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Species Acrotaphus wiltii

Representative Images

? - Acrotaphus wiltii Acrotaphus wiltii - female Ichneumonidae - Acrotaphus wiltii - female Acrotaphus wiltii? - Acrotaphus wiltii Bracnoid wasp?  - Acrotaphus wiltii - female ichneumon wasp? - Acrotaphus wiltii Acrotaphus wiltii - female Pennsylvania Wasp - Acrotaphus wiltii - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)
Superfamily Ichneumonoidea (Braconid and Ichneumonid Wasps)
Family Ichneumonidae (Ichneumonid Wasps)
Subfamily Pimplinae
Tribe Ephialtini
No Taxon (Polysphincta genus-group)
Genus Acrotaphus
Species wiltii (Acrotaphus wiltii)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Acrotaphus wiltii (Cresson, 1870)

Size

♀ ~15mm
♂ ~12mm

Identification

Fairly distinctive, with black bands on yellowish wings. More slender than species in similar genera with banded wings.

Range

e. N. Amer. (QC s. to n. FL, w. to s. MB and TX)

Life Cycle

Parasite of the arabesque orb weaver, Neoscona arabesca. The wasp stings the spider to briefly paralyze it while she lays a single egg on it. The larva is an external parasite.
Larvae on host Spiders:

See Also

The very similar Mantidfly larvae are usually smaller in size, compared to the host Spider: