coincidental to me? Could this just be a genetic variation?

 
No.
Shows damage from when a bird snapped at it, probably in flight when the both pairs of the wasp's wings were at the apex of the upstroke. Wedge-like scars on insect wings are almost always evidence of attempted bird predation.

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